Eleven Warriors

Every real fan does his homework boning up on the competition by reading the opponent's press. But why waste your time reading the Ann Arbor News or the Detroit Free Press when you can get all that and more from a stellar pack of Michigan bloggers. It's the news, but with partisan commentary. And cursing. And explosions.

I hate to admit this, but I don't think it's any big secret that the Wolverine crew has an edge over their Buckeye counterparts (this blog included) when it comes to quality and insight. Take a look and remember not to leave comment piss all over them. Karma's a..

MGoBlog
Brian is somewhat of a sports blogging celebrity, in the sense that the he gets to wear gold-plated underwear, while the rest of us mortals are stuck with cotton as we obsessively cover our teams from the comfort of our parents' basement. He actually makes a living doing this, which is a good thing because if you're going to pay someone to do this sort of thing, he's about as good as it gets. When not banging posts out for the FanHouse, he's charting and grading every play of every game and breaking big stories ahead of the MSM. If you're going to read one other team blog outside of the Buckeyes, this is the one.

The M Zone
Easily one of the funniest sports sites on the internet, Benny and Yost have that rare gift of being both funny and cognizant at the same time. They've put together a post welcoming Buckeye fans and are rocking out rivalry history at a frenetic pace. Be sure to check out Crew Cut in his Halloween costume.

Maize n Brew
The SBN correspondent, Dave is one of the founding fathers of the Big Ten Bloggers. Do you know how awesome that is? We never have to wonder what one of the founding fathers would have thought about the separation of church and state, or the 2nd ammendment. We have our own living version and we can (and do) ask him. He's as passionate as they come and would like nothing better than to end his season on a winning note.

Michigan Sports Center: Sean has to be setting some sort of record for the amount of useful information packed into one page at MSC. He covers every Michigan sport with such depth that you have to wonder if he ever sleeps. He even covers Wolverine basketball. Nuff said.

There are many, many more, so if you're looking to kill some time, you should be set.

Okay fellas, for the last contest of the 2007 regular season, we're giving away more gear to drive the ladies nuts.

One lucky winner will receive the Buckeye hat and the Beat Michagain t-shirt pictured to the right. You gotta find your own pants, but we're providing 2/3 of the ultimate macking costume.

All you have to do is pick the correct score of The Game this weekend.

The same rules are in place from previous contests:

• Leave only 1 prediction -- duplicate predictions will disqualify all of your entries
• Don't pick a score someone has already settled on -- first one to the score is the official entrant for that score
• Leave your email address in the comment form
• The contest closes at kickoff

You guys are pretty good at following these rules, but we do receive a significant number of entries without an email addresses and we're just dying for one of those to win, so we can publicly humiliate you and award the prize to the runner-up.

We'll post the winner on Monday. Good luck to all.

Ohio State picked up their second win in as many nights posting a 68-54 victory over Columbia in the 2nd round of the NIT Preseason Tip-Off. The Buckeyes will take on Syracuse next Wednesday night in Madison Square Garden.

Fighting off another slow start, the Buckeyes closed the first half on a 14-3 run to take a 33-26 lead at intermission and later used a 12-0 spurt to boost the lead to 48-35 with just over 12 minutes left in the game.

The Buckeyes maintained a double-digit lead over the last 10 minutes and led by as many as 16 thanks in large part to OSU's matchup zone defense and superior athleticism. Using a distinct height and length advantage to cover the paint, the Buckeyes forced Columbia to launch 31 of their 56 shots from beyond the arc and held the Lions to 0 two point FGs for over 12 minutes allowing just 7 two point FGs for the game.

Jamar Butler had another outstanding all around effort with 18 points (4 treys) and 7 rebounds while Kosta Koufos led the Buckeyes with 19 points (8/12 FG) to go along with 7 boards. Rounding out the balanced attack, David Lighty backed up last night's career game with 13 points and Othello Hunter added 7 points and 9 rebounds. Off the bench, freshman Evan Turner looked a little more comfortable chipping in 6 points and 5 rebounds.

