Eleven Warriors

Tipoff:	7:00PM ET
Previews:	11W
Favorite:	Miami (-8)
Television:	ESPN
Radio:	OSU Basketball Affiliates

Ohio State will be looking to improve their ACC/B10 Challenge record to 3-5 overall, when they make the quick trip down to Miami to face the #22 Hurricanes.

Miami has yet to win a game in their two previous challenge tries, but have won 28 of their last 30 home games against unranked OOC opponents. The ACC holds a 33-4 mark at home during the ESPN made-for-TV event.

The young Buckeyes hopefully packed their offensive gymbags, after getting trounced by Texas A&M, Butler and UNC last year around this time. If you remember, Thad's boys went bucketless during large stretches in each of those games and averaged just 49 points. The 'Canes start 2 seniors and 3 juniors, so this looks to be another daunting early season task for Ohio State.

With the most recent Buckeye offensive output still fresh on my mind, I don't have a great feeling about pulling off the upset against a veteran team such as Miami. The defense should be there, but I just can't see enough points being scored by the Bucks. However, that doesn't mean we still can't discuss the game as it goes on and look to see if a couple of aspects of this team can emerge.

Three burning questions:

1. Which David Lighty and Jon Diebler will show up tonight?
2. Can Evan Turner and Dallas Swatterdale continue their improvement?
3. Can either Jeremie Simmons or Anthony Crater drive and dish to get the stagnant offense a jump start?

Unfortunately, not having the current Buckeyes playing on Saturday must have effected the performance of the Sunday Bucks, as no one felt the need to step up and capture this prestigious award.

While this week's stats may not be the best, it doesn't mean that someone didn't deserve the award and the winner is guaranteed to make a few of our readers sport half chubs at their cubicle.

Special mention once again goes out to Nate Clements, who helped lead Mike Singletary and the 49ers to a 10-3 road victory in Buffalo. Nate Dawg had 6 solo tackles and helped hold the Bills to 205 yards passing, as San Fran became the first west coast team to win on the east side this season.

Chris Gamble celebrated his contract extension with 6 tackles in Carolina's 35-31 comeback victory at Green Bay, while Na'il Diggs chipped in with 3 tackles and A.J. Hawk lead the Packers with 9 stops. The Panthers kept pace with Tampa atop the division at 9-3, as the teams will battle each other this coming Monday night. Joey Galloway vs. Chris Gamble anyone?

Ted Ginn had his fourth straight game with 50+ yards, but also had his fifth fumble of the season in Miami's 16-12 win over the Rams. In the same game, Antonio Pittman took a back seat to Stephen Jackson, gaining only 25 yards on 6 carries. Gonzo and Santonio only caught 2 passes apiece in their teams' victories, but one of Holmes's catches went for a 19 yard TD. Quick Trivia... who has more catches this season, Gonzo, Holmes or Ginn?

Just like last week, not having a statistical leader allows me to give the award to a season long performer who may not get recognized on a consistent basis. With Pittsburgh's 33-10 victory in New England, the Steelers have now won three straight and have allowed only 10 points in each of those contest, climbing to 9-3 and second in the AFC.

The architect of that great defense of course is Buckeye great Dick Lebeau, in his fifth season as the Steelers defensive coordinator (for the 2nd time) and 35th year in the league as a coach. Pittsburgh once again is ranked first in the NFL for total defense, as Lebeau's zone blitz invention still has offenses guessing which gap their coming from.

Matt Cassel and NE had scored 78 points and passed for over 400 yards in the past two games, but LeBeau and the Steelers held the Patriots to 267 total yards and created 5 turnovers. On the season, Pittsburgh is giving up a mere 238 yards a game and leads the league in sacks with 42.

I have always hated the Steelers, but this defense is incredible to watch and I have wanted to give LeBeau his due props all season. The road doesn't get easier, as the Steelers host Dallas this week, travel to Baltimore and Tennessee the following two and finish off with Cleveland.

Ohio State 3-0, 0-0 Big Ten Roster | Schedule

December 2, 2008 7:00 PM ET - ESPN —— BankUnited Center Coral Gables, FL

#22 Miami (Florida) 4-1, 0-0 ACC Roster | Schedule

The 10th annual ACC / Big Ten Challenge began last night with Wisky getting the conference off to a good start going on the road to beat Va. Tech 74-72. In case you've been living in a cave, the ACC has won the challenge nine straight years making it not so much of a challenge anymore.

That said, there's some pretty tasty games this year including Duke at Purdue and North Carolina at Michigan State (Ford Field) in addition to Ohio State at Miami.

