College Football Playoffs: The Semi-Final in the Desert
Richard Tongohan via our good friends at Men of the Scarlet and Gray
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Justin Fields and Trevor Lawrence in the Playstation Fiesta Bowl. Credit: Collegefootballnews.com

We are nearly 24 hours away and a collision course between the #2 and the #3 team in the nation. The battle in the desert will pit Ohio State against the reigning champion Clemson against each other with a championship game up for grabs.

This contest seems like must-watch tv and the stakes and pride are also up for grabs. For the Buckeyes, they are 0-3 all time versus Clemson with the two losses being fresh in the minds of Buckeyes fans across the nation.

The 2014 Orange Bowl ended in a Clemson comeback and the Buckeyes fell 40-35. In 2016 at the same venue in Glendale, the JT Barrett led team failed to score in a 31-0 shutout that hurt their credibility. The Big Ten has failed to score a single point in the last two appearances with the last time a point was scored, the Buckeyes won it all.

This is a game of matchups and the coaching should be the determining factor in the end, but the build-up has been quite one-sided. Every analysts and every talking head on sports outlets are giving the Buckeyes no shot to dethrone Clemson. ESPN has been killing the Buckeyes and FOX has went to bat for them, but opinions are only opinions. It is up to the Buckeyes to take care of business and shock the world once again.

I will be taking a look into the x-factors and matchups that make this game so exciting. There are many twists and turns, and there are many storylines that intertwine and make this matchup a great one.


Two former five-star quarterbacks, Justin Fields and Trevor Lawrence. Credit: 10tv.COM
Battle of the Five Star Quarterbacks


The Quarterback is arguably one of the most important positions in football and both of these teams have studs at the position. Fields and Lawrence took high school rankings and excelled. Lawrence has stuck with Clemson and being one of the stars on the offense. Fields committed to Georgia, played sparingly and ended up developing into a star at Ohio State.

Their paths will cross once again with an appearance in the title game up for grabs. Lawrence has been off, but he has carved up teams even though he turns the ball over. Fields has been the focal point, but he has caught a few licks and he is somewhat hobbled for the contest against Clemson. 80-85% is low but I don’t think he will be running a ton, but you never know.

This matchup will come down to the coaching and the overall team mentality when dealing with turnovers and executing. Both barely turn the ball over, but the body language will tell the story by the end of the game tomorrow.


Clemson Offensive Line walking out to the field. Credit: Rubbingtherock.com
Trench Warfare


For the most part, Dabo Sweeney’s pitch of Urban Meyer retiring came to fruition. He was the top rated player in the state of Ohio and he slipped through and spurned the hometown team to play for the Clemson Tigers. Fast forward two seasons, fate seemed to play a part and it pitted the teams against each other.

This o-line has been stingy with sacks and through the regular season they have allowed 1 sack per game and they are tied for 5th in the nation. For comparison purposes, Ohio State is ranked 94th in the nation allowing 2.38 sacks per game. To be fair, the competition and caliber of defenses they have faced is questionable, but hey, stats are stats and they could use the numerous slights as an added edge to disrupt this offense.

The Buckeyes and Chase Young thrive on pressuring the quarterback and ruining offensive game plans and they are tied for best in the nation along with Pitt and SMU with 51 sacks through 12 games, averaging 3.92 per game. Clemson is 22nd in the nation with 37 and 2.85 per game. Whoever wins in the trenches will win this contest. I sense a motivated Buckeyes team, especially at the line of scrimmage. I could be wrong, but I can feel that crazy look in the players’ eyes.


Dobbins breaking through the Wolverine defense on a career day. Credit: Jsonline.com
Underdog Mentality


Dobbins is third in the nation in rushing behind Chubba Hubbard of Oklahoma State and Jonathan Taylor of Wisconsin and it seems like he is the third wheel in this contest. Building up to the game, he used the “most disrespected team in the nation” interview and he might go off like Zeke did in 2015. As I stated earlier, this game, the build up and the hype–it is eerily similar to the 2015 run with no one giving the Buckeyes a shot.

Channel after channel, analyst after analyst–same saying. “Clemson will defeat the Buckeyes with a minimum margin of 14 points–easily”. The Buckeyes as you know overcame a slow start and won it all that year. This team has the horses to do the same thing, but the balance cannot be understated.

The Dobbins and Fields combination has worked and he will be leaned upon heavily with Fields being dinged up with a knee injury. So expect a heavy dose of Dobbins and passing.


