Troy Smith. For my money, he’s the greatest quarterback to ever wear the scarlet and gray. This may be my bias showing because he is my all-time favorite Buckeye, but to me, Troy Smith is arguably the best college quarterback in the last 15 years. Most people would argue someone such as Tim Tebow and the ridiculous numbers he put up, but in an Urban Meyer offense, there’s no doubt in my mind that Troy would have put up similar numbers. It’s unfortunate that many people, outside of Buckeye Nation, will only remember him for the 4-of-14 performance in the National Championship game and not for his stellar performances throughout his career as a Buckeye. The plays he made, the games he won will be resonate with me for as long as I live.

I have lived in Columbus, OH my entire life and I’ve loved Ohio State football for as long as I can remember. And in all my years of passion for OSU football, I have never been so captivated, so enthralled by a single player. Every Saturday that Troy Smith put on an Ohio State jersey, laced up his Nikes, and strapped on that beautiful silver helmet, I knew 3 things: we were more-than-likely going to win the game, there were going to be at least a couple of “wow” plays made by Troy, and that I was witnessing maybe the greatest Ohio State quarterback that I’ll ever see.

Troy Smith ended his career at Ohio State with a record of 26-4 as a starter. More importantly, though, he was an impressive 3-0 against TTUN. When Smith accomplished that feat in 2006, he was only the 2nd Ohio State quarterback to ever do so–joining Tippy Dye who accomplished the same feat in 1937.

OSU CAREER STATS
Troy Smith joined the Ohio State football team in 2002. In that year, he accepted the last scholarship for the ’02 recruiting class. He played in only a handful of games in 2002 and 2003, mostly as a kick/punt returner. It wasn’t until the 2004 season when Troy Smith finally got his chance to play quarterback. He began the season as the backup to starting quarterback Justin Zwick. But when Zwick was injured early in the 2nd half against the Iowa Hawkeyes, Smith finally got his chance to show what he could do. Ohio State was 3-2 on the season, on a 2-game losing streak entering the Iowa game, and were well on their way to losing their 3rd straight game when Smith took over for Zwick. Ohio State ended up losing that game against Iowa in embarrassing fashion 33-7, but, thanks in large part to Smith, the Buckeyes ended the regular season going 4-1, including a 37-21 victory over arch-rival TTUN. After the game vs. TTUN–for accepting money from a booster–Troy Smith was suspended for the Alamo Bowl that season and the opening game of the 2005 season vs. Miami (OH). Even without Smith, Ohio State was able to beat Oklahoma State in the Alamo Bowl and come out on top against the Miami Redhawks in the first game of 2005. Smith’s suspension wouldn’t prove costly in the games he missed, but rather in his first game back in action.

Smith returned to action in Ohio State’s 2nd game of 2005 against Vince Young and the Texas Longhorns. Texas and Ohio State came into the contest ranked 2nd and 4th, respectively. Coach Tressel decided that Justin Zwick would start the game vs. Texas, but it was understood that both quarterbacks would play. When Smith came into the game, it was clear that he was the better option at quarterback, but it was also clear that he was a bit rusty seeing that he hadn’t played in a real game in nearly 10 months. Like the Iowa game the year before, unfortunately, Ohio State went on to lose the contest against Texas, but following the loss, Troy Smith would take over as starting quarterback and he wouldn’t look back.

In 2005, the Ohio State football team finished the regular season 9-2 with losses to Texas and Penn State. Smith finished the regular season with 130 completions on 209 attempts and 14 touchdown passes compared to only 4 interceptions. After Ohio State’s victory over TTUN in the final regular season game of 2005, it was learned that OSU would meet Brady Quinn and Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl. This was Troy Smith’s coming out party. Smith finished the game 19-28 for 342 yards with 2 TD’s and 0 interceptions. He also added 66 yards rushing on 13 attempts. Smith’s and OSU’s performance in their 34-20 victory over Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl vaulted Ohio State to the preseason number 1 ranking–something they would hold onto the entire regular season.

HE IS MAN
Troy Smith in 2006 was truly something special. He was easily the best player on the field in every game he played in. He finished the regular season with 30 touchdown passes compared to only 5 interceptions. Those numbers and Ohio State’s 12-0 regular season finish lead to Smith receiving the 7th Heisman Trophy in OSU history. As the number 1 ranked team in the nation, Ohio State was able to beat two 2nd ranked teams that season: Texas and TTUN. The Texas game was the 2nd game of OSU’s season and Smith’s performance in Ohio State’s 24-7 victory vaulted him to the top of voters’ Heisman list, a place he remained for the entirety of the ’06 season. Unfortunately for Ohio State, Smith’s regular season success wasn’t translated into post-season success as Ohio State fell to Florida 41-14 in what would be Smith’s last game in a Buckeye uniform. Smith won the Heisman trophy that year, but he also racked up numerous other awards. Troy won a total of 9 awards for his performance in the 2006 season. He was named a first-team All-American, the Sporting News college football player of the year, the Fiesta Bowl MVP, he won the Walter Camp Award, the Davey O’Brien Award, was named the Ohio State football team MVP, named the AP player of the year, and won the Chicago Tribune’s Silver Football award for being the Big Ten’s MVP. Also, in 2010, ESPN B1G blogger Adam Rittenberg named Troy Smith the best Big Ten football player of the decade.

POST-OSU
Troy Smith was drafted in the 5th round of the 2007 NFL draft by the Baltimore Ravens. Smith spent his first 3 NFL seasons with the Ravens before being released in 2010. Following his release by the Ravens, Smith signed with the San Francisco 49ers. He spent the entire 2010 season with the 49ers. He became a free-agent after the 2010 season and after no NFL teams signed him, he joined fellow former Buckeyes Maurice Clarett and Roy Hall as a member of the Omaha Nighthawks of the UFL. After just one season with the Nighthawks, Smith left the UFL and in January of this season, he signed a deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers. At this point, it seems as if Troy Smith will never be anything more than a backup NFL quarterback even though he’s been a decent starter at the pro level. I hope Troy gets an opportunity to start one day and he takes full advantage of that opportunity and never looks back. He deserves it. Troy may never be an NFL starter again, but that will never tarnish the great career he had as an Ohio State Buckeye.

I’LL NEVER FORGET
I’ll never forget Smith’s 2006 performance against TTUN. From his senior day entrance to the end of the game, Smith was spectacular. Ohio State and TTUN were both 11-0 entering the game and ranked 1 and 2 in the nation, respectively. This was the game of the century. The best rivalry in all of sports and the teams were both 11-0. The magnitude of this game can not be overstated. The winner would not only have bragging rights for the next year, but more importantly, the victor would head to Glendale, AZ for a chance to play for a National Championship. As you all know, the better team won that day. As for Smith, he finished the game 29-41 for 316 yards and 4 touchdowns. Smith spread the ball around like a group of 15-year-old girls spread rumors. 8 different receivers caught passes on that magical day in the Horseshoe. This is the game that will always come to mind when I think back on Troy Smith’s collegiate career. In the biggest games, Troy Smith came to play and the ’06 TTUN game was no different. Smith was outstanding. And for that, he will forever be one of our favorite Buckeyes.