Though the ACC has owned this little ESPN production, the Big Ten has a more than respectable hoops pedigree when you consider their 39 Final Four appearances tie them with the ACC for the all time lead and the conference boasts the most NCAA Tournament bids in history (184). Since 2000, the Big Ten is also the only conference to send five different schools to the Final Four. In truth, the real disparity is typically the lack of quality depth in the Big Ten when compared to the more top-to-bottom competitive ACC.

This year, the Buckeyes draw a road tilt against Miami after losing home and home challenge games against North Carolina the previous two seasons. Ohio State hasn't faced the 'Canes since they knocked third seeded OSU out of the 2000 NCAA Tournament.

#	Name	PTS	REB	ASST	POS	#	Name	PTS	REB	ASST
2	Jeremie Simmons	8.0	1.7	2.7	G	1	Lance Hurdle	8.3	1.0	2.0
33	Jon Diebler	10.3	3.0	2.0	G	33	Jack McClinton	15.8	1.8	2.8
21	Evan Turner	12.0	7.7	2.7	F	23	James Dews	6.4	2.6	0.8
23	David Lighty	6.7	4.0	1.3	F	20	Cyrus McGowan	8.6	5.4	0.8
52	Dallas Lauderdale	8.3	5.3	0.0	C	21	Dwayne Collins	13.6	10.0	1.2

Opponent

The 'Canes are balanced and extend the bench with nine players averaging at least 14 minutes per game thus far but senior guard Jack McClinton (15.8 pts) and 6'8" junior forward Dwayne Collins (13.6 pts, 10.0 reb) are the two guys Ohio State must first look to contain.

McClinton can get hot from deep as evidenced by his 5/8 performance in the Canes' lone loss to UConn three games ago while Collins has put up double-doubles of 18/16 and 16/14 this season albeit against lesser foes. Getting a hand in McClinton's face and keeping Collins off the offensive glass will be a key focuses of the Buckeye zone.

James Dews was also expected to shoulder some of the scoring load after averaging 10.3 per game last season but he's struggled out of the gate shooting just 36% from the field including 21% from deep. He did reach double figures with 10 against Stetson on Saturday.

Buckeye Breakdown:

Fresh off home wins over scrubs Samford, Bowling Green and Delaware State, the Buckeyes hit the road for the first time this season. Though this is only game four, stealing one on the road could end up being a factor come Selection Sunday and would be big for the team's confidence in advance of Saturday's game on a sorta neutral floor in Indianapolis against Notre Dame.

Winning in Coral Gables could prove difficult considering the huge disparity in experience. The Buckeye youth is well documented while Miami starts three seniors and two juniors. How well young and/or Division I inexperienced guys like Simmons, Crater, Mullens and Buford perform will be every bit as important as what the Buckeyes get from pseudo-veterans Lighty, Turner, Diebler and Lauderdale.

Minus the four turnovers, Turner is coming off probably his best game as a Buckeye. The sophomore recorded a career high 13 boards to go with 16 points, 5 steals and 4 assists in the win over Samford. On the young season, Turner is shooting 55% from the floor, 91% from the stripe, and he's stuffing the stat sheet at a crazy rate leading OSU in points, rebounds, assists and steals (3.3). A big game from Turner gives the Buckeyes a chance in this one.

Defensively, OSU will obviously play zone the entire game though it's somewhat uncertain if they will extend 2-2-1 full court pressure the full 40 minutes. The main reason I question whether or not the full court press will be used all game comes down to whether or not Thad is forced to shorten his bench and/or restrict minutes of reserves, specifically Crater.

I'm not down on him by any stretch but his decision making (specifically shot selection) was poor against Samford and his first road game could prove to be a learning experience. I'm extremely interested to see how he performs against a veteran backcourt.

On the baseline, Lauderdale might have his hands full with Collins. How well Lauderdale, Lighty and Turner compete on the glass will likely determine just how much we see of Mullens. We could see a little more of Lauderdale and Mullens on the floor together if they can get to the second half with a low foul count and Mullens can handle the physicality.

All things considered, it's hard to expect a win but I wouldn't at all be surprised to see Ohio State pull the upset if Diebler and company have a hot night beyond the arc.

Etc

• Crater has just 2 turnovers in 46 minutes. The rub? Only 4 assists and he's yet to take a shot from inside the arc (6 FGA).
• Conversely, Simmons has only 1 turnover in 72 minutes while recording 8 assists.
• Under Matta, OSU is 97-4 when leading with 5 minutes left in the game.
• The Buckeyes are ranked 28th in the latest Coaches Poll.