Ohio State DB’s celebrating a turnover. Credit: Saturdaytradition.com
Best In America


In what was one of the most head-scratching moments of the season, ESPN said to pick on Shaun Wade cause he is the weak man in the DB rotation. What?! A projected first round pick seems to get picked-on as the slot corner, but he also holds his own when called upon. His pops knows of the slander and I am positive that bulletin board material is posted, but that is just one out of the two starters who weren’t mentioned. The other, Damon Arnette is the enforcer in the DB room and he might feel some way after not even being mentioned. Okudah will also come with the juice because he will fight for his brothers. It’ll be a battle, but it will be a fun contest of wills.

Jordan Fuller will look to be the eraser with the Linebackers in between. The seams have been the a concern and with the new scheme, we have seen less splash plays at the beginning of the season, but they’ve been coming more frequently the last three games. Is that concern? Maybe or maybe not, but they will be ready. Freiermuth really had a decent game and his size and speed were a factor, but this group of receivers should be a good challenge. Five stars against five stars will be something great to watch.

Matchups To Watch

• Fields vs Lawrence
• The Trench Battle
• Clemson WR’s vs Ohio State CB’s
• Dobbins vs Etienne
• Young vs Carman
• Ohio State LB’s vs Clemson TE’s
• Coach Day’s Lack of Experience vs Coach Sweeney’s Experience

Prediction:


I am honestly torn in this one. I want revenge, like 31-0 type of revenge, but I don’t know. The hype and the snubs won out in the end and I have a feeling Ohio State is the team peaking at the right time. The narratives and the disrespect will be the tipping point.

The Ohio State Buckeyes defeat the Clemson Tigers 45-35


#GoBucks




Continue reading...

Ohio State hangs tight at No. 19 in the final AP Poll of the season
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
Ohio State will head into the Big Ten Tournament as the fourth-highest ranked Big Ten team.

After a 1-1 week that saw the Ohio State Buckeyes both beat and be beaten by a ranked team, AP voters decided to leave OSU right where they are in the AP Poll at No. 19.

Thursday evening’s win over the Illinois Fighting Illini was E.J. Liddell’s coming-out party. The freshman forward, who was a two-time Mr. Basketball winner in the state of Illinois in high school, scored 17 points to go along with 11 rebounds in Ohio State’s 71-63 comeback win. That win deflated Illinois’ chances for a Big Ten title.

On Sunday, Chris Holtmann’s squad had an opportunity to do the same in East Lansing. The Spartans were looking to lay stake to part of the conference championship, and they did just that by beating the Buckeyes 80-69. Cassius Winston scored 27 points, as the short-handed Buckeyes didn’t have the (healthy) manpower to defend all of Sparty’s weapons.

Kansas once again reigned supreme in the poll, followed by Gonzaga, Dayton, Florida State (up from No. 7 last week), and Baylor.

Five other B1G teams appeared in the top 25 this week. Big Ten co-champions Michigan State, Maryland, and Wisconsin sit at 9, 12, and 18 respectively. Illinois, who also went 1-1 last week, jumped from No. 23 to No. 21. Iowa just snuck into the poll at No. 25, down 7 spots from last week after going 0-2 last week.

Check out the full poll below:

Continue reading...

Ohio State concludes a big weekend of recruiting visits
Charles Doss via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Three-star 2021 RB David Holloman | via @Dhollo33_David on Twitter
Columbus played host to a number of top recruits the past few days

With the decent weather over the weekend you probably missed out on your Ohio State recruiting fix. Don’t worry, Land-Grant Holy Land is here to get you caught back up with the some of the latest news surrounding the Buckeyes.

Recruits flock to Columbus


The sun wasn’t the only thing that showed it’s face in Columbus over the weekend, as a bunch of top notch high school prospects were in attendance as well. In town to get a closer look at what it would be like to play for the Ohio State Buckeyes football squad, Ryan Day and crew kicked off their spring visit schedule with a pretty solid list of recruits.

It might’ve not ended with any verbal pledges, but Day and crew had the chance to show some of the recruits on their 2021 and 2022 recruiting board around their potential future stomping grounds.

