Jody Victor: Ohio State football student-athletes have started a student organization called Uplifting Athletes, joining other college football programs in an effort to make rare diseases better known. The first event will be a college football video game tournament on Wednesday, July 30, at Eddie George's Grille 27 in Columbus from 4-8pm. The event will raise funds for the Kidney Cancer Association and increase awareness for this rare disease.

The event will feature approximately 20 Ohio State football student-athletes competing head-to-head in a fun to watch video game. Buckeyes football fans will have a chance to meet the players and get autographs during the competition in addition to winning door prizes.

Uplifting Athletes is a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to align college football with rare diseases to raise them as a national priority. University chapters are operated by current football student-athletes and raises funds and awareness for a rare disease relevant to their team.

Admission to the event is $65.00 with proceeds benefiting the Kidney Cancer Association. Only a limited number of tickets are available. Uplifting Athletes was started at Ohio State by former Buckeye Matt Daniels ('08), whose father is currently battling kidney cancer. Ohio State joins Penn State, Maryland and Colgate in the Uplifting Athletes program. For more information about Uplifting Athletes and on purchasing tickets, please visit www.upliftingathletes.org.

Go Bucks!!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: A number of experts spoke out in an evening program presented by OSU's athletics compliance department to members of the Buckeye football squad last week.

The panel included Scottie Graham, a Buckeye running back from 1988-91 and now on staff with the National Football League Players Association; Anthony Gonzalez, an Ohio State wide receiver from 2004-06 who now plays for the Indianapolis Colts; Roy Hall, a Buckeye receiver from 2003-06 now with the Indianapolis Colts; and Will Allen, an OSU corner from 2000-03 who plays for the Miami Dolphins.

The group touched on a variety of pertinent topics, including the responsibility of being an Ohio State student-athlete, ways to succeed in the classroom and in life, avoiding substance abuse and gambling, and financial and other awareness issues when planning a professional sports career.

Go Bucks!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: Six different Buckeyes were chosen among the top offensive and defensive players to watch this season in college football when Ron Jaworski, Maxwell Football Club president, announced the 2008 Watch Lists for the 72nd Maxwell Award and 14th Chuck Bednarik Award.

The Maxwell Award has been presented to the outstanding collegiate football player in America since 1937 and is named in honor of Robert W."Tiny" Maxwell. The Chuck Bednarik Award has been presented since 1995 and is named in honor of Chuck Bednarik, a former University of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Eagle great. Mr. Bednarik is a member of both the College Football Hall of Fame '69 and the NFL Hall of Fame '67.

Named to the Maxwell watch list is senior quarterback Todd Boeckman, senior wide receiver Brian Robiskie and junior running back Chris Wells. Senior linebackers Marcus Freeman and James Laurinaitis joined senior cornerback Malcolm Jenkins on the Bednarik watch list.

Semifinalists for the Maxwell and Bednarik Awards will be announced in early November and three finalists for each award will be announced November 25. The winners of the 2008 Maxwell and Bednarik Awards will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show in December. The formal presentation of these awards will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala hosted by Harrah's Entertainment Atlantic City March 6, 2009.

Go Bucks!!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: Marcus Freeman and James Laurinaitis, both senior linebackers on the Ohio State football team, spoke to a group of Columbus youth last Friday on campus at Evans Laboratory.

Freeman, who graduated in December 2007, and Laurinaitis, scheduled to complete his degree in June 2009, served as featured speakers during Ohio State's National Youth in Sports Program (NYSP) career Day.

The leading returning tacklers on the three-time defending Big Ten championship squad emphasized a disciplined approach to schoolwork and leading a proactive life of humility and respect toward others.

The National Youth in Sports Program (NYSP) was a federally funded summer program for inner-city youth. The program is designed to offer youth a daily program to learn both life skills and opportunities to exercise through various sports activities on campus.

Ohio state was a pilot program and has been one of the nationwide university operations since 1968. Major federal funding cuts have been made in each of the last four years and in 2007 all federal funding for NYSP was cut.

As a result of the federal cuts, universities across the country have discontinued NYSP programs. In just two years, the number fell from 202 in 2005 to 49 in 2007 and continues to drop.