The Buckeyes shot just 6/20 (30%) from downtown but made 20/32 (63%) from inside the arc and overwhelmed the Lions on the glass (37-23). Besides showing the matchup zone almost exclusively, Matta employed a soft full court press late in the game. Both looks will likely be on display when they hit NYC to face the Orangemen in what will be a good test for this group.

Ohio State 1-0, 0-0 Big Ten Roster | Schedule

November 13, 2007 9:00 PM ET ------ The Schott Columbus, OH

Columbia 1-1, 0-0 Ivy Roster | Schedule

Opponent: Columbia will face off against the Buckeyes tonight, after holding off Delaware St. 47-41 Monday night in the NIT Season Tip-Off. The Lions will be playing their third game, as they lost to Fordham 79-61, last Friday night. Columbia brings all five starters back from a 16-12 team, predicted to finish fourth for a second straight year in the Ivy League. This club is a veteran group as their top 13 players, including six seniors return. Ten players averaged double digit minutes last year and I expect the Lions to bring intense defensive pressure, while trying to slow the game down on offense.

Key Players: John Baumann (6'8" Sr.) has lead the Lions in scoring two straight seasons, averaging a career best 13.3/game last year. He lead the league in FG and 3PT. percentage and ranked third in rebounds at 6.5/game, earning him 1st Team All Conference. Columbia's offensive help will come from Joe Bova (6'7" Jr.) and Patrick Foley (6' 2" So.), as these three combined to score 42 of Columbia's 47 last night.

Ben Nwachukwu (6'9" Sr.), Brett Loscalzo (6'0" Sr.), Mack Montgomery (6'5" Sr.) and Niko Scott (6'3" So.) will also see significant action. Columbia has struggled shooting the ball thus far and the emptiness of the Schott shouldn't help them out. If Ohio State can keep Baumann in check, the Lions may struggle to score.

Notes: Joe Jones is entering his fifth season as head coach and has a career mark of 49-60. Columbia is 1126-1127 in 105 years of basketball. The school has an enrollment of 5600 and is located in New York, NY.

Buckeye Breakdown: Ohio State looked better in their season opener, as they reduced the Phoenix to ashes in a 91-68 victory. I was impressed with the defensive pressure and control on offense. We know this team is young and it will be crucial for Jamar Butler to keep this team settled when OSU has the ball.

Butler dished out 10 assists against 0 turnovers last night and I thought he did an excellent job of running the show. Ohio State played a little match up zone throughout the game and Matta shortened his bench until they got a substantial lead. OSU may have 4 legit scorers, who could lead them in scoring on any giving night. It will be interesting to see what Buckeye team shows up tonight.

Key Players: David Lighty really impressed last night, leading the Buckeyes with 21 points and contributing 8 rebounds with 4 assist. Lighty was aggressive to the hoop and scored a few buckets on offensive rebounds. Kousta Koufos made a late rally and chipped in with 18 points and 8 boards in 18 minutes of action. He still looks physically weak at times, but his all around game is going to be a treat to watch. My man Othello Hunter came to play last night, I only hope he can replicate it consistently. Hunter was all over the court with 17 points, 7 rebounds and 5 blocks. He showed his extended jumper and it was nice to see him stay away from the 3ball.

Notes: Ohio State is 9-1 in their last three tournaments. If Ohio State wins, they will more than likely play Syracuse on November 21st in Madison Square Garden. Jamar Butler moved up to 6th for career three pointers, he is now 10 away from tying Brent Darby's all time mark.

This week's Buckeye NFLer of the Week Award goes out to Matt Wilhelm of the San Diego Chargers. Matt contributed with 11 tackles (9 solo) and 1 interception as the Chargers held off the Indianapolis Colts, 23-21.

In his 5th NFL season, Wilhelm was inserted as one of the starting inside linebackers in the Chargers' 3-4 defensive scheme. Although Matt missed weeks 3 & 4 due to a calf injury, he still ranks 3rd on the team in total tackles with 50 (40 solo).

