Hoops Nugs: OB’s Wallet On Swole Edition
The scene in O’Brien’s drivewayFormer head basketball coach Jim O’Brien was seen outside a National Check Cashers branch in Whitehall late Monday night armed with a check for $2.74 million thanks to Andy Geiger’s botched firing of the man with the $6,000 handshake.
Though I’m still red-assed over the whole saga, I’m pleased it’s finally over and done with.
Former O’Brien assistant coach and recruiting coordinator David Spiller also made the news taking over as head basketball coach at Berne Union High School. Spiller had been out of hoops altogether, working for John Deere and UPS, but the coaching itch returned.
I’m doubting the line of candidates for the post was overwhelming but it probably didn’t hurt that Spiller interviewed armed with references from Michael Redd and Clark Kellogg. Good luck to Spills in his new role.
In one other bit of news, it was recently announced Thad Matta’s Buckeyes have agreed to a home and home series with John Calipari’s Memphis Tigers. The first game will be in The Pyramid next season with a return game in The Schott the following season.
Besides the Tigers, other known non-conference games next season include Butler and at Miami as part of the Big Ten / ACC Mismatch, er…Challenge.
25 Responses
Numero Uno:
http://cbs.sportsline.com/collegefootball/story/10813944
Wil - May 6th, 2008 at 12:43 pm - #
I used to work at the Brazenhead in Dublin and one night the Buckeye hoops coaches were in there for New Year’s Eve. I was working upstairs and came back up one time to find Coach Spiller putting the bottle of vodka back behind the bar.
“Can I help you coach?”
“No, I just needed a little more vodka for my drink”
He instantly became one of my all time favorite coaches.
Corey - May 6th, 2008 at 12:53 pm - #
Bizarre. CBS Sportsline calls the Big T(elev)en “baby-soft,” and predicts OSU will roll through road games against CBS’ 12th, 13th and 23rd ranked teams. They also claim OSU can appear in the national title game even with a loss on the road to USC.
OSU’s 9-3 next year, and slaughters someone in a BCS game. I wouldn’t mind taking a crack at West Virginia. A nice regional smackdown seems in order.
Joe Fox - May 6th, 2008 at 1:50 pm - #
I don’t get it…how are we going to have a cakewalk in the (soft) Big-10 when two of the teams we play are in this writer’s top 15 picks? Doesn’t seem to make sense to me to call out a conference as weak and then put three of the teams in your top 15. Am I alone?
Jeff - May 6th, 2008 at 3:28 pm - #
Joe Fox, seriously…..we al get that you don’t think OSU is going to be that good next year…..but you don’t have to post about the 3 losses you are predicting EVERY time a new poll comes out. Just be ready to eat your words if they do better than you think.
Wil - May 6th, 2008 at 3:47 pm - #
Joe knows his football, but the constant predictions of three losses leads me to believe he’s been hanging out with Eugene Clifford.
Jason - May 6th, 2008 at 4:09 pm - #
No doubt. Unless JT and the boys are playing 3 SEC teams in January I can’t picture a scenario where they lose 3. JT’s got the regular season pretty much figured out, but that pesky bowl game seems to be the thorn in his side.
Travis - May 6th, 2008 at 4:43 pm - #
You aren’t going to find many favorable mentions of the B10 on anything CBS. Since CBS broadcasts SEC games, I would take their B10 comments with a grain of salt. Works for me. All of this B10 hating is going to make it that much sweeter when OSU beats an SEC team. Also, I hope O’Brien gets run over by a bus.
Greg Oden's Tonsils - May 6th, 2008 at 4:51 pm - #
Not even perrenial 9-3 coach Earle Bruce could tumble down to a 9-3 season with this team.
BrotherBuck - May 6th, 2008 at 5:07 pm - #
joe “bud” fox what three teams will beat Ohio State? USC is the only team with a shot. The buckeyes will be up for every game it needs to be up for. This team will be perfect. Too many weapons to stop plus the x factor in TP. Best team since 95′ on paper.
However i do believe we need to get back to pounding the rock and 10 to 15 yard passes. We have a good defense and a superstar running back. That sounds alot more like 02′ than 9-3.
tampa buckeye - May 7th, 2008 at 1:37 am - #
Don’t spill the bong water, Tampa Bukeye.
Alex - May 7th, 2008 at 3:01 am - #
“joe “bud” fox what three teams will beat Ohio State?”
Regrettably, they *will* lose at USC, and I don’t think it’ll be all that close. I hope I’m wrong - especially since I have tickets. I think they’ll drop a road game at w*sc*ns*n, and may trip up at either Zookville or Sparty. They’ll hold court at home, though I think the m*ch*g*n and p*nn st*t* games will be tighter than folks expect.