Video for your enjoyment: 2006 OSU vs. TTUN

In the Hive

With it appearing that we are now closer than ever to a Division-IA college football playoff, it is now at least somewhat appropriate to talk about how that playoff would be implemented and how the playoff would impact that regular season.  One concern about a playoff has always been that it would devalue the regular season by making it easier for a one or two loss team to get into the playoff, compared with the difficulty that such a team would currently have reaching the national title game.  Similarly, a playoff could devalue the regular season if it was constructed in such a way that winning a major, read BCS, conference was enough to get into the playoff, thus giving teams little incentive to schedule tough out-of-conference opponents.

ESPN recently talked to the athletic directors of Ohio State, Gene Smith, and Michigan State, Mark Hollis, about a potential playoff and how strength of schedule should be considered.  Of course it wouldn’t be an ESPN article if it did not include a few jabs at the Big Ten.  The article starts with a comment about how the Big Ten’s nonconference schedules are finally getting tougher, ignoring the fact that the ESPN’s precious SEC is just as guilty, if not more so, as the Big Ten when it comes to scheduling patsies for out-of-conference games.  ESPN also convienently forget to mention that Ohio State had moved to strengthen its schedule years ago with the home-and-home series against Texas, Southern Cal, and Miami (Florida).

It was nice to see both Hollis and Smith express their support of strength of schedule mattering in determining who makes the playoffs, though Hollis was much more explicit in his support for it.  It would be all too easy for the heads of the BCS conferences to construct a playoff that would essentially guarantee a berth to anyone who wins a BCS conference, thus protecting their place at the top of the college football world.  The consequence of this system would be that teams would have no incentive to schedule anyone but cupcakes for their out-of-conference games.  Not only do tough opponents mean the chance for a loss, though as Michigan showed up cupcakes can be dangerous as well, which fans don’t like, higher quality teams will normally demand a home-and-home series while the patsies are more than willing to just come to your place to get their payday.  With college sports becoming more and more of a financial arms race amongst the major schools, every home football game is important as it generates more money than a road game.  Thus, BCS conference schools have a financial incentive to put together easy non-conference schedules unless strength of schedule is part of the determination of who makes a playoff.

If any playoff that is created does not consider strength of schedule, the big loser will be the fans.  While most fans prefer home games as they are normally easier to attend than road games, nobody gets excited for a home nonconference schedule that features a bunch MAC, Conference USA, or Sunbelt teams, or worse, I-AA teams.  Personally I am much happier with Ohio State having one less home game every other year if it means that we get teams like Oklahoma and Virginia Tech coming to Ohio Stadium and the chance to see the Buckeyes take it to these teams on the road.  I will take the higher chance of a loss against that type of team rather than sit through another 30 point victory over some team that has little hope of ever sniffing the top-25.  Even if a playoff is adopted that does not reward tougher strength of schedule, I hope that Ohio State and the Big Ten as a whole continues to schedule marquee opponents, rising above the temptation to water down the regular season product.

Women’s Golf Advances

The Ohio State women’s golf team hosted the NCAA Central Regional this past weekend on their home Scarlet Course.  Twenty four teams competed in the regional and unfortunately Southern Cal won the regional.  Fortunately, the Buckeyes finished 6th in the region with the top 8 teams advancing.  OSU shot a 44 over par as a team, finishing 34 strokes behind Southern Cal.  Junior Rachel Rohanna was the top performer of the five Buckeyes, finishing in 7th place overall with a four over par for the weekend.  Ohio State will return to the course in the NCAA Championship which will take place May 22-25 in Franklin, Tennessee.

Rowing Comes Up Just Short at Big Ten Championships

The 4th ranked Ohio State women’s rowing team finished second at the Big Ten Championships this past weekend, getting edged by Michigan 147 points to 145 points; both teams finished well ahead of third place Wisconsin who put up 122 points.

The Buckeyes do not have time to reflect on their near miss as they received a bid to the NCAA Championship for the 13th straight season, the 14th time overall.  Ohio State is one of only five programs to earn 13 straight bids to the NCAAs; the others are Brown, California, Princeton, and Washington.  Fellow Big Ten teams Michigan, Michigan State, and Wisconsin also received bids to join the 16 team field.  The NCAA Championships will take place in West Windsor, NJ on May 25-27 where the Buckeyes will look to top their previous best finish, 3rd place in 2007.

In the Hive

How goes it my fellow Hivesters? As always, welcome to your morning Hive, Tuesday edition! Unfortunately for all of you, Buckeye Nation, late spring/early summer is typically an uneventful couple of months for Ohio State athletics–not to take anything away from the in-season OSU sports, of course. But, let’s face it, in terms of Ohio State athletics, football and basketball reign supreme and are certainly the most popular sports. With that being said, the baseball Buckeyes will get plenty of love from the morning Hive later on.

As Michael wrote yesterday, the 2012 Big Ten-ACC challenge schedule was released. A couple weeks ago we found out that in this year’s challenge, OSU will play Duke in a rematch of a game played last season in which Ohio State won 85-63. This year, the game will be played on Wednesday November 28th at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, NC. Like last season, Ohio State vs. Duke is certainly a premier matchup in the Big Ten-ACC challenge. Two other games from the challenge–besides Ohio State vs. Duke–stood out to me and will definitely be circled on my calendar. Indiana hosts the UNC Tarheels on Tuesday November 27th and TTUN hosts NC State on the same day. Normally, NC State vs. TTUN would be an irrelevant, untelevised contest in which only 6 people would watch, but next season both teams are projected to be in the preseason top-10. Like most Buckeye fans, I will be cheering incessantly for the Wolfpack. I could actually, maybe see TTUN beat NC State because the Wolfpack aren’t from the state of Ohio

Outside of Ohio State athletics, a very unique, one-of-a-kind sporting event took place this weekend in Columbus and I was lucky enough to be there. The actual game itself left something to be desired, but it was still a neat experience.

FIELD OF DREAMS GAME
This past Saturday at Huntington Park, home of the Columbus Clippers, the Pepsi Max Field of Dreams game took place. The game featured normal, ordinary guys pitted up against former MLB all-stars.

Tim Wisecup, of Columbus, had the privilege of playing Saturday against the former big-leaguers because, out of 2.5 million entries, he won the contest that Pepsi Max held last year. For the contest, fans voted on which MLB legends would play in the game and the former big-leagues selected would travel to the winning contestant’s hometown. Lucky for me and the sold of crowd at Huntington Park on Saturday, Tim Wisecup is from Columbus.

The former major leaguers that Tim and his friends played against consisted of Pedro Martinez (P), Johnny Bench (C), Frank Thomas (1B), Edgar Martinez (2B), Ozzie Smith (SS), Wade Boggs (3B), Dave Winfield (LF), Rickey Henderson (CF), Reggie Jackson (RF), and Dennis Eckersley (RP). That’s a pretty impressive list of former MLB all-stars that consists of 7 current Hall of Famers.

As most in attendance expected, the legends came out on top in a 12-11, six-inning victory. Frank Thomas a.k.a. The Big Hurt led the legends with two homeruns. He could still swing the lumber. They had a fence inside of the stationary fence at Huntington Park that was at least 100-feet closer down the lines, but I’m pretty sure that Thomas cleared the stationary fence on one ball he hit. The dude still has some serious power. The Pepsi Max Field of Dreams game was quite the unique experience, but it wasn’t the only baseball game in Columbus over the weekend.