The economy is ailing, the state of Michigan is going hungry and we're calling on you, fair citizen, to do your patriotic duty and consume. To help you out, we've put together this handy-dandy holiday gift guide. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah or Festivus, you're sure to find something for all of the special Buckeye fans in your life.

	The 11W Shop From timeless shirts like Beat Michagain and quality baby wear to new classics like Gang of Six and the Barwis tribute you see to the left, the 11W Shop is a great first stop for unique Buckeye gifts. (Be sure to use coupon code CYBER48 to take 25% off orders over $30.)
	Michigan vs. Ohio State: The Rivalry DVD This look at the rivalry first aired on HBO days before the Michigan game last season and is now finally available on DVD. If you've seen the doc, you know it's just about the most perfect 59 minutes of video ever released.
	Chic: The Extraordinary Rise of Ohio State Football and the Tragic Schoolboy Athlete Who Made it Happen Those of you that liked Joe's Chic feature will love this book from Bob Hunter of the Dispatch.

	Rivalry Series: Beat Michigan DVDs This three-disc set is a must for any student of Buckeye game film. Disc one features the 1979 victory that sent Earle's first squad to the Rose Bowl undefeated thanks to a Todd Bell touchdown off of a late blocked punt, disc two is the 2002 nail-biter that earned the Buckeyes a matchup with Miami and the third disc is the shootout from 2006.
	Sports Illustrated: The College Football Book This book is worth it just for the photos alone, but the essays from years past and the all-decade teams add extra depth. It's certain to add a level of manliness to any coffee table.
	War As They Knew It: Woody Hayes, Bo Schembechler and America in a Time of Unrest We've covered this a couple of times on the site and if you're a good Woody disciple and thirst for historical context next to anything you learn about the Buckeyes, look no further.
	Etsy Ohio State My wife will tell you that Etsy is like a girly-craftsy eBay. There are some hits and misses, but if you're looking for something for that special Buckeye lady in your life, Etsy is a good place to start.
	Helmet Purse And if you don't find anything on Etsy, she'll surely love the Helmet Purse, which we covered before Mother's day. This purse works like a tan -- it adds a +2 hotness bonus to any lady sporting one.
	Ohio State Cornhole Kit You love cornhole. You love the Buckeyes. Chances are someone else you know does as well.
	Ohio State University Football Vault Put together like a scrapbook, this tome contains stickers, replica program covers and other awesomeness.
	Rivalry Toilet Paper Remember, cleanliness is next to godliness.

We're ready for your emotional feedback to this week's first draft. Based on what we saw over the weekend, our top seven remain intact.

Bama keeps the top spot since they remain undefeated but we'll be surprised if they can get past Florida in the SEC title game and we still think USC would beat anybody on a neutral field with the possible exception of the Gators.

Texas stays ahead of Oklahoma based on their head to head outcome.

The rest of the poll is getting irritating as the teams outside the top ten seem virtually interchangeable depending on the week. So when do the playoffs start, anyway?

You know the drill...Commence to bashing our rankings in the comments!

1		'Bama stayed undefeated for their last week with a 36-0 win over Auburn snapping a 6-game losing streak to the Tigers. Glen Coffee ran for 144 and a score while the D held Auburn's putrid offense to 8 first downs. Next up: SEC Championship vs. Florida.	--
2		Tebow passed/ran for a combined 265 and 4 TD in Florida's 45-15 pasting of Florida State. Herban (@ Florida) improved to 11-1 against Tennessee, FSU and Georgia. Next up: SEC Championship vs. Alabama. Finally.	--
3		Probably our favorite game of the weekend. USC 38, ND 3. Claussen: 11/22, 41 yards, 2 INT. First downs: ND 4, USC 22. ND 3rd down conversions: 2/14. Liters of gravy chugged: ND 64, USC 0. Weis at ND: 28-21. Ha Ha! .	--
4		Colt McCoy enhanced his Heisman resume with 311 yards passing and 4 combined TD (2 rush, 2 pass) in Texas' 49-9 beatdown of A&M.	--
5		The Sooners broke open a close 44-41 game scoring the last 17 points of the 4th quarter beating Oklahoma State 61-41 in Stillwater. Sam Bradford kept himself squarely in the Heisman mix with 370 yards passing and 4 TD. Dude now has 46 TD passes and 4,080 yards. Sick. Is Oklahoma really that good, though? The D gave up another 452 yards.	--
6		Regular season complete. Rose Bowl bound. Our advice to PSU fans, stop acting like you are dying to play USC.	--
7		The Red Raiders scored the game's final 21 points to turn a 28-14 upset bid into a 35-28 win over 4-8 Baylor. I think it's safe to say Tech shot the wad. Silver lining, besides the W, is that Michael Crabtree apparently escaped a serious right ankle injury in the 2nd quarter. Watching it live, I thought he might have to euthanized but thankfuly his dad claims it's just a sprain.	--
8		Regular season complete.	1
9		Regular season complete.	1
10		Regular season complete.	--