Ohio State has taken near full financial responsibility to continue NYSP as a free program for Columbus youth in 2008 and beyond. Starting next year, the program will be renamed "LIFE Sports" at Ohio State. OSU's aim is to be the flagship program for universities across the country to continue their NYSP programs as a part of LIFE Sports.

The 2008 NYSP camp started June 9 and concludes July 3 with a morning track and field copetition at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: The Greater Augusta Sports Council announced June 12 their pre-season watch list for the 2008 Ray Guy Award, which identifies the nation's top collegiate punter. The pre-season list is comprised of the top non-graduating finalists from the previous year. The 2008 pre-season list is headed up by Cincinnati Bearcat punter Kevin Huber, who was a Ray Guy Award top-3 finalist last year.

Former Georgia Tech punter Durant Brooks won the award in 2007. Brooks was the only punter selected in the 2008 NFL draft, where he was taken in the sixth round by the Washington Redskins. He looks to follow the success of 2006 and 2004 winner Daniel Sepulveda (Baylor), who is making a name for himself with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and 2005 winner Ryan Plackemeier (Wake Forest) of the Seatle Seahawks.

A. J. Trapasso (Ohio State) - was recognized in 2007 as the Big Ten special-teams player of the week after the Buckeyes played Michigan State. 19 of his 50 punts were downed inside the 20, his net punting average was 38.46 yards, and 66% of his punts could not be returned. He finished the season with 2,049 punting yards.

The Ray Guy Award watch-list will be expanded after the start of the season. The list will be narrowed to ten semi-finalists early in November. The national voting body will then vote for the top three finalists, who will be announced in late November. The winner will be announced live during the ESPNU-Home Depot College Football awards show on December 11, 2008.

GO BUCKS!!!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: Twenty-six of the nation's top senior college quarterbacks have made the first cut to be considered for the 2008 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, presented by Transamerica Insurance and Investment Group, a leading provider of innovative business and personal financial services.

The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award is presented annually to the nation's top senior collegiate quarterback, by the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation, Inc. This prestigious award bears the name of who many refer to as the finest quarterback to ever play the game of football. Established in 1987, the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award has previously honored 20 outstanding young men.

Among that prestigious group of quarterbacks is Ohio State's own Todd Boeckman. The award takes into consideration his impressive collegiate career to this point, as well as his off-the-field values of good character, citizenship, scholastic achievement, and strong leadership qualities.

The 2008 winner will be presented with the award on December 5th at the Tremont Grand Meeting & Banquet Facility, in downtown Baltimore, Maryland.

Go Bucks!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: Ohio State wide receiver Brian Robiskie is one of three male finalists for the 2008 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar of the Year award, announced by Diverse: Issues In Higher Education magazine. He finished as second runner-up for the male Sports Scholar of the Year award, the first time an Ohio State student-athlete has been a finalist since the national awards program began 15 years ago.

A Biletnikoff Award semifinalist in 2007 for the Big Ten champions, Robiskie led the Buckeyes in receiving with 55 carches for 935 yards and 11 touchdowns. A first team Academic All-American, the junior from Cleveland holds a 3.44 grade-point average in marketing.

Diverse: Issues In Higher Education established the Sports Scholars Awards in 1992 to honor the legendary Arthur Ashe Jr. and his commitment to social justice, education and sports.  Each year, the nation's colleges and universities nominate their outstanding minority student-athletes and the winning top male and female student-athletes are profiled in a special issue.

The male winner from more than 500 nominees nationwide was Hampton football senior Marcus Dixon. First runner-up was Cliff Hammonds, a senior basketball and track performer form Clemson. China-born tennis standout Momei Qu of Illinois was the female winner. Other female finalists were Sarah-Jo Lawrence (basketball, George Washinton) and Jessica Young (soccer, UMBC).

Go Bucks!!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: Miles Avery, Ohio State men's gymnastics head coach and personal coach for Paul and Morgan Hamm and Blaine Wilson, was awarded the 2008 USA Gymnastics Coach of the Year honor after a vote by his peers at the 2008 VISA Championships last weekend in Houston.