BASEBALL BUCKEYES
The baseball Buckeyes had a three-game, weekend series against Seattle University. Ohio State took 2 of 3 from the Redhawks (Yes, I clearly looked their name up). OSU was victorious on Friday 4-1, lost Saturday 11-1, but closed out the series with a 7-2 victory on Sunday.

The Buckeyes are currently 30-22 on the season (11-10 Big Ten). Prior to their weekend series against Seattle at Bill Davis Stadium, the baseball Buckeyes played 2 games against Oklahoma State in Stillwater in which each school nicknamed OSU came out on top for 1 game each. And last weekend, before their 2 games in the land of T. Boone Pickens, as most of you know, Ohio State swept Northwestern.

Next up for the Ohio State men’s baseball team is a game today at 12:05 p.m. against the Toledo Rockets. Today’s contest will be held in Columbus at Bill Davis Stadium. After today’s game, Ohio State will finish out their regular season this weekend when they head to Bloomington, Indiana to take on the Hoosiers.

It may be a late notice, but if you’re able to, Buckeye Nation, head out to Bill Davis Stadium today to cheer on the baseball Buckeyes!

As always and until the end of time, Go Bucks!

Aaron Craft is fixin' to bring swoons to the Southeast.

Ohio State will visit Cameron Indoor Stadium for the first time this fall when the Buckeyes get a rematch with the Duke Blue Devils in the B1G-ACC Challenge. The game will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 28 on the second night of the Challenge. The time and network will be announced at a later date. You’ll no doubt recall the curb stomping that the Buckeyes inflicted on Coach K’s bunch this past season, in an 85-63 decision at the Schott. The game was full and total domination by Ohio State throughout and gave Mike Krzyzeyzeyzewzekzeywski a sore butt. That victory was the highest rated game in the history of the Challenge, drawing a 2.6 rating and being seen in 2.6 million homes.  The Buckeyes (along with Northwestern) have a record four consecutive wins in the Challenge.

Here’s how the Challenge shakes out:

Tuesday, Nov. 27

North Carolina at Indiana
North Carolina State at TTUN
Minnesota at Florida State
Maryland at Northwestern
Iowa at Virginia Tech
Nebrasky at Wake Forest

Wednesday, Nov. 28

Ohio State at Duke
Virginia at Wisconsin
TTUN State at Miami (FL)
Purdue at Clemson
Georgia Tech at Illinois
Boston College at Penn Shtate

The Buckeyes will look substantially different this fall after William Buford’s graduation, Jared Sullinger’s early entry into the NBA and the transfers of Jordan Sibert and J.D. Weatherspoon. Aaron Craft, Lenzelle Smith Jr. and Deshaun Thomas return to the starting lineup, and are likely to be joined by any two of Shannon Scott, Evan Ravenel, Amir Williams and Sam Thompson. If I were to predict, I’d say Ravenel and Thompson might start the season in the opening five, but frankly no two of those four players would surprise me. At this point in time Ohio State’s bench is a bit shorter than usual, due to the aforementioned transfers of Sibert and Weatherspoon. Versatile guard Amedeo Della Valle committed to Ohio State, but it remains to be seen if anyone else will be added.

The Dookies will look a bit different as well. Austin Rivers is joining Sully in the pros, while Miles Plumlee has plum run out of eligibility, y’all. He leaves behind Marshall and Mason as the Blue Devils adjust to life with only two Plumlees. The latter has already been named a 2012-13 Duke captain, along with senior Ryan Kelly. Michael Gbinije transferred to Syracuse after his freshman season.

Although the names and venue have changed, Ohio State-Duke should be a fun rematch, y’all.

In the Hive

Good morning Hivers! I hope you all had a great Mothers Day yesterday. For those of you that are mothers, thank you for all that you do for your children! You may not get the recognition that you deserve sometimes, but, you definitely are appreciate here at Our Honor Defend. Unless you are a Pokemon you have a mother, so be thankful for them and make sure they know it. Not just once a year, but every chance you get.
The weekend seemed quite uneventful for Buckeye faithful, what with no decommitments and all that. However, there was quite a bit of action from the not-basketball-not-football/non-revenue sector. Here, in all its glorious glory is the Monday Morning Hive recap of the action from the past weekend! There is a lot to get to, so let’s do it, eh?

Enjoy Hivers!

Track Stars

This weekly reminder that Buckeyes are good at EVERYTHING comes to you in the form of: runnin’ and a-jumpin’.
The Ohio State University Women’s Outdoor Track and Field team went ahead and stamped their name on this season with a championship. That is, back to back Big Ten championships! It is the Buckeyes second Big Ten title in school history. Most of the events are individual, of course. But winning the ‘Ship is a team effort. However, one T&F star shines brightest.

Senior Christina Manning, after wining the 2012 Indoor National Title in the 60m hurdles in March came out this weekend and won the 100m and 100m-hurdles. In addition, she was a part of the 4×100 that won the gold at the event. Also, a second place finish in the 200m dash is in the books. She’s sort of good at this track thing. So much so that she is a hopeful for the U.S. Olympics track team that will be competing in London this summer.

Manning’s coach, Karen Dennis, had some pretty high accolades for her star. Dennis said Manning may be the best female American in the 100 hurdles since Gail Devers, who never won an Olympic hurdle medal but won gold in the 100 meters in both 1992 and 1996. She believes Manning could break Devers’ American record of 12.33. It will be great to see a female American runner with such great potential competing in the games, but it is ever-so sweetened by the fact that she is a Buckeye.

Of course, being a probable future Olympian lends to Manning being one of the best in the college ranks as well. That’s why she has landed herself in the running for The Bowerman, the award given to the best male and female track star in the NCAA. No Buckeye, male or female, has won the award. But this is only the fourth year for The Bowerman. Give it 25 years and look back on the history. We will dominate that list just like those in every other sport.

Coming up in the next few weeks Christina Manning, and the rest of the Ohio State Track and Field team, has the NCAA East Preliminary Round, May 24-25 in Jacksonville, Fla. Then the NCAA Championships in Des Moines, Iowa, from June 6-9.

On The Men’s Side

The Buckeye Men had a strong showing with a fourth place finish at the Big Ten Championships in Madison. They had a team total of 86 points.

OSU Mens Track and Field rising star Michael Hartfield successfully defended his 2011 outdoor title in the same event with a personal-best jump of 7.96m (26-1.50), the fourth-best mark in Division I this season and a top-5 performance in the Ohio State record books on Saturday.

Rackets Keep On Rockin’

What is Scarlet and Gray and has a 148-consecutive home match win streak? Yeah. The Buckeyes Men’s Tennis team.

The powerhouse of racket wielding Buckeyes demolished Notre Dame 4-0 on Sunday to advance to the round of sixteen in the NCAA tournament. Blaz Rola, ranked ninth nationally, beat Greg Andrews (No. 54) 7-5, 6-3 for his 14th win on court two this season.