11		UC won the Big East title for the first time and clinched their first ever BCS bowl bid with a 30-10 win over ND's achilles heel, Syracuse.	5
12		Regular season complete.	3
13		The Cowboys had a shot trailing by just 3 midway through the 4th but collapsed late in a 61-41 loss. Zac Robinson threw for 254 (3 TD, 1 INT) and ran for another 90 (1 TD) in a losing effort. Okie State defense surrendered 557 yards and 12/18 third downs.	2
14		Ball State moved to 12-0 with a 45-22 win over W. Michigan becoming the first MAC team since Marshall ('99) to enter conference championship game undefeated. Big whoop, right.	--
15		Tech put up 31 second half points to upset Georgia 45-22 between the hedges. For the game, Tech racked up 409 rushing yards to just 81 for UGA and completed just one pass for 19 yards. The W snapped a 7 game losing streak to the Bulldogs.	9
16		The Dawgs couldn't stop the run (409 yards) allowing 31 second half points in a 45-42 loss to Georgia Tech. Stafford threw for 407 with a career high 5 TD and 1 INT while Moreno added 17/94, 1 TD. Massaquoi blew up with 11 catches for 180 yards and 3 TD.	3
17		The Ducks helped the Buckeye BCS bowl cause destroying the 'third OSU' 65-38 in Corvallis. Jeremiah Johnson exposed the Beaver D with 219 yards (203 in 1st half) on 17 carries while QB Jeremiah Masoli threw for 274 yards and 3 TD.	1
18		Mizzou surrendered a game winning 26 yard TD pass on 4th and 7 with :27 left falling at Kansas 40-37. The Tigers will still advance to the Big 12 Championship.	6
19		Regular season complete.	1
20		The Eagles clinched a spot in the ACC Championship game against Va Tech with a 28-21 win over Maryland. Oh, and Doug Flutie still a douche who stole Byars' Heisman Trophy.	3
21		Regular season complete.	2
22		Regular season complete.	1
23		Regular season complete.	1
24		The 'Stache beat WVU 19-15 to capture their second straight Slackjawed Brawl, er Backyard Brawl. LeSean McCoy put up 183 and 2 TD, both in the 4th qtr to put away the 'Neers.	NR
25		The Beavers choked on it, throwing away a Rose Bowl bid, allowing 694 yards of offense in a 65-38 home loss to Oregon. Of course, if UCLA beats USC, the Beavers will still head to Pasadena but I think there's a better chance of wood beating fire.	8

DROPPED OUT: Florida State (#25).

The early end to the regular season looks to be benefiting the Buckeyes yet again as the natural flow of upsets floats the team higher into prime bowl contention. Of course, the flip side is the rust-accumulating 50 day layoff, but as instant gratification nation, we like. WE LIKE.

The Civil War quickly became the War Against Tackling (seven senior starters on defense -- just sayin'), USC took care of Notre Dame and groupthink now has Ohio State in very good position to earn their 6th BCS bid in the last seven years¹.

While the dicing of the Beavers is the key instrument in the boost, the Buckeyes also witnessed losses by the three teams ranked directly behind them in the BCS: Georgia (11), Oklahoma State (12) and Missouri (13). That never hurts.

This is what we know:

• Penn State, USC, Florida, Cincinnati, Oklahoma (most likely) and BC/VT get automatic bids for winning their conference championships.
• Utah gets the automatic bid over Boise State. The Broncos will not get an at-large bid.
• The SEC and the Big 12 will land two teams each.
• Ohioans enjoy leaving Ohio in January and those that don't or can't love them some television.

We speculated that Ohio State could be Arizona-bound again last week and here's why:

• Oklahoma leaps Texas in the BCS, beats Mizzou in the Big 12 championship game and meets Florida or Alabama in the MNC.
• Penn State and USC are in the Rose Bowl. Penn State, behold the fury that is Big Game USC.
• BC/VT is locked into the Orange bowl and with the last at-large pick, most likely playing Cincinnati. Nationally, that's a pretty shitty game, but the folks in Miami will at least get the big one a few days later.
• The Fiesta and Sugar bowls will both get replacement picks for losing their host teams (from the Big 12 and SEC respectively). Both are expected to take solid seconds from their host conferences, the Fiesta going with Texas and the Sugar going with loser of the SEC championship game.
• The order for the open selection is then: Fiesta, Sugar and, finally, the Orange Bowl. The Fiesta grabs the Buckeyes, the Sugar invites Utah (the thought of thousands of Mormons on Bourbon Street has me gripped) and then the Orange is obligated to pickup Big East champion Cincinnati.