Aside from coaching the Buckeyes to their 22nd-consecutive Top 3 finish in the Big Ten in 2008, Avery spent the year working to get the Hamm twins back to world-class caliber after they took two and a half years off from the sport to finish their undergraduate degrees at Ohio State.

A native of Philadelphia, Avery served as an assistant coach for the US Olympic Team in 1996, 200 and 2004. Those squads posted the US's highest finishes in a full, non-boycotted Olympics, including garnering a team silver medal in Athens in 2004. Three members of the 2004 Olympic Team, Paul and Morgan Hamm and Wilson, as well as team alternate and former Buckeye Raj Bhavsar (2000-03), trained with Aver in Columbus leading up to the Games. Paul went on to claim the all-around title, the first US male in history to do so.

Congratulations! Go Bucks!!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: Sophomore second baseman Cory Kovanda was selected to the 2008 Big Ten Conference all-tournament team. The Columbus, Ohio native and Worthington Kilbourne H.S. grad hit .429 and scored three runs during the tournament.

Kovanda had one hit and scored a run in the Buckeyes' opening game, 3-2, loss to Illinois. He followed that with two hits, two runs scored and an RBI in the extra-inning, 10-8 loss to Indiana. His sacrifice fly in the eighth inning of the Indiana game scored Justin Miller and tied the game at 8-all. The Hoosiers won it with two runs in the 10th. The Buckeyes were eliminated from the tournament after the Indiana loss and concluded their season with a 30-26 record.

Kovanda was one of eight every day players for the Buckeyes to hit at least .300 this season. His .324 batting average was third-best on the team. His 45 runs scored ranked second and he led the team with 37 bases on balls.

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: The New York Times published a story about Ohio State's first football game played vs. Ohio Wesleyan May 3, 1890 in Delaware, Ohio. Ohio State defeated Ohio Wesleyan, 20-14.

Saturday, May 3rd, the two schools held a celebration to unveil an historical marker on the Ohio Wesleyan campus commemorating the game. Below is the story that ran in the Times.

On May 3, 1890, a group of Ohio State students rose early, boarded their horse-drawn wagons and made the 20-mile trip along the Olentangy River from Columbus to Delaware, the home of Ohio Wesleyan University, to play what that day's Delaware Gazette described as "the first game of Rugby foot ball."

Ohio State and Ohio Wesleyan now occupy opposite ends of the college football spectrum. The Buckeyes, whose Columbus campus has an enrollment in excess of 52,000, play in a stadium that seats more than 100,000 and field a team of players with NFL aspirations. The Battling Bishops who draw from a student body of 1,850, play in a stadium less than a tenth the size and offer no football scholarships. But the universities' football programs began together on that spring morning 118 years ago.

The site of that first game was a mystery until last year, when Dick Gordin, a former Ohio Wesleyan athletic director who has studied the history of the university's sports teams, uncovered a letter written by one player in that 1890 game, describing the playing field near a creek called Delaware Run. This weekend, Ohio Wesleyan has scheduled a ceremony to install an historical marker at the site, with dignitaries from both universities attending.

"Ohio Wesleyan, as the first team Ohio State played, is extremely important to our football history," said Archie Griffin, the Buckeyes' two-time Heisman Trophy winner, who was scheduled to attend the dedication. "They really got it started for Ohio State."

The teams played for the final time in 1932, when Ohio State won, 34-7, ending the series with 26-2-1 advantage. By then, the Buckeyes were playing Michigan and Wisconsin, and the Battling Bishops were playing Wittenberg and DePauw.

Ohio Wesleyan was an important part of the early days of college football. In 1897, it gave Fielding Yost, a founding father of the sport, his first coaching job. In 1906, it was a charter member of the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States (later named the National Collegiate Athletic Association). Ohio Wesleyan has played Ohio State more than any other Ohio team.

"The two schools both started out as Midwest football powers in the late 19th century, early 20th century," Roger Ingles, the athletic director at Ohio Wesleyan, said. "The first game that Ohio State ever played was at Ohio Wesleyan, and we were the first visiting team to play at Ohio Stadium in 1922. A lot of our past has been intertwined."