Chase Buchanan and Rola, the nation’s top ranked pair, won their first match of the postseason and 30th of the season after posting an 8-3 victory on court one over Niall Fitzgerald and Casey Watt.

Up next for the Buckeyes: a meeting with the Florida Gators at noon Friday in Athens, Ga.

Holley Going For Man-Gold

Bad joke aside, this is a great story.

Holley Mangold, sister of Nick, qualified on March 4, for the 2012 Olympics in London as a powerlifter. Some may remember Holley for being the first Ohio girl to play offensive line in a high school game in 2006. Apparently, she’s not singularly talented.

Mangold has been a competitive super-heavyweight weightlifter for the last two years.

Americans last won a medal in lifting in 2000. That year Tara Nott took gold, and Cheryl Hayworth won the bronze. Since then, no American, male or female, has won a medal in the event. Pretty astounding considering the U.S. success in virtually every aspect of Olympic sports.

There is much more to the Holley Mangold story though. She was featured on MTV’s True Life, the episode titled I’m The Big Girl.

For much more to her story, check out the write-up on Sports Illustrated’s website here.

Overtime:

Simply, they don’t call him Votto-matic for nothing.

Sorry Indians fans/Vico.

Have a great Monday! I’ll see you back here next week. Same bat time, same bat channel.

And as always, Go Bucks!

In the Hive

Well, hello there, Hive-a-maniacs! Make sure your coffee mug is full and in an upright position (don’t need the IT guys getting pissed at you on a Friday), pull up your chair and enjoy yet another edition of the Friday Morning Hive. I’ve been here for about a month, and I feel like I can trust you guys. We’re buds, right? Good. Now listen, I’ve got something to admit to you, and it might be hard for you to digest or accept, but here goes:

I don’t give a crap about recruiting news.

There, I said it. I’m not saying you can’t; I’m all about to each their own. If you get off on chasing down which unproven 17-year old athlete picks your school over another, then that’s fantastic. If you wait with excitement and anticipation for signing day, overjoyed when Danny Prepstud chooses your school, jilted if Bobby Allstar picks someone else, I guess that’s cool. I just can’t see the direct results from gaining a top-5 class resulting in guaranteed national titles.

Sure, few national titles are won without the aid of a roster loaded with supremely talented players, and many of those players started out as 4- and 5-star recruits. But don’t kid yourself into thinking a logjam of UnderArmor All-Americans means Your Favorite U. will win at least one title in the next four years. I have two great examples which hit close to home, dear Buckeyes fan. First we have, Cooper, John; remember the talent on those OSU teams in the 1990s? Eddie George, Orlando Pace, Mike Vrabel, Shawn Spring, Terry Glenn, David Boston … I mean, that’s not a college roster, it’s an NFL All-Pro list. And it’s also ZERO NATIONAL TITLES. (Sorry, I know it still stings.) And secondly, we have Zwick, Justin, and Smith, Troy; Mr. Zwick came into Columbus with all the fanfare and ballyhoo of a can’t-miss quarterback prospect who would change the culture of OSU football, and Mr. Smith came in as the last player recruited. Four years later, Zwick was riding the bench and Smith was winning a Heisman.

The point is this: I don’t take all this recruiting news too seriously. If you use it to get you through the long, hot months of the summer before August camp starts, that’s great. But remember, it doesn’t mean jack crap until they strap it up in college

CHRIS SPIELMAN IS AWESOME

If you’re around my age or older, you first knew Chris Spielman as a linebacker and all-around awesomely insane football player. I remember my dad telling me the story of Spielman getting ready for a game by laying in his dorm room with a single exposed light bulb hanging above his bed, and Spielman just focusing on that light for hours. It’s unfortunate that injuries marred his NFL career to a point because the guy should go down as one of the best linebackers of all time. Regardless, he still goes down as one of, if not The Greatest linebacker in OSU history.

(Chris did a tremendous job profiling Spielman in OHD’s Our Favorite Buckeye feature.)

But as time moved forward, we saw another side of Chris Spielman, a husband and father. We all know the Spielman family’s struggle with cancer and the eventual loss of Stefanie to breast cancer. Now Spielman has written a book, “That’s Why I’m Here,” and he’s doing the media rounds. Thursday he was on with ESPN2′s Dan Le Betard; if you haven’t seen the interview, just stop what you’re doing and take the next eight minutes to do so.

I have a special, disgusting relationship with cancer. My grandmother, grandfather and aunt all passed away from the disease, my dad succumb to a brain tumor a little more than a month ago, and my son succesfully battled a Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma two years ago, so I know the disease all too well. I applaud Spielman for becoming a face for the crusade against cancer, for being a face to those of us who have held the withered, frail, tired hand of a terminal cancer patient. Spielman recounted Stefanie’s strength and his own anxiety over the scans and tests to see where the battle stood. I haven’t read the book yet, but it’s definitely on my must-do list for the summer.

But the interview wasn’t all somber. In fact, Spielman gave us one little tidbit to add to his “crazy man” legacy. During a game, and he didn’t specify whether it was at Ohio State r in the NFL, the opposing offense was running no-huddle and one of his defensive linemen told Spielman he was gassed, so in order to buy some time, Spielman stuck his finger down his throat and vomited on the football. Puked. Up-chucked. On. The. Football.

God, I love Chris Spielman for so many reasons.

THE VILLIAN MOVES ON TO ROUND TWO

I know I’m in the minority around here for being an NBA fan, but even if the pro’s aren’t your cup of tea, you may want to pay a little closer attention over the next week or so. Former OSU star Evan Turner and his Philadelphia 76ers pulled off the upset Thursday night, beating the Chicago Bulls in a 1 vs. 8 matchup. Turner had 10 points and five rebounds in the deciding Game 6, and he averaged 12.0 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists while played 34.6 minutes per game in the first round. The Sixers meet up with Boston in the next round, which begins Saturday.

Turner could be joined in Round Two by a fellow OSU’er, Mike Conley. In five games for Memphis this postseason, Conley is putting up 15.8 points and 7.2 assists in just over 39 minutes per against the L.A. Clippers. For a football school, having Turner and Conley make some NBA Playoffs news is pretty awesome.

SPEAKING OF THE ASSOCIATION …

There was a report in Thursday’s Columbus Dispatch about Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman sending a letter to NBA commish David Stern, explaining why Columbus would be a great location for an NBA franchise. While I would love to see an NBA team in my dear hometown, I think it’s a bat-shit-crazy idea. Already, the Blue Jackets are suffering at the gates, and yes, that could be explained away by severely lackluster results, but it just shows how tenuous a grip professional sports have in the capital city. Everything is second, and sometimes a distant third, to Ohio State athletics. Put it this way, if OSU football went through a three-year downturn of 6-6, 5-7 seasons, do you really think the attendance would dip below 95,000-100,000 per game? Would public interest suffer greatly? Nope. We love our Buckeyes, we were raised with our Buckeyes, and we will always love our Buckeyes, no matter what.

Maybe more importantly, what does this say about the Blue Jackets? It’s been well documented the team is bleeding money ($25 million in 2010-11), so could Coleman’s desire to land an NBA franchise be fed partly by a desire to have at least one tenant in Nationwide Arena should the Jackets hit the road or completely close up shop?