Of course there's still some football to be played. A Missouri win in the Big 12 championship game, which is not out of the questions if the history of that game is any indication, would throw a bit of a wrench into things, but if anything that would only help Ohio State's position. It's not like the Big 12 can place three teams into the BCS, after all.

How will fans feel about yet another trip out to to the Phoenix area? The Buckeyes are 3-0 in the Fiesta bowl, but the last time the team played a January game in the 480, things didn't exactly work out. And by not work out, I mean 82 yards of total offense.

But how fitting would it be for this senior class to get one more crack at Texas, the team that factored so heavily into their national championship aspirations when they were freshmen and sophomores.

¹ As crazy as six BCS bids in seven years sounds, USC is one stomping of UCLA away from earning their 7th-straight.

Ohio State used a stifling zone to shut down a horrible Samford team holding the Bulldogs to 20% from the floor (9/48) including 2/18 from three point land in a 59-22 victory that saw OSU tie the school record for fewest points allowed (Wabash, 1939).

Evan Turner dominated the floor for Ohio State with 16 points and a career high 13 boards to go along with 4 assists and 5 steals.

Even with Turner going off, the best news for Buckeye fans came in the form of BJ Mullens being removed from the Missing Persons list. A non-factor in the first two games, Mullens saw 18 minutes of action producing 8 points, 3 rebounds and 2 steals. Certainly not dazzling stats but Mullens looked a little more comfortable - playing instead of thinking - which will hopefully give him some confidence as the Buckeyes look toward Miami and Notre Dame next week.

Serving as the tuneup Matta expected, Ohio State held Samford scoreless for the first 7+ minutes though the offense was far from spectacular. One bright spot included a nifty transition pass from Crater to Swatterdale resulting in a conventional three point play and a 17-4 lead with 7 minutes left in the half. The lead would grow to 30-6 at intermission as OSU held Samford to 13% shooting (3/23) and forced 10 turnovers while building a 23-12 edge on the glass.

The second half became a snoozefest until Samford's Gaby Bermudez decided to get a little chippy. Frustrated with not being able to inbound the ball under the Bulldog basket thanks to Mullens' length, Bermudez chucked the ball directly at Mullens to save possession prompting a little chirping and a puzzled look from longtime ref Donnie Gray.

Shortly thereafter, Bermudez received a pass and went up strong for a layup and Mullens delivered a Big Ten style foul dropping Gaby to the floor. Teammate Jim Griffin countered with a little push to Mullens chest triggering OSU's Jeremie Simmons to push Griffin to the ground. Order was quickly restored but I was more than happy to see Mullens show a little grit though Simmons' retaliation was more stupid than it was sticking up for a teammate. The remaining 10 minutes were played without incident as OSU cruised to victory.

Swatterdale was again large in the paint posting 10 points, 8 boards and 3 blocks in 23 minutes and bench big Kyle Madsen added 6 rebounds in 12 minutes. Knowing Madsen is truly the third big on a team short on baseliners, it was good to see him get some minutes. The contest also marked the first time I can recall seeing Dallas and Mullens on the floor together. It will be interesting to see if Thad gambles, or is forced to play those two in tandem next week against bigger front lines.

Besides the good we saw from Turner, Dallas and Mullens, there was plenty of bad to be had.

First, David Lighty continued his mediocre to ineffective play scoring just 3 points (1/4) to go with 5 boards, 3 turnovers and 4 fouls. Is it time to maybe come to the conclusion he's just never gonna be much of an offensive player, but instead a solid defender who can get hot once every couple weeks and give you 8-10 points?

Second, Jon Diebler disciples fans won't want to read this, but he reverted back to his '07-'08 self standing around the perimeter helping bog down the offense. In four attempts, his shortest shot was from 20 feet (he banked it in) and he added exactly 0 rebounds and 0 assists to his 5 points but did manage 3 turnovers.

Diebs wasn't alone as the Buckeyes racked up 17 turnovers led by Turner's 4 miscues. We know Turner's all around game is tight but I've seen few gifted players like him struggle so bad leading the break. After a few bad TO's in transition against BG, he had another couple today and seems to truly struggle with knowing when to dish versus when to keep driving. It's like he's never gotten the memo that you don't give up the ball on the break until a defender picks you up forcing the pass. I love him but the TO's continue to kill me - 9 in the last 2 games against chumps like BG and Samford?! He's too damn good to be doing that.