Most of Matt's previous duties with the Chargers have been on special teams. But the Chargers belief in Wilhelm's abilities led the team to sign Matt to a 5 year contract extension last December, making him signed through the 2011 season.

With the Chargers young core of talent, maybe Matt will once again kiss a football-shaped championship trophy as he did with Kenny Peterson in 2003.

Shortening his bench following last week's shocking exhibition loss to Findlay, Thad Matta seems to have gotten his team's attention.

Improved intensity and concentration were on display as Ohio State rushed past Wisconsin-Green Bay 91-68 before an embarrasing crowd of about 7,000 in Value City Arena. The Buckeyes comitted just 3 turnovers in the first 30 minutes and received big contributions from the few veterans on the roster.

Sophomore David Lighty paced the Buckeyes with a career high 21 points and 8 rebounds and keyed a 16-3 run midway through the first half with a natural 3 point play on a nasty spin move before connecting on a triple try helping turn a 22-17 deficit into a 33-25 lead with 6:55 left.

Senior Jamar Butler also came out firing with 14 first half points (17 total) including 4/5 on threes (5 tot) as OSU outscored the Phoenix 29-12 to close the half. Understanding he's a point guard again, Butler also handed out 10 assists against zero turnovers displaying an impressive overall floor game. Even more important, Sr. Othello Hunter came back from the dead in spirited fashion with 17 points, 7 rebounds and 4 blocks.

Hunter received plenty of help on the baseline as Wisc-GB had no answer for freshman Kosta Koufos. The "Big Greecey" showed his inside-outside game on the way to 18 points (2/4 3FG) and 8 rebounds.

The Buckeyes led 46-34 at the break behind hot shooting (59% FG, 8/14 3FG) and disciplined offense (3 TO) with Matta using only Matt Terwilliger and Evan Turner off the bench. Wiggler responded with a trey and 4 rebounds finishing with 5 points and 6 boards while Turner played just a few minutes missing a line drive jumper and committing a foul.

Looking to thwart any threat of a comeback, Lighty fueled a 12-2 run to start the second half with 7 points as OSU took a 58-36 lead with 17 minutes left. With the game in hand, Matta finally went deeper into the bench bringing in Turner, PJ Hill and Eric Wallace.

Still teaching and not satisfied with the concentration, missed free throws and shot selection shown by Turner and Wallace leading to a 10-3 run by the Phoenix, Matta replaced everyone on the floor except Dallas Lauderdale. Shortly thereafter, Koufos went on his own 8-0 run bumping the OSU lead to 28 with 5 minutes to go. The move wasn't necessary to preserve the victory but I like that Matta is going to make these guys earn minutes.

For the game, OSU posted a solid turnover to assist ratio of 22-7 and shot 46% from downtown (11/24). The continued poor free throw shooting (10/18), Wallace and Turner showing no growth (in limited minutes) and Jon Diebler failing to make a FG attempt were the only real blemishes. Defensively, OSU won the battle on the boards 38-32 and held WGB to 27% from the floor employing an active matchup zone defense. The Phoenix hit a few triples early but the zone proved effective and could set up the debut of a three-quarter court zone trap defense in the very near future.

With tonight's game in the bag, OSU faces Columbia on Tuesday following their 47-41 win over Delaware State.

The sad news continues for Buckeye fans as Brian @ MGoBlog has it from three independent sources that Wolverine coach Lloyd Carr will announce his retirement -- possibly as early as next Monday.

First of all: Worst. Secret. Keepers. Evar.

Last year Bo passed, this year Carr steps down. I'm expecting the Wolverines to re-animate Fielding Yost for the pre-game speech in '08 at this point in time.

It's coming in as a "resignation", but this is anything but on his own terms. You can bet the final straw was his decision to keep Henne and Hart out of last week's loss in Madison.

I hope they're rested. They'll be locking horns with an angry Buckeye team this weekend.