Columbus is big enough for two second-tier professional teams in the Blue Jackets and Crew, but it’s not nearly big enough to absorb one of the Big Three sports. While it’s a cute idea and it got me rather excited this morning when I saw the headline, it’ll never happen.

OFF TO THE WEEKEND

And that’s all I gots for ya, Hive-a-maniacs. But before I go, I’m gonna give you a song for the weekend. Check out “SSS” by The Avett Brothers. They’ll be in Columbus on May 19, and if anyone has an extra ticket, I’d be more than happy to mooch it off of you.

Alrighty then. Go forth and enjoy your weekend.

In the Hive

Good morning Hivers! It’s the second week in May and already it’s been an eventful month for Ohio State. Before I get down to business I’d like to take a second to do a little shameless self promotion. As you know, for the last few weeks, we’ve been running a series called “Our Favorite Buckeyes” chronicling the careers of some of the biggest name in Buckeye history. Well, yesterday was my turn to take a crack at the feature and I chose wrestler Kevin Randleman. Randleman is a two-time NCAA champion, former UFC heavyweight champion, and OSU Hall-of-Famer. His story is a fascinating one featuring incredible accomplishments (like winning the NCAA title with a dislocated jaw) and missed opportunities (like being declared academically ineligible for his senior season). Plus, there is a video of a guy getting straight up dropped on his melon. Who wouldn’t want to see that?

Ok, that’s enough pandering for page views for now. Without further ado, here’s all the news that’s fit to print (and at least tangentially related to the Buckeyes).

TP Back in the News
Maybe you thought that when Terrelle Pryor was hit with a 5-year “disassociation” from Ohio State, that would be the last we heard of him. Not exactly. Now an Oakland Raider, Pryor was featured in an article by Sports Illustrated’s  Jim Trotter. The article centers around Pryor’s unconventional rookie season and of course touches on the controversy at Ohio State. Speaking of the violations, Pryor says:

“The reason why I did it was to pay my mother’s gas bill and some of her rent. She was four months behind in rent, and the [landlord] was so nice because he was an Ohio State fan(Ed. Note from Dan That is an NCAA Violation if true). He gave her the benefit of the doubt and she said, ‘My son will pay you back sometime if you just let me pay you back during my work sessions.’ She ended up losing her job, and she and my sister lived there. Let me remind you it was freezing cold in November, December, and she’s using the oven as heat. That’s what I did as a kid. I was telling the NCAA, ‘Please, anything that you can do. I gave my mother this so my sister wouldn’t be cold, so my mother wouldn’t be cold.’ They didn’t have any sympathy for me. It’s not like I went there and bought new Jordans. It’s documented. Whenever I write my book the proof will be in there.”

Now, I’ll let you make what you will of the situation. If it’s true, then it’s a very sad story and bolsters the idea that college athletes should be entitled to more financially. Skeptics will point out that Pryor’s mother was well-off enough financially to buy him a Nissan 350-Z (2 years after he sold the pants). There are also the photos of Pryor sporting designer clothes and Burberry scarves. But the fact of the matter is, none of us will ever know. Myself, I’m not going to stand in judgment of Pryor as anything other than a football player (harmless jokes like the title of this post aside), because I don’t know him any other way. I’ll applaud him for incredible moments like Wisconsin his freshman year, 4^th and 10 at Iowa and the Rose and Sugar* bowls. I’ll also remember him for what could have been.

Lichter-Witter Retires
Yesterday, Ohio State lost arguably its most successful coach when synchronized swimming coach Linda Lichter Witter retired. It’s really absurd how successful Lichter-Witter has been. In her 17 seasons at the helm of the synchronized swimming program, the team posted a 671-18 record (.974 win percentage). Let me say that again SIX HUNDRED SEVENTY-ONE and EIGHTEEN. Urban, I hope you’re listening. Under Lichter-Witter, Ohio State was so dominant that it placed 1^st of 2^nd in the nation every single year.

The OSU Athletic department has more on Lichter-Witter:

“From 2000-2004, Lichter-Witter and the Buckeyes won five consecutive U.S. titles and Ohio State captured its fourth-consecutive U.S. Collegiate title this past March. Of the 11 U.S. Collegiate championships won under Lichter-Witter, eight were the culmination of an undefeated season, including a 40-0 record in 2012.

Additionally, Lichter-Witter coached 11 U.S. Collegiate team routine champions, as well as six solo, 10 duet and 12 trio champions at the prestigious event. In all, Lichter-Witter mentored 125 Collegiate All-Americans.

In 2010, then-senior Barbara Nesbitt became the first Buckeye in program history to win a U.S. Senior national title as a solo champion and this past March, Lichter-Witter coached another solo champion at the competition in Yuliya Maryanko.

Four student-athletes who swam under the guidance of Lichter-Witter are members of the Ohio State University Athletics Hall of Fame in Emily Marsh (Class of 2003), Becky Jasontek (Class of 2003) and Carolina and Isabela Moraes (Class of 2008). The Moraes twins became the first pair in championship history to win the duet title at nationals all four years and teamed with Mary Hofer to win the gold medal in the trio event all four years during the 1999-2002 seasons.”

Happy trails, Coach! And thank you for one of the most successful careers in OSU history.

A Few More for the Road
Buckeye benchwarmer turned blogger turned sportswriter Mark Titus recently sat down for in interview with former OSU center and NBA overall #1 draft pick Greg Oden and the resulting article was posted yesterday. I won’t spoil all of the details, but they touch on the injuries, the disappointment and the cell phone scandal. It’s great work and I recommend it highly.

Also, yesterday the ACC announced a new 15-year television contract with ESPN. You can read the details here. If this leads to more televised BC games (w/ Jim Bollman calling plays), then count me as a supporter.

The two began the match by feeling each other out standing up, but it wasn’t long before Randleman shot a double leg and drove the Russian to the mat. Fedor didn’t stay put long; he rolled to his stomach and stood up. Then, in an instant, Randleman locked his hands around Fedor’s waist, arched his back, and delivered one of the most devastating looking suplexes in the history of mixed martial arts. The move later dubbed the “Randleplex” by fans looked like it might have broken the Russian’s neck (for visual evidence, follow this link). Kevin Randleman had just won the biggest match of his career in spectacular fashion… only he hadn’t. An elite Judo player, Emelianenko knew how to survive a suplex. He tucked his head and rolled into the slam, allowing his shoulders to absorb most of the blow. Seconds later, the Russian rolled his challenger over and secured side control. He rained down blows on Randleman until the challenger raised his arm to deflect the blows. From there, it was all over. Fedor grabbed the extended appendage and applied a picture perfect Kimura (a submission hold in which the opponents arm is twisted backwards until he either submits or the limb snaps). Randleman had no choice but to tap. That was Kevin Randlemen the mixed martial artist in a nutshell. Spectacular highs followed by unbelievable lows. Incredible accomplishments, coupled with the knowledge that there could have been even more.