Anthony Crater also had a rough day catching a bit of Diebler-itis taking three shots, all from beyond the arc. One was an airball, another a total brick. I absolutely love his defensive intensity but he needs to focus on setting up teammates unless he's inside 17 feet. I'm fine with the occasional three but OSU doesn't need him to take a high volume of triples. If they need triples from the PG slot, Matta would rather Simmons be the launcher.

All in all, it's another win for a young team still finding its way. I thought the overall effort was strong which is impressive when you consider the opponent, the crowd and what's on tap for next week. What do you guys think? Can Ohio State steal one from Miami to avoid going 0-2? Not that they can't beat Notre Dame, but I certainly don't think we should expect it. At least not this early.

Ohio State 2-0, 0-0 Big Ten Roster | Schedule

November 29, 2008 12:00 PM ET - BTN —— The Schott Columbus, OH

Samford 3-1, 0-0 Southern Roster | Schedule

Ohio State welcomes the 3-1 Samford Bulldogs to Value City Morgue for a nooner that will serve as a final tuneup before tough contests next week against Miami, Fl and Notre Dame.

Matta's squad comes in at 2-0 thanks to Jon Diebler's 17 point effort in a 61-57 win over Bowling Green this past Monday night.

The Buckeyes and Bulldogs have met just once prior with OSU recording an 80-63 win back in December of 2003.

#	Name	PTS	REB	ASST	POS	#	Name	PTS	REB	ASST
2	Jeremie Simmons	8.0	2.5	3.0	G	4	Josh Davis	11.0	2.8	1.6
33	Jon Diebler	13.0	4.5	3.0	G	1	Curtis West	6.0	4.0	2.5
21	Evan Turner	10.0	5.0	2.0	F	11	Trey Montgomery	9.3	6.3	1.6
23	David Lighty	8.5	3.5	1.5	F	13	Bryan Friday	9.3	2.5	0.5
52	Dallas Lauderdale	7.5	4.0	0.0	C	23	Matthew Friday	2.8	5.3	2.5

Opponent:

Samford, out of the Southern Conference, most recently beat Lipscomb 57-50 overcoming a three point halftime deficit to capture the W. I know. That sentence doesn't exactly strike fear in my heart either.

In any event, 6'6" junior Bryan Friday paced the Bulldogs with a career high 20 points as he apparently showcased a variety of moves in and around the paint.

Defensively, the Bulldogs held Lipscomb to 27% shooting and are allowing just 52 points per contest during their three game winning streak. The victims? Lipscomb, Campbellsville and Spring Hill. Not exactly bubble teams, right...

Regardless, Samford is shooting 40% from deep thanks to Josh Davis (64%, 9/14) and Josh Bedwell (48%, 10/21) but their assist to turnover ratio (1/1.3) is about as attractive as the mythical spawn of say Lyle Lovett and Kelly Osbourne.

Buckeye Breakdown:

As mentioned, this is the last layup before the Buckeyes take a huge step up in competition next week with the likes of Miami in the ACC/BigTen Challenge before a Saturday tilt with Notre Dame.

Considering the landmines ahead coupled with the fact nobody has stepped up to help Swatterdale in the post, I expect Matta will do all he can to give BJ Mullens as many minutes as possible. So far, Mullens has showed very little to get excited about looking even more tentative than Diebler a year ago. Getting Mullens into the flow to generate some points and rebounds would be huge for his confidence level, even if it is Samford.

Another focus of Matta's will be to shore up the zone defense with an emphasis on stopping penetration. Bowling Green seemed to get in the paint at will forcing the back line of the zone to rotate creating some easy looks for the bad guys. In fact, it appeared Matta even switched to a more conventional 2-3 zone at times to pinch the penetrator but to no avail. Considering Samford's A/TO ratio, I also expect another dose of full court 2-2-1 press.

Look for David Lighty to assert himself early after a subpar 4 point, 5 rebound, 2 turnover performance against BG. Interestingly, Lighty has attempted just five shots in each of the first two games. I can't figure out if he's still trying to carve his niche at the four spot and/or if Matta is purposefully asking him to defer a bit in hopes of developing some of the other guys faster. Either way, with all the talk of Lighty stepping up in the off-season both on and off the court, I thought we'd see him be a more focal point of the offense keeping in mind we're only talking about two games thus far.