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In other breaking news, Antonio Henton has plead guilty to a misdemeanor count of loitering for prostitution.

Henton paid $156 in court fees and shortly afterward the following statement was released by the Vest:

"After serving a seven-game suspension, Antonio is a member with full privileges of the Ohio State football team. Antonio has handled the situation properly."

Good to have Antonio back -- hopefully he discovered internet porn in the last two months.

(Shout-out to jtbucks in the comments for the Henton tip.)

Another week and another top ranked team takes one on the chin. Extra juiciness this week as it's the team that most of the country was rooting for to lose anyway.

We're left with a lone undefeated team from any of the BCS conferences and that team, Kansas, isn't even the #1 team in our ballot or the polls that go into deciding the championship participants.

Imagine if Kansas, Oregon and LSU all win out. Kansas would most certainly have made the jump into the top 2 by then considering it would have beaten Missouri and then Oklahoma to end the season. Their opponent? Most-likely LSU on the strength of an SEC Championship game victory. What then about the Ducks?

The more probable scenario is that Kansas drops one or two along the way and we're left with 4 or 5 teams with one loss. What then?

The BCS, it's grrreaat!

1		The Ducks had a bye and catch somewhat of a breather with a game at Arizona this weekend. Should have smooth sailing to New Orleans.	1
2		If the Tigers win out, Miles will have a chance to prove his pre-season smack talk about the PAC-10 correct.	1
3		First chance for much of the nation to get a look at the Jayhawks and they looked good. Iowa State sould be win #11 this weekend.	3
4		The Sooners kept rolling, blitzing Baylor. They head into Mike Leach's Pirateland this weekend before ending the season against Okie State the following week.	--
5		Could the Big 12 be where it's really at this season? This conference could have an argument to two at large BCS bids when it's said and done.	2
6		They were beaten on the field, and we tried to slide them to a spot where it didn't rank of smack homerism.	5
7		The Mountaineers do a good job of clobbering the weak teams, but any halfway-decent squad gives them fits. Watch out in the Nati this weekend.	2
8		The Dawgs put a beat-down on Auburn and are looking as hot as any team in the SEC right now. Upset alert when Kentucky comes to town this weekend.	1
9		Slipped by UCLA, were they looking ahead to the visit by the Trojans this weekend?	1
10		Completely redeemed themselves for the BC collapse by taking Bowden to the wood shed. Next up, a woeful Hurricane team.	1
11		Escaped the Hippiedrom with their $500 designer jeans unscathed. Rose Bowl implication game at ASU this weekend.	1
12		Sent the OBC to his 3rd consecutive loss after he ran his mouth about OSU. Any chance Tebow could leave after his sophomore season this year? He's going to be unstoppable next year.	1
13		The Horns got by Tech in a shootout and head to A&M next weekend. Think they won't want revenge for the way McCoy was roughed up last year?	3
14		The Tigers spanked Wake and this week they'll get a chance to hand BC its 3rd straight L.	5
15		Seriously, how did this team lose to Iowa? They're going to do some damage in their bowl game and we're already dreading the trip to Champaign next year.	NR
16		They've won a lot of squakers, but they're 9-2 and any team that beats the "U" 48-0 deserves some love.	NR
17		This team is clicking right now. The date with Hawaii in a few weeks is looming large.	6
18		It's great to see Ben Mauck having success this year. Bearcats have a very winnable game against WVU this weekend at Nippert.	7
19		Fulmer (and his arteries) thrive under pressure. With his job on the line, the Vols have a good shot at the SEC championship game.	NR
20		Maryland? Wow. The Matt Ryan Heisman campaign was short-lived. The Eagles may be staring at their 3rd straight loss in Clemson this weekend.	10
21		Fresno State gave them a run. Won't matter.. if Boise State doesn't get them in 2 weeks, Washington will the week after that.	--
22		Huge win for the Badgers because Michigan had owned them the last decade.	NR
23		It's tough to win games with your best guys on the bench. Hart, Henne and Long have been thinking about this next game for 12 months.	9
24		Ranking them for now, but they do travel to Athens this weekend, so don't expect to see them for long.	NR
25		Should heal from the loss to UC by feasting on Syracuse this week.	10

DROPPED OUT: Auburn (#17), California (#18), Florida State (#20), Alabama (#22), Arkansas (#24).

