But there is a pretty big basketball game on right now. And 11W couldn't even put up an open thread for it. If we win this one we play for all of the marbles on Sunday at Michigan State (they lost to Indiana yesterday, so if we win on Sunday we are once again Big Ten champs.)
PHONE'S RINGING -- IT'S URBAN ON THE LINE
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BetOnline Releases College Football Point Spreads for 44 Opening Week Games
Buckeyes -33 for the Buffalo game.
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Cornell Knocks Ohio State Out of the NCAA Tournament
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Kyle Rode the Purple Line
11W's beat writer stopped by Lake the Posts to discuss the most anticipated Ohio State-Northwestern game since 2000.
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Randy Ayers Named to Ohio Hoops HOF
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Deshaun Thomas, describing a weight-lifting, freely running and physically fit Greg Oden.
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Roby, Shazier on Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List
James Laurinaitis won the award in 2008.
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exactly what i was thinking
We are threadin on the earlier preview post, 11W rawks regardless of a game thread or not
So Aaron Craft can shoot 3-pointers... Huh. Did not know that.
sullinger lost it wtf
This is terrible. They tried to start killing clock with 4 minutes left. Not a good idea.
Anyone that didn't watch missed a crazy ending
That was terrible performance at the end like always recently, lucky to get away with that one, this team looks prone to be a big upset early in dance.
Favorite Buckeye: Obviously BJ Mullens
Things are going to have to change quickly for this team to not get embarrassed this weekend against Michigan State on their home court. Seems like this team peaked against Duke, there haven't been many highlights since then.
Juwanna Man Part 2 Starring William Bufford playing in a theater near you!
Still had to watch a just above average Sulli. He was good but...
Tomorrow
Just a thought.
Matta needs to get the bench players more involved! 2 points? Matta has NEVER played the bench as long as I can remember, is this the reason that Ohio State can't seem to make it over the hump?
Tomorrow
No - it is because said bench players cannot make a shot, so why exactly would Matta play them more than he does?
Each game, Shannon Scott, Sam Thompson, Jordan Sibert (some games), Evan Ravenel, etc. get open looks, and each time they miss. If they are not in the paint, they aren't making it. Thompson bricked a free throw, for goodness sakes. It barely grazed the rim.
The bench is mostly young and still trying to find themselves as legitimate college players. It happens. We've been spoiled with true freshmen coming in and making an immediate impact in a big way. Unfortunately, most of the young players on this roster are not those type of players. They are 4-year guys who will improve and contribute over time.
I don't get why Matta is always blamed for the bench not contributing, when the actual problem is guys on the bench aren't ready to be big contributors. That's what happens when 11 out of 13 players on the roster are freshman and sophomores...
"What we do in life echoes in eternity"
Buckeye's peaked about 15 games ago and I think most of Buckeye Nation has come to realize that they are just not that good. They have talent but they are just not playing well as a team. I personally think that the style of offense they play is a bit bland and it relies on better than average outside shooting to function which if you look at the stats we are not shooting as well as we did early in season. The rest of the season and tourny will rely on the outside shooting and mainly Bufford getting his confidence back. Willie has been very streaky but when he shoots well and gives us 15-20 we can play with anyone. Crossing my fingers that this funk goes away. If not we are lucky to get 2 wins in big dance.
oldcolumbustown, i beleive that there is a man on the bench named laquinton ross who has exactly what we need!
" I went for two cause I couldn't go for three."
-woody Hayes
The problem isn't the bench, the problem is they weren't developed properly in early season games. Matta thinks winning in November is so important that for the most part he plays his starting five the majority of the game. Developing a bench comes through the minutes during the game time (and not when the team is up by 30 with 1 minute left, but in situations that mean something.) instead he looks to win those games and it shows late season when they have little to no depth capable of producing.
The example I will bring up is Michigan State, Izzo doesn't look to win those November games. He uses those to get his team ready, if he wins them, great, but that isn't his primary goal. His goal is to develop a bench, and normally they become one of the more dangerous teams come March/early April
Regardless of what the issue is, this team is lost. The way they have been playing I can see a double digit loss to Sparty, I don't wish it but look at their trend as of late.
Tomorrow
Very Possible...I checked out month's ago. But I'm no b-ball fan either
If Denard Robinson isn't careful with spooning all that food into his mouth, he's going to end up lookin' like Whoopi Goldberg
For all my derision of Matta for not playing his benching guys and having them transfer, none of these guys has done squat for other schools. Offut starts for Ohio (yes the Bobcats) and only averages 12 in the MAC. Eric Wallace couldn't break ten a game playing for Seattle which I didn't know had a team. Anthony Crater is averaging 3 a game for South Florida. If Matta was wrong in not giving these guys a chance I imagine someone would stand out by now and he'd look really stupid and espn would point it out but these guys are nobodies on much weaker teams too. Not even one of them is a knockdown 3pt shooter.