Lastly, keep an eye on whether or not the Buckeyes do a better job of valuing the basketball. Against Bowling Green, the Buckeyes committed a ridiculous 15 turnovers against only 11 assists after turning it over just 6 times against 14 assists in the opener against Delaware State. Particularly, let's see if Turner fares any better after turning it over 5 times with just 1 assist Monday night. Yikes. I was hoping those stat lines were behind the supremely talented sophomore.

Etc

• Personal favorite William Buford is actually second on the team in scoring through two games (11.0) even though he's getting just 19 minutes per game (6th). I'm also a fan of him turning it over just once in 38 minutes.
• Besides Diebler's points, I think I'm more in love with the fact he's recorded 4 defensive rebounds and 3 assists in each of the first two games.
• With a blowout expected, stay tuned until the final minute to see if Titus or Peters can register the allmighty Trillion.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Hope that you all get a chance to take some time off, see some family and tune into some football this weekend. Please add 7-1 to the long list of things to be thankful of.

We're going to take the a few days off, but the action on the television should have you covered. And next season, we can all look forward to watching the streak run to six with a belly full of turkey.

Texas A&M @ #2 Texas
Thurs. 8:00PM ET - ESPN
The Longhorns, Oklahoma and Texas Tech have that whole BCS love triangle thing going on and you have to imagine Tech and Sooner fans will have their Aggie hats on for this one. A&M already has a loss to Arkansas State and blowout losses to Miami and Baylor on the books, so they don't have a chance in hell, right? Weirder things have happened in this rivalry.

West Virginia @ #20 Pittsburgh, Fri. 12:00PM ET - ABC
The 101st edition of the Backyard Brawl will be played on Black Friday this year, so the men and women in that region will each have something to do that day. The women, naturally, will be queuing up at Wal-Mart waiting to get their hands on that Travis Tritt box set, lawn ornaments and other Christmas gifts, while the men will be getting drunk and watching bad football. Hatred meter: charged.

Georgia Tech @ #13 Georgia, Sat. 12:00PM ET - CBS
Paul Johnson's Yellow Jackets rushed for 472 yards against Miami last week. Granted, it is Miami, but 472 is pretty rare against a BCS program. Georgia has held the upper hand in this series for a while, but this Tech team is playing with a bit of confidence and the Dawgs do like to take Saturdays at home off. Some highly optimistic Tech fans are even thinking blowout.

Syracuse @ #15 Cincinnati, Sat. 12:00PM ET - ESPN360
A home win against a terrible team away from a BCS berth. You're all growns up now, UC.

Auburn @ #1 Alabama, Sat. 3:30PM ET - CBS
What do you know. It's another Iron Bowl with nothing on the line. Well, technically, the Tide are playing to keep MNC hopes alive, but they're already guaranteed a spot in the SEC championship game. Auburn, meanwhile, needs a win just to get into a shitty bowl, but that hasn't prevented them from counting down to a butt-kicking.

#2 Florida @ Florida State, Sat. 3:30PM ET - ABC
Myron Rolle is a Rhodes Scholar! That's honestly a pretty remarkable accomplishment. Hopefully he spent this week devising a way to stop Tim Tebow. I'm not holding out hope, however. Trying to solve Tebow is what put Hawking in his wheelchair.

#21 Oregon @ #16 Oregon State, Sat. 7:00PM ET - Ham Radio?
The Civil War figures to get the best ratings in Ohio out of any of these games. Duck fans are feeling it and so are we.

#3 Oklahoma @ #10 Oklahoma State, Sat. 8:00PM ET - ABC
Bedlam, I tell you. Mike Gundy will get another chance to prove his manhood and his DC, Tim Beckman, can put together a good gameplan, but this Sooner team has too many weapons and too much confidence to stop right now.

Notre Dame @ #5 USC, Sat. 8:00PM ET - ESPN
Charlie is on life support after that loss at home to Syracuse last week. Tune in to this one only to see how out of hound the game will get. I'm guessing 56-0.

Ohio State just finished pasting Michigan, and even though some folks can’t seem to grasp the logic, the Buckeyes can enjoy a shared Big Ten title, if not a trip to the Rose Bowl. Since Penn State has won that honor fair-and-square, let’s take a look back at another Ohio State team that didn’t get to go to the Rose Bowl: Woody Hayes’ 1961 Buckeyes.

In 1959, Woody Hayes was coming off a horrible 3-5-1 season and a 23-14 loss to Michigan. Feeling a bit of heat from the locals, he felt inspired to make a promise at a boosters’ luncheon:

“I guarantee [a championship] in two years. If I don’t bring you a championship then, this is no place for Woody Hayes.”