Being good on paper doesn’t mean anything. OSU has serious defensive problems - their safeties are easily beaten deep, their inside pass rush has to prove it exists, and they’re replacing Gholston with Heyward, who looks like a beast in practice, but inexplicably disappeared in the Spring Game. They still have Boeckman to underthrow everything past twenty yards (a killer against talented corners like USC’s and Zook’s), they’re replacing a tackle, the fullback situation is in flux, their “superback” catches more injuries than an ER ward and their return game *absolutely sucks*. This team has substantial weaknesses. How folks can look at a team that was thoroughly kicked around by Illinois - at home, mind you - and whipped by LSU, and consider them a lock to cruise through the season is beyond me.
One problem with returning 18 starters is that the same weaknesses still exist. It isn’t always a good thing to get everyone back.
I sincerely hope they run the table. I’m probably low-balling them at 9-3, being a natural pessimist, but they’re certainly 10-2. Good enough for a BCS bowl, and good enough to plaster most anyone they’ll play.
Look *honestly* at USC’s Spring Game footage and tell me how you see Ohio State beating that team, in week #3, in its own backyard. When was the last time we played well in Champaign? How many disastrous road games at Bucky do we have to see?
(Anyone catch “Holy Buckeye” on the Big T[elev]en Network last night? What a lucky, plucky team that was.)
Joe Fox - May 7th, 2008 at 9:12 am - #
Joe Fox, I’m not saying anything more other than this; if OSU beats USC I want to see a retraction post from you.
Wil - May 7th, 2008 at 9:48 am - #
@ Fox,
I like to think they are replacing Gholston with Wilson, not Heyward. From what I hear, pre-injury, Wilson was every bit the player Gholston was. Also, the production from Heyward as a freshman to sophmore should increase. Look at it that way and you’ll see maybe we aren’t that bad off.
Also, with regards to the spring game this game is meaningless and has no indication of the performance in the fall. If this was the case, Bam Childress would be a buckey legend. You’re also cherry-picking the performances in this game. You can’t say that Heyward isn’t going to have a good fall when he didn’t do much in the spring game and then say we are going to have a weak interior d-line, based on spring game performance. The d-line had a great and dominating spring game. So either you believe what you saw or you didn’t, but you can’t have it both ways.
Also, you can’t analyze the USC game and not even mention USC’s offense. They have a new quarterback. They will also be missing their All-American TE from last year. If you watched OSU at all last year, you know to expect some growing pains. I doubt that Sanchez is going to be in mid-season form so early in the year. OSU may not win, but it is not going to be a blowout. If Stanford can go there and win, there is no reason to think OSU can’t.
Greg Oden's Tonsils - May 7th, 2008 at 12:52 pm - #
Just curious Joe, but what was you’re preseason prediction for the Buckeyes “rebuilding” year last year? 7-5? 6-6? Just trying to gauge you’re pessimism. I read you’re post, I just don’t see how we return nearly everyone from an 11-2 National runner-up team and get worse. I normally agree with and respect you’re insight on the Buckeyes, but this 9-3 talk and criticism of this year’s squad is making you sound A LOT like mark may (or maybe trev alberts).
I also disagree that USC will handle us because they looked better in their Spring game. I really think people look too much into the Spring games and forget that those games are far more for the fans than the teams. I don’t think because Bauserman threw a couple good looking deep balls he should get the start aganist YSU. As long as Tress has them ready to roll in Sept. I could care less how they look mid-April.
Honestly, the biggest problem I had with you’re post is when you called the 02′ team “lucky,plucky”!?! Anyone who believes that team was lucky is just kidding themselves. I think Lombardi said that “luck is when preparation meets opportunity”, so in that sense, they were “lucky”. I don’t think it is a coincidence that great teams seem to get all the breaks. But lucky teams don’t go 14-0, champions do.
I’m not here just to grill another Buckeye. Like I said, I normally agree with what you say, just disagree this time and threw in my two cents. I will say this though, IF you are right about 9-3 (and God I hope you are wrong!), I will be the first to come on here and give you the respect you’re prediction deserves…..right before I shot myself.
Tyler - May 7th, 2008 at 1:12 pm - #
Wil wrote:
“Joe Fox, I’m not saying anything more other than this; if OSU beats USC I want to see a retraction post from you.”
JF:
It’ll be a few hours slow in coming, because I’ll be celebrating pretty hard, and flying home from LA, but it’ll come. I’ll be the first to take it back - very happily, I might add.
Oden’s Tonsils wrote:
” like to think they are replacing Gholston with Wilson, not Heyward. From what I hear, pre-injury, Wilson was every bit the player Gholston was.”
JF:
I mean in terms of production numbers, not specific position. He had a good spring, but he’s not all the way back yet. The Spring Game was the best he’s looked all offseason; he’s not nearly as fearsome in practice. Heyward is the opposite - ferocious in practice, but sometimes disappears in games. Weird.
