No. 9 Ohio State (20-6, 10-3) vs. No. 4 Purdue (21-3, 9-3)

Date: Tonight
Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
Place: Schottenstein Center, capacity 19,049
TV: Big Ten Network with Tom Hamilton, Jim Jackson and Charissa Thompson.
Radio: WBNS-AM 1460 and WBNS-FM 97.1 in Columbus and 58 more stations across Buckeyeland on the Ohio State Buckeyes Radio Network with Paul Keels and Ron Stokes.
Series History: Ohio State owns a 75-81 all-time record vs. Purdue.
Last Time Out: Ohio State defeated Purdue, 70-66, in W. Lafayette back on Jan. 12. Evan Turner led the Buckeyes with 32 points.

The last time Purdue defeated Ohio State in Columbus was at St. John Arena back on Feb. 7, 1998. The Boilermakers entered that game with a record of 19-4 overall and 7-2 in Big Ten play, while the Buckeyes were just 7-14 and winless in eight tries during conference play.

Six Boilermakers scored in double-figure, led by center Brad Miller’s 22 points as Purdue won handily, 107-75. Ohio State had just three that notched double-digits in scoring as Jon Sanderson had 24 points, Michael Redd added 18 and Carlos Davis chipped in 10.

Since then, Purdue was not won in Columbus, going 0-9 vs. Ohio State at the Schottenstein Center, which opened for the 1998-99 basketball season.

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Right: Ohio State’s David Lighty throws down two of his 17 points vs. Illinois. (AP Photo)

In one of the more dominant performances in recently memory, 13th-ranked Ohio State thoroughly defeated the Fight-less Illini of Illinois on Sunday, 72-53, at Assembly Hall in Champaign.

Now ranked No. 9 in the latest Associated Press top 25 college basketball poll, the Buckeyes have another difficult challenged as they host the fourth-ranked Purdue Boilermakers, Wednesday night. Tip-off at the Schottenstein Center is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET, and the game will be televised on the Big Ten Network.

Against Illinois, Ohio State had three players score in double figures led by Jon Diebler’s 18 points, who was 6-of-11 shooting from three-point range. David Lighty added 17 points and a few highlight reel dunks while Evan Turner almost had a tripled-double with 16 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists.
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Right: Illinois guard Demetri McCamey leads the Illini averaging 15.8 points per game.
(AP Photo)

On Sunday, the 13th-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes travel to the big flying saucer in Champaign to take on the Fighting Illini of Illinois. Tip-off at the other Assembly Hall is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET, and the game will be televised on CBS.

Currently, both the Buckeyes and the Illini are tied for second place in the Big Ten with Purdue, one-half game back of league-leading Michigan State, who defeated Penn State 65-54 on Saturday. With a win, Ohio State will move back into a tie for first with the Spartans, a half-game ahead of the Boilermakers.

Illinois is a streaky team. The Illini started out 4-0 in conference play then lost three-straight. Since that losing skid, the Orange & Blue have rattled off five consecutive Big Ten victories which include wins over Michigan State (78-73) and Wisconsin (63-56). Meanwhile, Ohio State has won eight-straight conference games after starting the Big Ten portion of the slate 1-3. Continue Reading »

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No. 13 Ohio State (19-6, 9-3) vs. Illinois (17-8, 9-3)

Date: Sunday
Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
Place: Assembly Hall, capacity 16,618
TV: CBS Sports with Gus Johnson and Greg Anthony.
Radio: WBNS-AM 1460 and WBNS-FM 97.1 in Columbus and 58 more stations across Buckeyeland on the Ohio State Buckeyes Radio Network with Paul Keels and Ron Stokes.
Series History: Ohio State owns a 59-99 all-time record vs. Illinois.
Last Game: Illinois defeated Ohio State, 70-68, in Columbus on Feb. 22, 2009. Jon Diebler and Evan Turner each had 17 points and William Buford added 14 for the Buckeyes.

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Right: Ohio State’s Kyle Madsen scores on a layup past Indiana’s Derek Elston. (AP Photo)

If you would of told me beforehand that Ohio State’s player of the year candidate, Evan Turner, was only going to play 21 minutes and score just 10 points against Indiana, I might of been inclined to think that the Hoosiers pulled off a monumental upset. But then again, it was Indiana.

Whether it was Evan Turner out of the lineup, or Ike and Tina Turner in the lineup, it didn’t matter against the Hoosiers as William Buford scored 21 points with seven rebounds and four assists to lead the No. 13 Buckeyes to a 69-52 win at Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Wednesday night.

Two other players scored in double figures for Ohio State along with Buford and Turner and that included…drum roll, please…Dallas Lauderdale and Kyle Madsen.