What did Hayes have up his sleeve? He had a loaded freshman team that exploded in 1961, going 8-0-1. The Buckeyes stumbled out of the gate, tying TCU 7-7¹ in the season opener in Columbus, but then went on a tear, outscoring their remaining opponents 164-56 before visiting Ann Arbor for the traditional season-ending clash with Michigan. Ohio State needed a win over the Wolverines and a Minnesota upset of Wisconsin in order to secure an undisputed Big Ten title and a trip to the Rose Bowl.

The 1961 Buckeyes may well have been the third-best team Hayes had in his 27 years at Ohio State. The offense was led by a brilliant backfield comprised of quarterback Joe Sparma, fullback Bob Ferguson (who would finish second in the Heisman race to Syracuse’s Ernie Davis) and sophomore halfbacks Paul Warfield and Matt Snell (Warfield and Snell went on to the NFL and played for Super Bowl-winning teams). The offensive line featured two first-round picks in the 1962 NFL draft, and the defense was solid, if unspectacular (this guy was a linebacker). Some guy named Bo was also around as an assistant coach.

The team rolled into Ann Arbor and racked up 512 yards of offense, blowing open a tight game in the fourth quarter by scoring four times. The 1961 tilt was also one of the first times Woody showed his nasty streak: leading 42-20 with just 34 seconds left in the game, Woody elected not to sit on the ball. Sparma’s ensuing bomb to Warfield went for 70 yards (you can see that glorious bomb at the 0:36 mark here). Ohio State scored a touchdown as time expired, but that still wasn’t enough: Woody went for two, and made the final score 50-20. Flush with victory, more good news met the Buckeyes as they entered the locker room after the game: the Gophers had upset Bucky, and Ohio State seemed poised to play for a national championship in Pasadena against UCLA – a team Ohio State had beaten 13-3 earlier in the season.

But Ohio State never boarded the plane for California. The contract between the Big Ten Conference and the Rose Bowl had expired in 1960, but that didn’t matter – Minnesota had played in Pasadena the year before, even without a contract – so the Rose Bowl offered the game to the Buckeyes. Woody’s Buckeyes weren’t at the mercy of a Rose Bowl contract; they would be undermined by their own faculty.

Never in love with Hayes, nor with the power and prestige Ohio State football enjoyed in Columbus, the Ohio State University faculty voted 28-25 to decline the Rose Bowl’s offer, thus denying the Buckeyes any chance to play for, and win, a national championship: the trip went to Big Ten also-ran Minnesota instead. The faculty professed several reasons for their decision: some faculty felt that since classes would begin the day after the game, making the trip was a slap in the face of the university’s educational mission; others felt that the expense of transporting the team, boosters, officials, cheerleaders and band took valuable funds away from more important programs. Underneath the stated reasons for the vote lay the simmering dissatisfaction on the part of some faculty members with Hayes, and the football leviathan he had built at Ohio State.

When news of the vote hit, campus exploded. Thousands of students engaged in two days of rioting and protests, including an impromptu four-mile march to the Ohio Statehouse. Legislators railed, the Dispatch published the names and addresses of faculty members who voted to decline the Rose Bowl invitation², and the Ohio State campus descended into lawlessness. City, state and local police had to be called in to quell the disturbances.

It was in this environment that Woody Hayes had one of his finest moments. As incensed as he was, he asked for quiet on campus, and publicly stated his obeisance to the faculty decision. In a move that must have crushed the competitive coach, Hayes defended the faculty’s decision:

“I don’t agree with those 28 ‘no’ votes, but I respect the integrity of the men who cast them, if not their intelligence. I would not want football to draw a line of cleavage in our university. Football is not worth that.”

The Football Writers Association of America went ahead and named Ohio State the 1961 national champion, but Hayes paid a steep price for doing the right thing. Opposing coaches used the faculty’s vote against him in the recruiting process, and Ohio State descended into several years of relative mediocrity; recruits stayed away from Columbus for fear of missing out on publicity. It wasn’t until 1968 that Hayes’ program fully recovered from the ramifications of the infamous 1961 faculty decision, but when it did, there was hell to pay.

So let Penn State enjoy their trip to Pasadena. When their fans gloat about it, you can rest in the sanctimonious glow of one whose team once turned the trip down.

¹ Ohio State fans should hate the Horned Frogs. Not only did the inexplicable 7-7 tie with TCU stand as the only mar on the 1961 Buckeyes’ record, but it was TCU who beat Ohio State in Columbus in 1957. Their 18-14 victory was the only loss suffered by Woody Hayes’ consensus 1957 national championship team.
² Blogs are so juvenile!