At that first game in 1890, the ball was round, forward passes were outlawed, touchdowns were worth 4 points and "goals after touchdown" worth 2. Wedges - plays in which players locked elbows and ran into each other en masse, often causing serious injuries - were commonplace. Players wore no pads.

Gordin said: "In those days, it looked more like a rugby game, where they have the scrums with the players down close to each other and push each other around, and all at once the ball comes out of there. The biggest problem was the number of injuries."

Those injuries - and professors' concerns that students should focus on their classwork - nearly prevented Ohio State's players from making that trip to Ohio Wesleyan.

"Faculty didn't want players leaving the campus," Gordin said. "For Ohio State to come up here and play was a big thing."

It was big enough that an estimated 700 people attended, watching from a hill overlooking the field. Ohio State won, 20-14, with four touchdowns and two goals after for the men of Columbus against three touchdowns and one goal after for the home team.

The Delaware Gazette reported aferward, "The game was a spirited one, and, from the interest aroused, it is safe to say that foot ball has taken a firm hold upon both students and citizens."

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: Buckeyes Got Talent is back! After its successful first run in 2007, the Ohio State student-athlete talent show is back for its second edition. Buckeyes Got Talent, which is organized by the Ohio State Student-Athlete Advisory Board (SAAB), takes place at 7 p.m. May 14 in St. John Arena. Doors open at 6 p.m. for an autograph session with the Buckeye student-athletes that will last until 6:45 p.m., allowing the contestants time to prepare for the main event.

Chairing the event this year is women's volleyball standout Danielle Meyer, a three-time All-Big Ten selection and ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America first-team selection.

Last year, the bar was set with a collection of dances from the wrestling and men's lacrosse team and a barber shop quartet performance by the men's cross country team, the competition's top 3 acts. This year, the 10 Buckeye varsity teams competing May 14 have their work cut out as they vie for the 2008 title.

The 10 teams performing at Buckeyes Got Talent include: men's cross country, football, men's and women's lacrosse, rowing, men's and women's soccer, women's swimming and diving, synchronized swimming, men's track and field and wrestling.

General admission tickets for the event can be purchased at the door for $5 with Ohio State student tickets discounted to $3 and no charge for children ages 6 and under. All proceeds from the Ohio State student-athlete talent show will be donated to the Boys & Girls Club of Columbus. SAAB looks to better its $1,300 donation collected for the organization at the event in 2007.

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: Football coach Jim Tressel and seven members of the Buckeyes football team were visitors of the Ohio House of Representatives last Wednesday in downtown Columbus.

Among the players in attendance were Kirk Barton, Dionte Johnson, Brett Daly, Andrew Good, Tyler Whaley, Dimitrios Makridis and Devin Jordan.

The players went on a tour of the house, including the cabinet room before heading in to meet former United States Senator John Glenn and Ohio Governor Ted Strickland. Ohio State President Gordon Gee also joined as the group sat and shared stories and spoke about their plans after graduation while enjoying a few laughs from Senator Glenn's jokes.

Governor Strickland added, "It is an honor to have all of you here today. Coach Tressel and his players always represent Ohio with class and character on and off the field and we're very proud of you and all your accomplishments."

After meeting in the Governor's office, the Buckeyes went to meet Jon Husted, the Speaker fo House of Representatives. Husted was an All-American defensive back at the University of Dayton and a member of the 1989 Division III National Championship football team.

From there the Buckeyes moved into the House Chambers as Tressel addressed the House of Representatives, introducing his seniors one-by-one and thanking all the guests, employees and representatives for all their support over the years.

Go Bucks!!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: One hundred eighteen years ago, the Battling Bishops of Ohio Wesleyan University and the Buckeyes of The Ohio State University met in their first football matchup on Ohio Wesleyan's campus in Deleware, Ohio. Fans of the two teams will meet again at 1:30 p.m. May 3 just east of Ohio Wesleyan's Phillips Hall at the site of the original 1890 game to dedicate a historic marker and celebrate the teams' respective legacies.

Presenters at the event will include Archie Griffin, two-time Heisman Trophy winner and current president and CEO of The Ohio State University Alumni Association; Jim Tressel, head coach of the Buckeyes football team; Gordon Gee, president of The Ohio State University; and Gene Smith, assistant vice president and director of athletics at Ohio State. Pep bands and cheerleaders from both universities will be in attendance, as well as famed mascots Brutus and the Battling Bishop.