Want to know which recruits made the trek to the Ohio State University campus over the weekend? We’ve got you covered:

Four-star RB Donovan Edwards


Class: 2021

Town: West Bloomfield, MI/West Bloomfield

Size: 5-foot-11/190 pounds

Status: Uncommitted

Offers: Ohio State, Georgia, Michigan, Michigan State, Alabama, etc

Three-star TE Treylan Davis


Class: 2021

Town: Jackson, OH/Jackson

Size: 6-foot-5/215 pounds

Status: Verbally committed to the University of Cincinnati

Three-star RB David Holloman


Class: 2021

Town: Auburn Hills, MI/Avondale

Size: 5-foot-10/189 pounds

Status: Uncommitted

Offers: Boston College, Indiana, Iowa State, Maryland, Nebraska, etc

Three-star QB Lonnie White


Class: 2021

Town: Malvern, PA/Malvern Prep

Size: 6-foot-2/190 pounds

Status: Uncommitted

Offers: Boston College, Cincinnati, Georgia Tech, Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech, etc

RB Dillon Tatum


Class: 2022

Town: West Bloomfield, MI/West Bloomfield

Size: 5-foot-11/180 pounds

Status: Uncommitted

Offers: Ohio State (During visit), Florida, Miami, Michigan, West Virginia, etc

ATH Randy Masters


Class: 2022

Town: Pearland, TX/Shadow Creek

Size: 6-foot/165 pounds

Status: Uncommitted

Offers: Florida, LSU, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, etc

Quick Hits

• Four-star class of 2021 tight end Moliki Matavao took to his Twitter page over the weekend to let the recruiting world know his top 10 college leaders. Cutting things down from over 30 offers, Ohio State, LSU, Tennessee, Penn State, UCLA, Oregon, Michigan, and Washington made the list for the 6-foot-6, 240-pound Nevada native.
• Trimble High (OH) class of 2020 quarterback/safety Cameron Kittle has accepted a walk-on spot with the Ohio State football team. Now joining other instate preferred walk-on commits such as Patrick Gurd (New Albany), Kyle Moore (Austintown Fitch), Marvin Davies (Pepper Pike Orange), Quinton Burke (Lancaster), and Andrew Moore (Cleveland Heights), Kittle was named All-District and Conference after helping lead the Tomcats to an overall record of 11-1 as a senior this season.

Continue reading...

Moments that mattered: Ohio State’s 80-69 loss to Big Ten champion Michigan State
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
The short-handed Buckeyes battled hard, but this one slipped away in the final ten minutes in East Lansing.

Coming off a come from behind, knock down, drag-out victory over No. 23 Illinois earlier this week, the Buckeyes had a chance on Sunday to crush yet another team’s hopes of winning a share of the Big Ten Championship.

Illinois (20-10, 12-7) needed to win their final two games to collect a share of the conference title, but Ohio State was unrelenting, coming back from deficits of 11, 9, and 8, durnig that game to ultimately dispatch the Illini, 71-63. Kaleb Wesson scored 19 in the victory, but it was E.J. Liddell’s 17 points and 11 rebounds off the bench (both season highs) that sparked Ohio State (21-10, 11-9) to victory earlier this week.

Sunday provided a similar framework for Ohio State’s next opponent. With a win, Michigan State (22-9, 13-6) became part of a three-way tie for the Big Ten championship along with Maryland and Wisconsin. The three are “co-champions” and each get a B1G championship trophy.

It was also senior day on Sunday for Cassius Winston, the Spartans’ leading scorer and an all-time MSU great. Winston’s brother Zachary committed suicide in the fall, and Michigan State coach Tom Izzo recently said that coaching this team through the tragedy has been “the most difficult thing he’s had to do in his career.” Winning a conference title with this team and what they’ve been through would be an impressive feat, but first they had to get through the Buckeyes.

With a win, Ohio State would have entered the Big Ten Tournament as the five-seed and would play the winner of the 12-13 game on Thursday. With a loss, they would either be the six or seven-seed, depending on the outcome of Sunday night’s matchup between Illinois and Iowa.

While the Buckeyes punched back several times Sunday after falling behind by as much as a dozen, ultimately they were not able to corral Winston and his Spartans, as Ohio State fell 80-69. After trailing by six at halftime, OSU came right out of the gate in the second half and tied the game 42-42.

They continued to go punch-for-punch with the Spartans until about the 10:00 mark, but Winston and Rocket Watts, who combined to score 46 points, were too much for the short-handed Buckeyes. Saddled with foul trouble early, Ohio State did not have much depth to lean on with Kyle Young, D.J. Carton, and Alonzo Gaffney all unavailable. Because of this, the Buckeyes had to play defense less aggressively, and Michigan State took full advantage.