We touched on this a little in the summer, but Tuesday night (10:30) is the premiere of The Rivalry, HBO's first college sports documentary.

The documentary will feature the last on-camera footage of Bo (he passed one day after sitting down for the interview last season) and should be television orgasm to any die-hard Buckeye or Wolverine fan.

Evidently, it explores the differences between the two fan communities as well:

The age-old clash between the perceived arrogance of Michigan and crudeness of Ohio State is played up. Early narration describes “an aura of elitism among Michiganites” that came from the school’s status as a top-notch learning institution. 60 Minutes star Mike Wallace, a Michigan grad, drew jeers from the Mershon crowd by noting, “Michigan was superior to Ohio State and remains superior.”

Michigan elitism? No... Excuse me while I go shot-gun a beer and flip a car.

THE RIVALRY, HBO - TUESDAY 11/13 10:30 PM ET | Full Listings

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

November 12, 2007 9:00 PM ET ------ The Schott Columbus, OH

Wisconsin GB 1-0, 0-0 Horizon Roster | Schedule

Opponent: UW-Green Bay will travel to the Schott tonight for a first round game in the NIT Season Tip-Off. They return 4 starters from last year's 18-15 team and the Phoenix is picked to finish 3rd in the Horizon League. UWGB has won all three games they played this year, two exhibition and one regular season, taking down Oakland 76-75 last Friday.

The Phoenix have connected on only 36 percent of their shots from behind the arc and may not look to shoot from that range as much as Ohio State's first two opponents. However, UWGB has an overall FG percentage of 49 percent, which tells me they move the ball around and get a good look at the basket each possession.

This team does have some overall height, but they were out rebounded in their season opener 32-41, so the Buckeyes may have an advantage on the boards. UWGB will give the Buckeyes a tremendous challenge, an experienced bunch with more chemistry than the Buckeyes, they look to copy another Horizon team, Butler, who won this tournament last year.

Key Players: The Phoenix are lead by preseason all conference selection Mike Schachtner (#43 6'9" Jr.), who lead the team in scoring last year at 14.9 a game. He was selected 2nd team all Horizon a year ago and lead UWGB with 23 points and 7 rebounds in their first contest. Schachtner is going to pose a match up problem tonight, he has size, experience and can shoot the ball from any where.

UWGB will get some scoring help from their two starting guards. Troy Cotton (#10 6'1" So.), was second in the conference last year shooting 46 percent from downtown and started the final 22 games. Rahmon Fletcher (#20 5'10" Fr.), made an early splash, starting his first collegiate game and accounting for 14 points, 3 assists and 2 steals.

Terry Evans (#21 6'5" Jr.), led the team in rebounding last year, at 6.3 per game and also paced the team in blocks (1.4) and steals (1.7). Evans athleticism has earned him all conference defensive status the last two seasons. Randy Berry (#23 6'9" So.), looks to be the bruising white boy in the paint, who could pick up junk points and rebounds, if the Buckeyes don't box out. UWGB will have Ryan Tillema (#24 6'8" Jr.), and Bryquis Perine (#0 6'3" Fr.), coming off the bench. Tillema is a veteran who likes the 3ball, averaging almost 2 per game over his career and Perine could provide an additional spark.

Notes: Wisconsin Green Bay is playing Ohio State for the first time and also participating in their first NIT Season Tip-Off... The Phoenix are coached by Tod Kowalczyk, who is entering his 6th season... UWGB has an enrollment of 5,800 students, 67 percent of which are females.