Lauderdale finished with 14 points, eight rebounds and seven blocked shots while his backup, Madsen, added 11 points.
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No. 13 Ohio State (18-6, 8-3) vs. Indiana (9-13, 3-7)

Date: Wednesday
Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
Place: Assembly Hall, capacity 17,456
TV: Big Ten Network with Gus Johnson, Shon Morris and Charissa Thompson.
Radio: WBNS-AM 1460 and WBNS-FM 97.1 in Columbus and 58 more stations across Buckeyeland on the Ohio State Buckeyes Radio Network with Paul Keels and Ron Stokes.
Series History: Ohio State owns a 74-101 all-time record vs. Indiana.
Last Game: Ohio State defeated Indiana, 79-54, in Columbus on Jan. 6. Jon Diebler poured in 21 points on 5-of-8 shooting beyond the arc.

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Right: Former Buckeye Devon Lyons is putting his entrepreneurial skills to use in a new video web site for athletes called BeyondPhenom.com. (OSU Photo)

There have been many inventions that have come out since my high school playing days that can greatly help today’s athlete get his or her name out to college recruiters and professional scouts. Things like home computers, the internet and camcorders were not around during my glory years on the gridiron wearing a leather helmet.

Devon Lyons, a former Buckeye wide receiver who played at Ohio State from 2004-08, has created BeyondPhenom.com, one of the world’s newest and best video sites specializing in personal sports videos and highlights from new emerging talents and established professionals alike. The site’s motto is, “The best go beyond,” and Lyons plans to do just that.

Anyone can watch and share videos on Beyond Phenom. People can showcase their own talent, see first-hand accounts of talented athletes from all levels of sports, and compare skill sets of athletes from around the globe. Beyond Phenom is not only a video sharing website, but also has social networking features. You can make friends and send them videos and private messages. Beyond Phenom also has a built-in rating and comment system so that people can rate, discuss, and comment on interesting videos.
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Right: Ohio State’s William Buford throws it down past yet another one of Iowa’s unathletic farm boys with a crew cut. (AP Photo)

Ugh. Watching Iowa play basketball is like watching paint dry. It’s quite possibly the most boring spectacle in college sports as a bunch of unathletic farm boys chuck the ball around the court for 30 seconds before heaving up a three-pointer.

Once again, Iowa controlled the tempo against Ohio State as the Buckeyes managed just 56 possessions in a 68-58 win over the Hawkeyes, Sunday afternoon.

Evan Turner was one of the few that showed up to play for OSU. He tied a career-high with 32 points while adding seven rebounds and five assists. Of Turner’s 32, 20 of those points came in the second half. Only one other player scored in double figures for the Buckeyes as Jon Diebler added 12 points.

William Buford only scored nine points, but did pull down a team-high nine rebounds. Dallas Lauderdale, who saw limited action due to foul trouble, scored just two points with one rebound in 18 minutes. David Lighty also scored nine points, but all those all came from the foul line.
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Right: Wide receiver Santonio Holmes went from being a three-star recruit out of Florida to a Super Bowl MVP. (AP Photo)

First of all, I want to start out by saying that I really don’t get into recruiting that much. I know. I am sure that breaks some sort of commandment since I am a blogger. I do not subscribe to premium Buckeye web sites nor do I gossip around the water cooler wondering if “Player A” is going to commit to Ohio State or if “Player B,” who already verballed, is going to make a huge impact right away.

But I am quite surprised of some of the comments made about Ohio State’s 2010 recruiting class. If you browsed through the Buckeye message boards over the last few days you would of read things like head coach Jim Tressel should change his style of recruiting among many others that were not nearly as “soft.”

Not sure why there’s such “doom & gloom.” There are still two recruits out there that have yet to sign, and even though I don’t expect them to sign with Ohio State, they still have the Buckeyes on their short list. With that being said, I still think that the 2010 class is solid, if not spectacular.
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Right: Ohio State’s Evan Turner drives by Penn State’s David Jackson on his way to the tin.
(AP Photo)

Ohio State’s Mr. Everything, Evan Turner, had a double-double with 27 points and 10 rebounds to go along with six assists as the Buckeyes defeated Penn State, 75-62, before an announced crowd of 14,148 at the Schottenstein Center, Wednesday night.

Ohio State scored eight of the games first 10 points and after a pair of free throws from William Buford with 8:02 left in the first half, the Buckeyes claim a 10-point lead at 21-11 and were in control for the remainder of the opening period cruising to a 36-24 advantage at intermission.

It was more of the same for most of the second half.

Penn State’s David Jackson scored on a layup with nine minutes left in the final stanza to cut Ohio State lead down to 53-47. It was the Nittany Lions smallest deficit since midway through the first half. Continue Reading »

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According to Pete Thamel of the New York Times, top recruit Seantrel Henderson has not sign a National Letter of Intent with Southern California because of possible NCAA sanctions the program may face and will delay his decision until later this month.

Henderson, a 6-foot-8, 340-pound tackle from Cretin-Derham Hall High School in St. Paul, Minn., announced his decision on the CBS College Sports Network by wearing a white U.S.C. jersey and a cardinal Trojans cap on Wednesday. Though he announced his decision, he has had yet to sign. His top three choices, in order are: USC, Ohio State and Miami.