The site of the matchup was discovered last year in a letter from Ohio Wesleyan alumnus C. Rollins Jones, class of 1892, who played in the first game against Ohio State in 1890. Written in the 1940s and filed in the university's archives, the letter described the site near the legendary sulphur spring and a small creek called Delaware Run. Ohio Wesleyan has faced Ohio State a total of 29 times - more than any other Ohio school in history - winning two and tying one of the battles. The Bishops lost the 1890 matchup to Ohio State by a score of 20-14.

The commemorative event is free and open to the public and also will be broadcast live at http://stream.owu.edu/. Parking will be provided free of charge at various spots on Ohio Wesleyan's campus. Attendees should plan to bring chairs and/or blankets.

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: Rain did not deter fans from setting an Ohio State spring game attendance record for the third season in a row. A crowd of 76,346 braved the soggy conditions in Ohio Stadium to watch the Scarlet team defeat the Gray, 20-7, in the 2008 Spring Game.

Brian Hartline caught six passes for 82 yards to lead the Scarlet offensivley. Taurian Washington had 71 yards receiving on four catches for the Gray's top offensive performance. Todd Boeckman completed 12-for-18 pass attempts for the Scarlet in the first half. He totaled a game-high 145 yars through the air despite throwing two interceptions.

Scarlet took an early 7-0 lead in the first quarter when Boeckman finished a four-play, 53-yard drive with a quarterback sneak into the endzone. The highlight of the series was a 48-yard pass from Boeckman to Hartline, who made the diving catch on the 2-yard line.

The Gray squad capitalized on a Ross Homan interception off Boeckman at the Gray 19. On the ensuing drive, Gray evened the score with 2:49 remaining in the second quarter on Washington's 51-yard TD reception from Joe Bauserman, making it 7-7.

The score remained the same until the last three seconds of the half. Scarlet kicker Aaron Pettrey connected on a 48-yard attempt to give his squad a 10-7 advantage going into the locker rooms.

The Scarlet added to its lead with 23 seconds remaining in the third quarter two plays after quarterback Antonio Henton connected with Ray Small for a 30-yard completion to the Gray 3-yard line. Dan Herron crossed the goal line to extend the score to 17-7.

In the final minute, Scarlet tacked on a Mike Mattimoe 24-yard field goal (:41) to set the final score at 20-7.

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) announced April 9th, the members of the 2008 NFF Hampshire Honor Society, which is comprised of college football players from all divisions of play who each maintained a 3.2 GPA or better. A total of 433 players from 225 schools qualified for membership in the society's second year, an increase of more than 25 percent from the inaugural class in 2007.

Four Ohio State seniors were recognized : Brett Daly, Dan Dye, David Lisko and Dimitrios Makridis.

The NFF Hampshire Honor Society capitalizes on the NFF's current National Scholar-Athlete program, greatly expanding the number of scholar-athletes the NFF can recognize each year and further strengthening its leadership role in encouraging academic performance by the student-athletes who play football at the more than 700 college and universities with football programs.

Qualifications for membership in the inaugural NFF National Honor Society include: Being a starter or a significant substitute in one's last year of eligibility at an accredited NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, Football Championship Subdivision, Division II, Division III, or an NAIA college or university; Achieving a 3.2 cumulative GPA throughout entire course of undergraduate study; and Meeting all NCAA-mandated progress towards degree requirements. The National Honor Society becomes the latest component of the organization's efforts to promote combined athletic and academic success. Launched in 1959, the NFF's National Scholar-Athlete Awards program became the first initiative in history to credit a player for his combined academic success, football performance and community leadership.

Congrats to all!

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: A year removed from a loss in the national title game, Ohio State has a championship trophy to carry home. Never mind that it's from the NIT, Jamar Butler and his buddies couldn't care less.

Butler had 19 points and eight assists in his final college game, leading the Buckeyes to a 92-85 win over Massachusetts on Thursday night and prompting the victory celebration inside Madison Square Garden that they couldn't have last year in Atlanta.