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Buckeye Breakdown: It's been a tough week for Buckeye Nation, but luckily it is Michigan week and Thad's squad gets a chance at redemption in their season opener tonight. Thad had plenty of teaching to do after the debacle against Findlay and this young team needs to come out strong to avoid another embarrassment. The two exhibition games did give us some insights into how raw this team really is, but Thad has a stable of athletes that fit his style of play and it should be an exciting brand of basketball this season.

Key Players: Jamar Butler is back at the point guard position, where he thrived as a sophomore. He lost 15 pounds and is looking to slash a little more this year. Butler is the Buckeye's leading returning scorer and was selected as preseason All-Big Ten. He is a quiet, solid leader who should be the career leader in three pointers made (16 more) within the next couple of months. The Buckeyes desperately need Butler to be consistent this year, play under control and lead his young teammates.

P.J. Hill looks to be a serviceable back up for Butler. Hill's quickness and speed is due to his soccer back ground and he doesn't look to be a scoring threat, but will be crucial defensively in Big Ten play. Hill must limit his turnovers this year, but he is a winner and should improve quickly as his comfort level increases.

The other two starters alongside Butler, should be David Lighty and Jon Diebler. Lighty gained valuable experience as the captain of the USA Basketball U19 team this summer and he should have more confidence in his shooting stroke. He has taken 9 shots in each exhibition game and the Buckeyes need him to average in double digits. Lighty's 1-7 from downtown thus far is a concern, so he will need to drive to the hoop and hit the mid range jumper to get him going.

The folklore behind Diebler is well known and he is within range when he walks in the gym. Diebler is going to be a defensive liability for the first couple of months, but he is going to get his share of shots and should also average in double digits. Ohio State will need Diebler to use his length for rebounding and make at least 40 percent of his treys.

Evan Turner and Eric Wallace have similar attributes and will look to give Matta even more options coming off the bench. Turner averaged 25 points a game in his senior season and has showed glimpses of his slashing style and mid range jumper. He didn't do much stat wise in exhibition play, but his length and passing abilities will help Ohio State in transiston.

Wallace has potential to quickly become a crowd favorite. He may not have the complete offensive game yet, but his ability to jump will gain him instant rock star status. Wallace lead the team in steals and blocks during preseason play and must give Ohio State a high flying scoring threat.

Othello Hunter is going to be the X-Factor for Ohio State this year. I still think he can become all conference, but that display he put on last week can not happen again. Hunter is Ohio State's leading returner in rebounding, 4.5/game and had 15 points and 12 boards in the first game. However, he laid a turd in game two, with 0 points and 1 rebound. If Othello can bring intensity every game, he has potential to average a double-double, as Kosta Koufos will help take pressure off inside.

Koufos paced Ohio State in scoring and rebounding during the preseason, at 17.5 and 9.5 respectively. Koufos looks to have fluid movement in the post and has stayed away from hanging outside the arc, but his free throws must improve from the current 50 percent. Enjoy this year with Koufos, as this maybe his last in a Buckeye uniform. He should lead the team in scoring and be a lottery pick next year. While Hunter and Koufos should be the starters this year, Thad is much deeper on the inside than in past years.

The Wiggler is back, to help lead fellow Whiteboy project Kyle Madsen and Dallas Lauderdale off the bench. I think Wiggler is due for a breakout season and will help extend the defense with his shooting range. Lauderdale will be get his points strictly from the inside and looks to have good enough speed to keep up with Matta's frantic pace. Madsen could be the odd man out as his skills are too similar to Wiggler's and he looks stiff in running up and down the floor.

Notes: Thad Matta is 7-0 in season openers... He is looking for his 8th straight 20 win season to start his career... Ohio State is 0-2 all time in the NIT Season Tip-Off, losing to Notre Dame in 1999 and DePaul in 1989... Ohio State is 49-9 all time against the Horizon League and will also face Butler and Cleveland State this season... Matta is 48-3 at the Schott and is looking to guide the Buckeyes to their 26th consecutive win there.