Thamel recently posted that:

…Henderson’s father, Sean, he will wait until U.S.C. appears before an N.C.A.A. infractions committee from Feb. 19-21 to hear about possible sanctions for the program before deciding whether to sign the letter. Though the Trojans are not likely to hear about any possible sanctions at that time, Sean Henderson said the hearing would give the family a sense of where the process was headed.”

Looks like Ohio State has another shot at Henderson. We shall see.

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No. 13 Ohio State (16-6, 6-3) vs. Penn State (8-13, 0-9)

Date: Tonight
Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
Place: Schottenstein Center, capacity 19,049
TV: Big Ten Network with Tom Hamilton, Greg Kelser and Charissa Thompson.
Radio: WBNS-AM 1460 and WBNS-FM 97.1 in Columbus and 58 more stations across Buckeyeland on the Ohio State Buckeyes Radio Network with Paul Keels and Ron Stokes.
Series History: Ohio State owns a 25-13 all-time record vs. Penn State.
Last Game: Ohio State defeated Penn State 73-59 back on Feb. 24, 2009 at the Schottenstein Center. Jeremie Simmons led the Buckeyes with 14 points.

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Above: Running back Roderick Smith (25) from Ft. Wayne, Ind.,
submitted his National Letter of Intent this morning. (File Photo)

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Out of the 17 high school student-athletes who verbally pledged to attend The Ohio State University and play football for head coach Jim Tressel and the Buckeyes, all of them got their National Letters of Intent in this morning.

Of those who have signed:

Darryl Baldwin, DE, Solon, Ohio, 6-7, 265
Brown had 63 tackles with 25 tackles-for-loss during his senior season.

Drew Basil, K, Chillicothe, Ohio, 6-2, 190
He made 7-of-11 field goals during his senior season with a longest coming from 47 yards. He was also 13-of-13 on his PAT attempts.

Corey Brown, WR, Springfield (Pa.) Cardinal O’Hara, 6-0, 175
Brown rushed for 1,400 yards with 600 receiving yards during his senior season with 26 TDs.

Christian Bryant, DB, Cleveland Glenville, 5-10, 175
Bryant played several positions including defensive back, wide receiver, and quarterback. He had 82 tackles and five interceptions.

David Durham, LB, Charlotte (N.C.) Christian School, 6-3, 226
Durham registered 86 tackles and 9-1/2 sacks during his senior year.

Taylor Graham, QB, Wheaton (Ill.) North, 6-4, 211
Graham suffered a torn PCL in his knee and played in just five games.

Chad Hagan, DB, Canonsburg (Pa.), 6-2, 225
As a senior, Hagan missed two games to start the season before doctors gave him the OK because of his heart condition.

Johnathan Hankins, DT, Detroit Southeastern, 6-3, 315
Hankins had 85 tackles and 12 sacks during his senior year.

James Louis, WR, Delray Beach (Fla.) Atlantic, 5-11, 180
As a senior, Louis caught 39 passes for 661 yards and nine touchdowns.

Scott McVey, LB, Cleveland St. Ignatius, 6-0, 225
McVey had 90 tackles even though he battled a shoulder injury for most of his senior season.

J.T. Moore, DE, Youngstown Boardman, 6-3, 230
Moore recorded 110 tackles, including nine tackles and 16 tackles-for-loss as a senior.

Andrew Norwell, OL, Cincinnati Anderson, 6-6, 290
Norwell suffered a a season-ending injury on the fourth game of his senior season.

Verlon Reed, DB, Columbus Marion-Franklin, 6-2, 185
As a senior, Reed passed for over 1,500 yards and 18 touchdowns and rushed for over 1,250 yards and 19 touchdowns.

Bradley Roby, DB, Suwanee (Ga.) Peachtree Ridge, 6-0, 182
Roby recorded 40 tackles and six interceptions including two returned for touchdowns during his senior year.

Roderick Smith, RB, Fort Wayne (Ind.) Harding, 6-2, 220
Smith had 1,855 yards on 285 carries with 19 touchdowns during his senior campaign.

Jamel Turner, DE-LB, Fork Union (Va.) Military Academy, 6-2, 220
As a senior, he had 66 tackles with two sacks and two interceptions.

Tyrone Williams, WR, East Cleveland (Ohio) Shaw, 6-7, 215
Williams had 29 catches for 600 yards and 11 touchdowns as a senior.

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Right: Michigan athletic director Bill Martin speaking with reporters during a press conference in Ann Arbor, Monday morning. (File Photo)

With internet rumors swirling around like a F5 hurricane that the University of Pittsburgh will announce that their institution will become the 12th member of the Big Ten Conference, Michigan athletic director Bill Martin seized the opportunity to address the media at a press conference in Ann Arbor, Monday morning.

While Pittsburgh may join the Big Ten, it may not be in terms of expansion, but rather substitution.

Martin, who officially retires in September, has been University of Michigan Department of Intercollegiate Athletics Director since March 6, 2000.

“I am all in for Rich Rodriguez,” Martin said. “He will get the job done. He has assembled an excellent staff. He has got my full support, but I just think he and the university would do better in the Big East instead of the Big Ten.”
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