Duane Washington Jr. led Ohio State with 16 points. CJ Walker chipped in 14 as well. MSU was led by Winston’s 27 points, 6 assists and 4 rebounds.

What were the key plays from Ohio State’s loss on Sunday? Here are the moments that mattered:

Rocket Watts blasts off


With Ohio State leading 7-4 early, Michigan State went on a 12-0 run over the course of the next 2:12, including eight straight points from Michigan State freshman guard Rocket Watts. This early outburst gave Michigan State a 16-7 lead, forcing Holtmann to use a timeout at the 14:31 mark of the first half. Ohio State never regained the lead from that point on.

Muhammad’s trouble with Cassius


The matchup of Luther Muhammad guarding Cassius Winston was supposed to be a great one, with Muhammad being one of the best on-ball defenders in the conference and Winston being possibly the toughest guard in the conference to defend. Muhammad struggled right from tip, picking up two fouls in the first eight minutes, including fouling Winston on a three-pointer at the 12:29 mark. Winston hit all three free throws, giving MSU a 21-10 lead.

Dueling PGs


CJ Walker has really stepped up lately for Ohio State, averaging just over 14 points per game during their four-game winning streak. Winston has been doing it all season, averaging 18.3 points per game this season. Winston had 27 for MSU, while CJ Walker dropped 14 on seven-of-ten shooting. Walker’s coast to coast layup at the 1:00 mark of the first half pulled the Buckeyes to within four points, 36-32.

Tillman’s buzzer beater


On Michigan State’s final possession of the first half, with three Buckeyes collapsing around him, Xavier Tillman hit a fading, turnaround jumper at the buzzer to give the Spartans a 36-32 halftime lead.

Big trouble on the boards


MSU out-rebounded Ohio State 36-30, including 11 offensive rebounds. Ohio State had only six offensive rebounds. Michigan State also had 14 second-chance points compared to Ohio State’s nine.

The Rocket returns


After his initial outburst, Watts stayed mostly quiet until the 9:35 mark of the second half, when he hit a three and was fouled by Walker. He hit the free throw, completing the four-point play. On the very next MSU possession, he was hand-checked by Walker, drawing the foul. Already in the bonus, Watts hit both free throws to give the Spartans a 62-51 lead. Watts would finish with 19, his third-highest scoring output of the season.

Washington Jr.’s shot clock-beating triple


At the 8:37 mark with Ohio State down 11, Duane Washington Jr. hit a three-pointer with the shot clock down to two seconds. His shot got the Buckeyes back to within eight points while Michigan State threatened to blow the game open. Washington Jr. would end the game with a team-high 16 points.

Up Next:


Ohio State’s next game won’t come until Thursday in the Big Ten Tournament. Ohio State will enter the tournament as either the six or seven seed, depending on the winner of tonight’s Iowa-Illinois game. The times for these games are still to be announced. All games will be played in Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. The first two rounds will be broadcast on BTN.

Continue reading...

Ohio State men’s basketball vs. Michigan State: Game preview, prediction
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images
With the last regular season game upon us, the Buckeyes look to finish on a high note.

The No. 19 Ohio State Buckeyes men’s basketball team has certainly made a comeback in the last month, and this hot streak is the one Ohio State fans have been hoping for as the squad wraps up the regular season.

After a serious slump in January, which included one stretch where the Buckeyes lost six-of-seven games, Ohio State has emerged with a four-game win streak which has included three victories over ranked opponents and one dominant conquest on the road. With these wins in the books, the Buckeyes rose to the No. 15 spot in the latest NET rankings. All told, Ohio State has truly flipped the script from the early Big Ten season, now having won six of the last seven as the Buckeyes seem to have gotten hot at exactly the right time.

The Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament opens in Indianapolis next Wednesday, but Ohio State won’t start play until Thursday or (hopefully) Friday. That’s because the Buckeyes still have a narrow shot at a top-four seed and two byes, though they’ll need some help along the way to get there.

Now, the Buckeyes prepare for their final regular season game of the year as they hit the road to take on No. 16 Michigan State at 4:30 ET in East Lansing.

Preview


Ohio State’s recent win streak has proven that the Buckeyes can win the close game (e.g., Michigan, Maryland) as well as put away an opponent while maintaining a big lead early (e.g., Nebraska). However, what they’d yet to show recently was a true comeback win.