I don’t base a surmise on the Spring Game - I base it on practice. I don’t see this team as the juggernaut others make it out to be, that’s all, and I definitely don’t see Lawrence Wilson as an equivalent player to Vernon Gholston - as overrated as I think Gholston was last year.
Tyler wrote:
“Just curious Joe, but what was you’re preseason prediction for the Buckeyes “rebuilding” year last year? 7-5? 6-6? ”
JF: I thought they’d be 9-3, primarily because of their home schedule. The win over p*nn st*t* was a pleasant surprise, so - you’re right - I probably am a bit pessimistic - I never imagined them playing for a title last year. I see some parallels between this team and the 2003 team, that’s all. Perhaps you’re correct, and I’m just too pessimistic. I hope you’re right.
We’ll see how well OSU’s safeties cover USC’s Z and F receivers when they run skinny posts and seam routes. I can’t imagine that OSU can’t cover LSU’s tight ends, but will blanket USC’s four-wides. At least USC runs a more conventional offense, and doesn’t feature elements of the read option - that’ll help us.
Sanchez didn’t just light up his Spring Game - he’s lit up the offseason. There’s no question he’s the confirmed starter at USC. USC has no quarterback controversy. They are playing at home, are immensely talented and ridiculously deep, are ticked off after a sub-par year (sub-par by their standards, that is), and will likely win that game going away. It’ll suck to fly out there to watch a loss, but I just have a hunch that’ll happen.
I hope I’m wrong - I can’t say that enough - and I am no Mark May (them’s fightin’ words, after all). Don’t shoot yourself if they lose, though - they’ll win the Big T(elev)en (most likely), will earn a BCS bid, and probably beat their BCS opponent. I’m hoping for Oklahoma, if the national title is out of the question, as I fear it will be.
If they end up winning it all, though, I’ll be the first to issue a substantial mea culpa. I promise.
Joe Fox - May 7th, 2008 at 1:34 pm - #
What exactly do you mean by saying Sanchez, “Lit up the offseason?” 7 on 7 drills? Lifting? None of that really negates his lack up experience. I know he got some spot duty last year, but he’s not started a game of this magnitude. You also say that USC has no QB controversy. Are you saying this because you think OSU does? Besides saying they were going to design some packages for Pryor, the OSU staff has made no mention of controversy.
I don’t buy into teams being extra motivated or “ticked off” having any real impact on the outcome of a game. Neither USC or OSU need any type of extra incentive to win this game. They both know it’s huge. If you really buy into the motivation factor, I’m not sure what team would enter the season more pissed off than OSU.
I believe OSU will be better off at the DE position this year. Besides Heyward and Wilson, will have The Thad coming at DE for passing downs. If OSU can get a good pass rush from both ends, the safeties won’t have to make plays on many deep balls.
Greg Oden's Tonsils - May 7th, 2008 at 1:59 pm - #
2003 had the Maurice cloud hanging over the team. 2008 has the Beanie thunderstorm powering the team.
Phil - May 7th, 2008 at 3:25 pm - #
JF wrote: “Don’t shoot yourself if they lose, though - they’ll win the Big T(elev)en (most likely), will earn a BCS bid”
How will they win the Big Ten and play a BCS game if they have two conference losses??
BrotherBuck - May 7th, 2008 at 3:33 pm - #
Mike Wilbon of ESPN’s PTI think Gordon Gee is a “fraud”.
Mike Wilbon is really Mark May?
Poe McKnoe - May 7th, 2008 at 5:37 pm - #
an old’e but a goodie
check this out.
An in-depth look at the pass interference call on Chris Gamble in 2003 National Championship game. What’s meant to be is meant to be.
http://video.aol.com/video-detail/ohio-state-vs-miami-pass-interference-replay–analysis/643650070
Kris from Chicago - May 7th, 2008 at 6:16 pm - #
I used to love PTI because those two always seemed to have fresh opinions but Wilbon is becoming just another ESPN robot who has nothing good to say about the Buckeyes or the Big Ten. I guess having to defend Northwestern for being the periennial punching bag of the Big Ten will eventually do that to you.
Tyler - May 7th, 2008 at 6:27 pm - #
Yeah, I saw that on PTI too. Gordon Gee is the sacred cow of The Ohio State University that is not formally connected to the Athletics Department. Basically, Wilbon just made the Enemies List.
vico - May 7th, 2008 at 6:35 pm - #
what all of you are overlooking is that mark sanchez is a dirty immigrant who will get chucked back over the rio grand prior to september. few know this but pete carroll discovered him when he saw sanchez throw an orange he had just picked in the field forty yards on a rope. thank you and goodnight!
kyle - May 7th, 2008 at 7:22 pm - #
damn, son!
Principal Skinner - May 7th, 2008 at 7:30 pm - #
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