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves here. To get a better idea of who Randleman is, and why I  selected him as my “Favorite Buckeye” let’s travel back a little bit further to Sandusky, Ohio in the late 1980s

The Consummate Athlete
At a University like Ohio State with a large and storied athletic department, arguing about who the greatest athlete in its history is in exercise in subjectivity, and ultimately, futility. That being said, you would be hard pressed to argue that anyone was significantly better at their respective sport than Kevin Randleman was at wrestling.

In high school Randleman was a 4-year starter in football and made the state finals in both track and wrestling.

A native of Sandusky, Ohio, Randleman attended Sandusky High School where he accumulated a 122-11 record and captured the 1989 OSHAA state wrestling championship. In addition to wrestling, Randleman was a four-year letter winner in football. He was also a member of Sandusky High’s track team, where he qualified for the State Finals.

Wrestling is sometimes thought of as a sport where elite athleticism can often be thwarted by solid technique and hard work outpaces flash. The best, though, possess both. A state finalist in two sports, Randleman possessed the work ethic of an elite wrestler and the speed and explosiveness of a football and track star.

A Fast Start
Randleman’s first season at Ohio State exceeded all expectations. The redshirt freshman was the very definition of a phenom, racking up an impressive string of 42 victories including a 1^st place finish in his first Big Ten Tournament. Randleman would go on to put on an impressive display at the NCAA tournament. He racked up victory after victory, earning All American status and a spot in the tournament finals. In the finals he was matched up against Mark Reiland, a Junior from perennial wrestling powerhouse Iowa. The two had wrestled four times during the regular season, splitting the series 2-2. Randleman fell behind Reiland early 6-2. Then, with about 30 seconds left in the second period, disaster struck. Randleman, who was in the bottom position, attempted to reverse his opponent, but ended up getting stuck and put on his back. He was unable to escape and Reiland earned the fall with one second remaining in the second period. The loss gave Randleman a 2^nd place finish in his first NCAA tournament. It was quite the accomplishment for a freshman, but disappointing nonetheless.

It would be the last NCAA tournament match that Randleman would ever lose.

Building a Legacy
As a redshirt sophomore in 1992, Randleman was virtually unstoppable. He racked up forty two wins to go alongside zero losses and three draws. It is one of only three unbeaten seasons in Ohio State history. Randleman would win his second Big 10 title in a classic match featuring a blow-up between Iowa Coach Dan Gable and the Buckeye’s Russ Hellickson (which was the result of Iowa fans throwing debris on the mat after a controversial call). After the Big 10 tournament came the NCAA’s and a chance at redemption. Randleman opened the tournament with a flurry pinning Clemson’s Keith Turner and Oklahoma State’s Travis Gittins in 60 and 42 seconds respectively. Next up for Randleman was a Big 10 Championship rematch against Chelesvig. Randleman won another razor-thin decision, this time by a 3-2 margin. After the victory over Chelesvig, Randleman was left with only Steve Williams of NC State (the tourney’s #10 seed) standing between him and the finals. It was another tough match, but Randleman would pull out a 4-2 decision, earning his second consecutive NCAA finals appearance. To earn his first national championship, Randleman would have to go through #5-seed Corey Olson of Nebraska who was fresh off of a semifinal victory over #1-seed Rich Powers. One year after being pinned in his NCAA title match, Randleman flipped the script and won the NCAA Tournament by fall at 3:39 of the first frame. More than a decade of hard work and sacrifice had paid off. Kevin Randleman was a national champion.

After winning a national championship as a sophomore, Randleman entered the 1993 season with a chance to solidify himself as one of the greatest wrestlers in Ohio State history. He was nicked up throughout the season, suffering injuries ranging from a broken jaw to a torn ligament in his knee (which wasn’t fixed until after the season) but finished with an impressive 27-1 record and a third consecutive Big 10 championship. Next up was the NCAA tournament where Randleman would put on one of the most courageous performances in the history of the sport.

There’s a lot of talk about toughness in sports. In fact, some time there is so much talk that it ends up getting tuned out. Well, I assure you that when I tell you that Kevin Randleman’s 1993 was one of the most impressive displays of toughness that I have ever seen in any sport, I’m not being hyperbolic.  Randleman entered the tournament as the #1 overall seed and he backed it up scoring an impressive first-round victory over Clarion’s Dan Payne. In the second round, however, things took an ugly turn. During his match against Central Connecticut’s Mark Frushone, Randleman suffered a dislocated jaw. The injury wasn’t caused by an illegal move, so if Randleman couldn’t get back on the mat within the allotted “injury time” he would forfeit the match and be eliminated from the tournament. However, instead of taking the easy and understandable way out, Randleman popped his jaw back into place and kept wrestling. The end result was a 10-5 victory and a spot in the national quarterfinals. Randleman was three matches away from the national championship and he would have to navigate the rest of the tournament with a severely damaged jaw. Every crossface, front headlock, and inadvertent blow to the face would no doubt cause excruciating pain. Randleman endured though, beating Kyle Rackley 4-3 in the quarterfinals and #4-seed Ray Brinzer of Iowa 9-6 in the semis. A finalist for the third straight year, only a rematch of the 1992 championship match against Nebraska’s Corey Olson stood behind Randleman and his second straight NCAA tournament crown. The match was much closer than their first encounter, but Randleman was able to pull off the 5-2 win and become the first 2-time national champion in the history of Ohio State wrestling.

Take a look at the video below for highlights of the match and some details on the injury:

What Was and What Might Have Been
The major source of frustration for those who have followed Randleman’s career is that despite how much he accomplished, and he accomplished more than almost anyone in the history of the program, he could have accomplished more. Randleman’s senior season was the first example of this phenomenon rearing its head. A two-time national champion going into his final season, Randleman had a chance to join an elite group of three-time champions . However, Randleman’s swan song as an Ohio State athlete ended before it had the chance to begin. Academic issues led to Randleman being deemed ineligible for the 1994 season, effectively ending his college wrestling career. In a quote from Bruce Hooley’s “Unforgettable Buckeyes” Randleman tried to explain

“I had a kid when I was young and there was a lot of sickness in my family with my mom and my dad. My family and friends always counted on me for strength. When you give so much of yourself like that, you sometimes spread yourself too thin. That’s what happened to me. I didn’t leave anything for myself and eventually I got to where I just couldn’t deal with that pressure any more. I had to walk away from wrestling… Eventually, I just stopped going to class and that’s how I wound up ineligible for my senior year.”

Not finishing his career is something that Randleman says still haunts him today, but despite missing his senior year, Randleman remains one of the most accomplished grapplers in Buckeye history. Randleman owns 2 of the 7 winningest seasons in Buckeye wrestling history (42 in both 1991 and 1992), the seventh most pins (13 in 1992), and the 16^th most wins (108) without having wrestled his senior season (his final ranking would likely be 3^rd if he completed all 4 years). Randleman’s .928 winning percentage ranks 3^rd in Buckeye history and his 382 career team points is good enough for 6^th. Perhaps my favorite Randleman stat is that of the 10 quickest pins in Ohio State history, Randleman owns four including the all-time fastest pin; a mere eight seconds. Randleman was inducted into the Ohio State hall of fame in 2004 and his three-year stint in Columbus remains one of the most successful runs by any athlete in any sport.