That changed Thursday when the Buckeyes defeated the No. 23 Illinois Fighting Illini 71-63. Despite being down 37-30 at the half, with the Illini leading by as many as 11 and holding a lead well into the second half, Ohio State surged late at home to secure the eight-point victory.

In Thursday’s matchup, junior forward Kaleb Wesson emerged once again for the Buckeyes, pouring in 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting. And once again coming off the bench to provide an injection of scoring for Ohio State was freshman forward EJ Liddell, who totaled 17 points on the night. Junior point guard C.J. Walker added 15 of his own, also off the bench, though 11 of those points came from the free throw line as Walker connected on just two field goals all night. Senior Andre Wesson played all 40 minutes for the Buckeyes, adding eight points.

Ohio State finished the game shooting 38.6% from the field while giving up 43.6% to Illinois. The Buckeyes won the rebound battle 38-31, and had 11 turnovers to Illinois’ 14. A crucial point in such a tight game, the Buckeyes shot 28 free throws (making 24) compared to just 10 for the Illini.

Additionally, despite the three-point shot having proven a critical part of Ohio State’s success thus far this season, the Buckeyes also proved they could win without the three, as Ohio State was just 3-for-15 from beyond the arc.

With injuries to forwards Kyle Young (high-ankle sprain) and Alonzo Gaffney (illness), it certainly helped that guard play has been outstanding for the Buckeyes in recent weeks, and that Liddell has stepped up to such a degree as he has.

Michigan State, meanwhile, is well on the verge of winning its third-straight regular season conference championship. That opportunity is surprising, given the overall strength of Maryland and the fact the Spartans lost four of five in the middle of February. However, Tom Izzo is not one to let his teams get down when it comes to March, as Michigan State hasn’t missed the big dance since 1997. Like the Buckeyes, Sparty is surging at the right time, with Michigan State jumping to the No. 7 spot in the latest NET rankings.

On that note, Tom Izzo has been at the helm in East Lansing since 1995. Through 24 seasons, Izzo has won nine Big Ten regular season titles, tournament titles or, on three occasions, both. Truly a living legend. Izzo has also taken his team to eight final fours, winning a national title in 2000.

On the court, Izzo once again has a superstar in Cassius Winston — the senior point guard who has stuck with the team despite an opportunity to enter the draft last season. Winston was the 2018-19 Big Ten Player of the Year and hasn’t slowed down in the 2019-20 campaign. In his final year in East Lansing, Winston is averaging 18.3 points per game, which is good for third in the conference behind Iowa’s Luka Garza and Minnesota’s Daniel Oturu. Winston has also been a threat from range, connecting on nearly 43% from beyond the arc — a Big Ten-best. Rounding out the point guard’s skillset, Winston is averaging 5.9 assists per game.

Xavier Tillman has also been a boon for the Spartans this season. In addition to his 13.7 points on 55% shooting (!), Tillman is pulling down 10.4 rebounds per game — also a top-three mark in the Big Ten — while averaging three assists, 1.2 steals and 2.1 blocked shots per game.

Overall, the Spartans are second in the conference in scoring offense, averaging just under 76 points per game on 46% shooting. Sparty also boasts the best field goal defense in the conference, allowing just 37.6% of all shots and a mere 28.7% from range. Michigan State is also tops in the conference in blocked shots per game (5.0) and assists per game (17.7).

While the Buckeyes’ recent win streak has been something to celebrate, Michigan State has been riding its own in recent weeks. After falling at home against No. 9 Maryland Feb 15, Sparty has posted a 4-0 record, with wins at Nebraska, home against No. 18 Iowa, on the road against Maryland (the Terps’ first loss and so far only loss at home this season) and, most recently, on the road against No. 20 Penn State.

The three recent wins in particular are feathers in the cap for Michigan State’s tournament resume, with the Spartans sitting as high as a No. 3 seed according to some projections. Of notable importance is the victory over Maryland which, like Ohio State’s win over the Terps, gave the Spartans a signature conference win. However, the one-upper in favor of Michigan State is the fact Sparty accomplished this feat on the road.

Prediction


ESPN BPI: Ohio State 27.4%

This afternoon marks the first and, obviously, only time Ohio State and Michigan State face off in the regular season this year. Per the usual, it doesn’t help that the Buckeyes are facing Izzo’s squad on the road, and Ohio State isn’t getting a ton of respect in the lead up to this game.