A New Challenge
For a long time the only options for wrestlers after college were to tryout for the Olympics, go into coaching, or get a “real” job. However, in the early 1990s, a new opportunity appeared: Mixed Martial Arts.

Randleman got his start in the small, now-defunct Universal Vale Tudo Fighting league. Mark Coleman, one of Randleman’s coaches at OSU (and a national champion himself) offered Randleman a professional fight in Brazil. Randleman took the fight (on 24 days notice with no formal MMA training) and just like that a career began.  His first event was UV4 in October of 1996 and he used the event to announce his presence with authority. Back in the early days of MMA, tournaments were commonplace. These would involve a fighter having to endure as many as three fights in the same today (now regulations limit fighters to one bout per day and lengthy waiting periods between fights are often mandated). At UV4, Randleman would have three fights; first against Luis Carlos Maciel and then Geza Kalman and Dan Bobish. He would win all three fights by first round stoppage (two submissions and one TKO. Randleman would go on to post a 6-2 record in UVF with all but one victory coming by way of submission or TKO.

In March of 1999, just over three years after his professional debut, Randleman earned a shot in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The event was UFC 19: Ultimate Young Guns and his opponent was Maurice Smith. Smith was fresh off of an upset victory over Mark Coleman. Smith used his leg kicks to keep the wrestler at a distance and hand him his first professional loss. Since Randleman and Coleman trained together (at the Hammer House fight camp in Columbus) and possessed similar skillsets, many predicted that Smith would be able to employ the same strategy to beat Randleman. As it turned out, Randlman’s speed ended up being the difference, allowing him to get close and repeatedly drag Smith to the ground where he could punish him with the patented Hammer House ground and pound attack. After 15 lopsided minutes of action, the bell rang and Randleman had earned his first UFC victory.

Kevin Randleman defeated Pete Williams to become the UFC HW Champion.

Randleman’s second fight in the UFC was a Heavyweight title match against Pancrease legend Bas Rutten. It was a hotly contested fight, but Randleman ended up on the wrong side of a controversial decision. It was a setback, but only a minor one. Randleman wouldn’t have to wait long to earn his second UFC title shot. Rutten retired, vacating the belt and the UFC decided to pit Randleman against Pete Williams, a stand-up savant from Ken Shamrock’s “Lion’s Den” camp. On the feet, Pete Williams was the more dangerous fighter, and Randleman had no desire to play the stand-up game. Instead he used his explosive takedowns and outstanding top control to pin Williams to the mat for the majority of the 25-minute affair. When the judges rendered their decision, it was a decisive victory for “The Monster.” Randleman followed up his title victory with a five round decision win over Pedro Rizzo. Next would come consecutive losses to a pair of UFC hall-of-famers Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture.

Crossing the Ocean
Randleman would have one more UFC fight, a win against Renato “Babalu” Sobral before moving to Japan to fight for Pride. Randleman opened his career with 3 straight wins over Michiyoshi Ohar, Kenichi Yamamoto and Murilo “Ninja” Rua, and followed that up with losses to Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Kazushi Sakuraba.

Riding a two-fight losing streak, Randleman was at a crossroads in his career when he faced Mirko “Cro-Cop” Filipovic at Pride FC – Total Elimination 2004. Cro-Cop was the most feared striker in the game, and his highlight reel was filled with images of competitors wilting under the force of his left high kick. Common sense dictated that Randleman’s only chance to win would be to take the Croatian kickboxer down to the mat and grind out a decision. Should the fight remain a stand-up battle, it likely wouldn’t last that long.

Well, the fight did stay standing up and, as everyone expected, it ended with a spectacular knockout at 1:57 of the very first round. Only it was Filipovic that was on the receiving end.  Expecting a takedown attempt, the lanky Croatian dropped his hands ever so slightly, leaving his chin momentarily exposed. Randleman seized the opportunity landing a perfectly placed hook, planting his opponent on the mat. Sensing victory just around the corner, Randleman pounced on Cro Cop landing a series of devastating hammerfists until the referee pulled him off of his now-unconscious foe. It was Randleman’s biggest win in his Pride career, and it would turn out to be his last great victory. I’ve embedded a video of the fight below:

Pride GP 2004 – CroCop vs Randleman by Lesalecon

After the Cro Cop fight, Randleman fought Fedor Emelianenko in the bout that I described in the opening of this article. As I said, it was a devastating loss and one that Randleman never truly recovered from. Randleman would go on to suffer three straight losses (including a rematch with Cro Cop) and endure a life-threatening battle with staph (click here for a very disturbing photo of just how bad his infection was). After the staph infection, Randleman was never the same. He would lose nine of his last eleven fights leaving him with a life-long 17-16 record as a professional (he had been 15-7 before the losing streak). Randleman had an incredible career as a mixed martial artist, but he was never able to evolve his all around game (see: striking/jiu jitsu) enough to compete with the new era of “all around fighters.”

A True Hall-of –Famer
As I’ve tried to convey throughout this piece, simply put, Kevin Randleman is one of the greatest athletes and probably the best wrestler to ever step foot on an OSU mat. There were situations that kept him from realizing his full potential: the lost senior season, the staph infection, the inability to adapt, but even so, what he has accomplished is astounding. He is a three-time NCAA finalist and a two-time champion. He is a UFC champion and he’s beaten up some of the toughest guys in the world. He has gone toe-to-to with guys like Cro Cop, Chuck Liddell, Maurice Smith, Pedro Rizzo, and Randy Couture, and more often than not, he came out victorious. I had the opportunity to meet Randleman several times (mostly at high school wrestling camps). He always had the time to talk to us 14-year-old aspiring tough guys and his message was always positive. Kevin Randleman is a world class athlete, a decent human being, and most important, a true Buckeye.

In the Hive

As has been discussed in the morning hive’s the past two days, the biggest story regarding Ohio State athletics over the weekend was the de-commitment of Alex Anzalone.  In many ways this story was overplayed by the media but it does bring to light an interesting issue in sports, the growing power of the fan.

Fans have always been an integral part of sports, without fans sports beyond playground games would not exist, but for most of history the power of the fan mostly consisted of being able to create an environment that gave their team a home field advantage.  Recent years have seen an explosion in not only the amount of media coverage that sports receive, but also an explosion in the different ways we get this coverage.  Fans now have access to not only the results and analysis of games, but also a large amount of information about the individual players, information that often goes beyond the field and into the players’ personal lives.

At the same time as this explosion in information, fans also saw an explosion in the ways they interact with other fans.  In the past sports conversations with other fans were done at work, at a tailgate, or at a sports bar.  Now fans can discuss their favorite teams and players on message boards, blogs, and various social media platforms.  The net result of all of this is that fans not only have access to more information but they have also seen an increase in their ability to impact the game.

With the growth of sports message boards and blogs, many people have become concerned  that things said on these boards could have an impact on teams and players.  This concern has been strongest when it comes to college recruiting where people worry that even the smallest thing could sway a recruit away from picking their school.  It is known that recruits, student athletes, and parents do read message boards and blogs but it has never been proven that what is said there impacts the decisions made by recruits.  Still, it stood to reason that recruits may be turned off by message boards/blogs that criticize them or current players of a school they are considering, though basing a decision on this would be incredibly stupid in my opinion.

This whole Anzalone situation provides solid proof that fans can have an impact on recruits.  While it is likely Anzalone and/or his parents had doubts about his decision before this past weekend, this incident does show that an innocent action by a fan can impact a recruit’s decision making.  While it is tempting to want to interact with players of our favorite teams, and in many ways the players invite this through their use of things like Twitter to broadcast information about themselves, we should stop and think about what we are doing.  Could our actions as fans not be received well by the player?  Is it cool to go up to a player we see on the street and talk to them/ask for a picture or will this action bother a player who just wants to live his life?  There is no clear answer to this, players obviously appreciate an enthusiastic fan base but when does that enthusiasm turn to harassment?  I don’t propose an answer to this, instead I just ask that we make sure to think about how we interact with players, or possible future players, as it obviously can lead to results that we did not anticipate.

Men’s Tennis Off to the NCAA Championships

As I mentioned last week, the Ohio State men’s tennis team earned a bid in the NCAA tournament and will start on their road to a national championship this weekend.  More good news came for the team over the past week as senior Chase Buchanan and sophomore Blaz Rola  were selected to compete in the NCAA singles and doubles tournaments.  Buchanan was named as the 9th overall seed out of the field of 64 in the singles tournament while Rola was named as the 14th overall seed.  The combination of Buchanan and Rola earned the top overall seed among the 32 participants in the doubles tournaments.  The singles and doubles championships will be held May 23-28 in Athens, Georgia.

Men’s Golf Earns NCAA Bid

The Ohio State men’s golf team earned a bid to the NCAA tournament this past week.  The Buckeyes will compete in the Ann Arbor Regional which will be held May 17-19.  There are thirteen teams in the regional and the top 5 teams will advance to the NCAA championships.  OSU is the 12th seed in the regional with Southern Cal as the top seed.  Purdue is the ninth seed and the only other Big Ten team in this region, despite hosting the regional, Michigan did not make the tournament as a team which actually makes having to travel to Ann Arbor for this pretty amusing.

In the Hive

Good morning and welcome to the Hive, Tuesday Edition! I hope you all had a wonderful latter part of last week and weekend. As Nate discussed yesterday, Alex Anzalone de-committed from Ohio State following the scandal involving sex offender Charles Waugh. Anzalone’s de-commitment is the second recruiting loss for the Buckeyes in the past week. The other, of course, being Hunt (NC) LB Lewis Neal. Obviously, players de-committing is never a good thing, but let’s not worry too much, Buckeye Nation. Even with the loss of Anzalone and Neal, this recruiting class is shaping up to be a top-10 to top-5 class in the nation. As it sits right now, there are roughly nine months until national signing day. I don’t know about you guys, but, prior to Neal’s and Anzalone’s de-commitments, I didn’t see everyone that was verbally committed sticking to those commitments­–including Ohio State commits. After seeing what Urban was able to do following OSU’s tumultuous year, I have full faith in him and his ability to get most of the recruits that he covets.

Now, let’s do away with all the negativity and get into some positive news, you guys. Neither the men’s basketball team nor the football team are in season, but players and coaches continue to represent Buckeye Nation well–for the most part. Don’t worry, Hivesters, “for the most part” isn’t that bad. Now that we have that cleared up, let’s get into the Tuesday Hive, shall we?

SIMON
Yesterday, senior defensive lineman John Simon was named to the Lott IMPACT Award watch list. Simon is on the trophy’s watch list for the second year in a row. The trophy is named after former USC and San Francisco 49ers stand-out, Ronnie Lott. Since 2004, the Lott IMPACT Award equally recognizes athletic performance and personal character attributes of the player. Past award winners include DeMeco Ryans (2004), Glenn Dorsey (2007), and Ohio State stand-out James Laurinaitis (2008). Simon is one of 42 members on the 2012 watch list. He was a semifinalist last season and 1 of 7 players to be named to both the 2011 and 2012 watch lists. Luke Kuechley, the former Boston College linebacker, won the award last season. The Tuesday Hive would like to congratulate Urban Meyer’s guy, John Simon!

BASKETBALL BUCKEYES: PAST AND PRESENT
This past week was a very busy week for some former OSU basketball players and head coach Thad Matta.

As most of you are aware–and equally as disinterested as I am–the NBA playoffs are currently going on. There are 4 former Buckeye ballers on the rosters of teams in the playoffs–Evan Turner (76ers), Mike Conley Jr. (Grizzlies), Kosta Koufos (Nuggets), and Daequan Cook (Thunder). Both Turner and Conley Jr. start for their respective teams, Cook comes off the bench to play about 10.5 postseason minutes per game, and Koufos has only played in 2 of the 4 Nuggets playoff games for a total of 24 minutes. So, obviously, Turner and Conley Jr. are headlining the former OSU basketball players in the NBA playoffs. Conley Jr. is having a very nice postseason for the Grizzlies. The PG is averaging 15 points and roughly 7 assists per game. Like Conley, Turner is also having a stellar postseason. The 2nd-year SF is averaging 14 points, roughly 4 assists, and 6 rebounds in 4 playoff games for the Philadelphia 76ers. Turner has helped the Sixers win 3 straight against the 1-seeded Chicago Bulls to now lead the series 3 games to 1. Take that, Joakim Noah. No more stupid dances for you, it appears.

Sticking with the trend of former Buckeye ballers: as I mentioned in last week’s Tuesday Hive (which I know you all read) both William Buford and Jared Sullinger threw out first pitches for a Columbus Clippers game this past Wednesday. A video of their attempted pitches can be seen here. Let’s just say baseball isn’t a likely career choice for either of the former Buckeye hoopsters.

Like Buford and Sullinger, head coach Thad Matta made news last week and let’s just say I like Matta even more now. Mark Titus’ book, Don’t Put Me In Coach, constantly portrayed Matta as a funny man and he didn’t disappoint Buckeye fans at a charity event last week. The 23rd-annual Pigskin Roundball Spectacular charity event took place last Wednesday in Mason, OH. This year it was headlined by Urban Meyer, Thad Matta, and assistant coaches of both the football and basketball teams. There were approximately 1,000 people in attendance and none of them left disappointed thanks to Matta’s humor and swipes at TTUN.

“Their new football coach calls us Ohio (as opposed to Ohio State),” Matta said on Wednesday. “The basketball coach calls us Ohio. … A reporter asked me one time, ‘Thad, how do you feel about them calling you Ohio?.’ I said, ‘My man, I’m 16-3 against Michigan in eight years. They can call us whatever they want to.’ ”

Thad Matta, you never disappoint and for that, the Tuesday Hive commends you! Seriously, guys, how lucky are we Buckeye fans to have head coaches like Urban Meyer and Thad Matta!? In my opinion, Ohio State has the best football/basketball coaching combination in America. It’s hard to argue that, but I’ve heard Ohio State haters attempting to do so and I just simply ask them to tell me a better combination. And once I tell them to think of a better duo, I add this to make my point.

NOT A GAME, NOT A GAME. PRACTICE!
Before I bid you adieu, Hivesters, yesterday was the 10^th year anniversary of the famous Allen Iverson “Practice” video. And for your pleasure, here it is.

As always, Go Bucks!