On the whole, it bears emphasizing just how loaded the conference is this season, and just how much Big Ten teams have beaten one another up. Regardless, up to 11 Big Ten teams (more likely 10) could make the 68-team NCAA Tournament field. That number feels right, since, in the latest AP Poll, the Big Ten had eight teams ranked, with Maryland holding the highest spot at No. 9. Michigan State has a lot to play for this afternoon, as Sparty is still actively fighting for the top-seed in the Big Ten Tournament.

For the Buckeyes, this afternoon marks a chance to end the regular season on a high note, but they’ll have to overcome an opponent that, so like themselves, is getting hot at just the right time. Additionally, they’ll have to keep playing through adversity, With Kyle Young day-to-day, and with freshman point guard DJ Carton still out, the Buckeyes have grown used to operating with a team that’s not 100%. Players like Liddell will need to continue to step up, not only today, but also with the start of the Big Ten Tournament next week.

LGHL final score prediction: 75-72 Michigan State

Continue reading...

I was carrying a full load, so that’s Ten Yards, (of concrete) And a Cloud of Dust, or, eighty-thousand pounds the hard way.

Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media

ScriptOhio said:

Just sayin': Would be nice if he could, but to take out Clemson he'll need a lot more than six 4 star recruits.

Four-star 2021 QB flips commitment from Alabama to North Carolina

On top of that, Maye goes to high school in North Carolina. On top of that, his brother, Drake Maye, played basketball for the Tar Heels.

Maye is rated as the No. 6 pro-style quarterback in the country. He’s also the No. 3 player regardless of position in the state of North Carolina.

With Maye’s commitment, North Carolina now has seven 2021 commitments, six of which are four-star prospects. That class for Brown & Company is currently sixth in the nation.

https://collegefootballtalk.nbcspor...commits-drake-maye-commits-to-north-carolina/

Click to expand...

Yeah I mean I’m sure he won’t start running the ACC but at least pulling off the upset could wreck their season given how awful the conference has been. He hasn’t been there long but if he can start getting some good QB play and put players in the NFL they might be more consistently competitive.

I just think he’s been a solid add to a pitiful conference vs the likes of Manny fing Diaz; I’m digressing.

HotMic said:

Does anyone have a pic/clip of the girl holding up the “nice” sign when they hit 69?

The commentary was great.

Click to expand...

The ESPN scoreboard graphic had not changed to 69 until after the sign was raised and at that point you cant see who is holding it on the broadcast.

BTW, Dick Furry is like a 1960 porn name.

Bucky32 said:

CCR, The Doors, The Byrds, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, in that order.

Also, it's funny how in many ways the Beach Boys are more appreciated in the UK than they are here.

Click to expand...

Login to view embedded media

Jerry Lucas, Mel Nowell, 1960 Champs Tell Stories, Talk Basketball



Four members of the 1960 Ohio State men’s basketball national championship met with reporters prior to Thursday night’s game between the Buckeyes and Illinois.

Sixty years after they made their mark, the 1960 team is being honored Thursday night as they are still the lone Ohio State men’s basketball team to win it all.

Jerry Lucas, Mel Nowell, Joe Roberts, and Dick Furry traded tales and talked about the differences in the game from when they played, of which there are many.

To a man, they expressed how close they were as teammates and how close they remain as friends today.

“I text these guys every week,” Lucas said.

When asked what it meant to them in their lives to win a national championship, Furry simply talked about the lifelong friends he made and still has.

The team still gets together when they can and two of the widows of former teammates take part as well.

And just as it was back in their playing days, Lucas led the way up on the podium. Directing traffic, but also knowing when to add his own two cents.

Login to view embedded media
Entire article: https://theozone.net/2020/03/jerry-lucas-mel-nowell-1960-champs-tell-stories-talk-basketball/

Login to view embedded media

Fungo Squiggly said:

Alice Cooper is an odd guy. He gets my vote.

Login to view embedded media
Actually, it's pronounced "mill-e-wah-que" which is Algonquin for "the good land."

Click to expand...

Login to view embedded media

My huge Bernie supporting daughter was telling me she wants Warren to drop out and throw her support behind Bernie. Asked her if she really felt that way, that the best place for a woman is supporting her man. She’ll eventually start talking to me again I think.

i know where Im headed in the morning.

Roderick gonna be a helluva transfer someday.

Bump just because