The Buckeyes lost to Florida in the Final Four, but never dwelled on a snub by the NCAA selection committee that kept them from playing for another trip there. They dominated each of their four opponents on the way to New York, then had enough at the end to withstand every run the Minutemen could muster.

Kosta Koufos added 22 points and earned the tournament's Most Outstanding Player award. Evan Turner finished with 20 for the Buckeyes (24-13), who reached the preseason NIT title game but were run out of the Garden by Texas A&M.

The last of them made it 77-75 with 3:13 left, but Othello Hunter scored moments later and after Harris missed another 3 try at the other end, Butler drained a 3-pointer from the wing to give Ohio State some breathing room.

Turner took care of things from the free throw line over the final minute and a half, helping the Buckeyes wrap up the title.

"I've seen this team go through a lot," Matta said, moments before cutting down the net. "I'm happy for them."

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: Ohio State enters the semifinal round of the 2008 MasterCard NIT with a 22-13 overall record after wins vs. UNC Asheville (84-66) March 18, California (73-56) March 24 and Dayton (74-63) March 26. Thad Matta, head coach of the Buckeyes, will lead Ohio State against semifinal opponent Mississippi (24-10). Ohio State is the No. 1 seed and the Rebels are a No. 2 seed. The winner of the game between the Buckeyes and Mississippi will take on the winner of the contest between No. 2-seeds Florida and Massachusetts April 3 (7pm/ESPN).

The game with the Rebels will be the first meeting for the Buckeyes against Ole Miss. Ohio State is 28-25 in games vs. Southeastern Conference members. The Buckeyes defeated Florida earlier this year in Columbus 62-49 and fell to Tennessee 74-69 Jan. 19 in Knoxville. Ohio State faced the Gators in the NCAA championship game last season in Atlanta (L 84-75). The Buckeyes are 6-4 all-time in the Florida series and would meet Massachusetts for the first time.

Tonight's game takes place in New York City's Madison Square Garden at 9 pm -televised on ESPN2.

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: Ohio State enters the second round of the 2008 MasterCard NIT with a 20-13 overall record after a win vs. UNC Asheville 84-66 March 18. Thad Matta, head coach of the Buckeyes will lead Ohio State against second round opponent California (17-15). Ohio State is the No. 1 seed and the Bears are the No. 4 seed. The winner of the game between the Buckeyes and Bears will take on the winner of the game between No. 3-seed Dayton and No. 2-seed Illinois State. The third round NIT game will be played March 25, 26 or 27.

Ohio State is 7-9 overall in the series with California that was first played in 1936 and most recently in 1960. That last game decided the national championship, won by the Buckeyes March 19, 1960 in San Francisco, 75-55. The teams also met in postseason competition in 1946 when Ohio State won the Final Four third-place game vs. the Bears 63-45 March 26 in New York. The Buckeyes are 2-1 all-time vs. Cal in Columbus. The last game was played at the Fairground Coliseum Dec. 23, 1949, a 78-67 Ohio State victory.

Tonights game in Columbus at the St. John Arena will start at 7 pm. You can watch the game and cheer for the Buckeyes - televised on ESPN, the OSU radio network, and local radio WBNS FM-97.1, AM-1460.

GO BUCKS!!!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: Ohio State enters the 2008 MasterCard NIT with a 19-13 overall record. Thad Matta, head coach of the Buckeyes, will lead Ohio State against first round opponent UNC Asheville (23-9). Ohio State is the No. 1 seed. The Bulldogs are the No. 8 seed. The winner of the game between the Buckeyes and Bulldogs will take on the winner of the game between California, the No. 4 seed, and New Mexico, the No. 5 seed. The second round NIT games will be played March 21,22 or 24.

The Buckeyes and Bulldogs have met just once previously, a 93-59 Ohio State victory Dec. 4, 1993 in Columbus. UNC Asheville is a member of the Big South Conference. The Bulldogs enter the game with the Buckeyes with a 23-9 overall record after a 10-4 league mark, which tied Winthrop, the Big South Conference Tournament Champions and NCAA automatic qualifier. Ohio State is 6-0 against Big South teams all-time. The Buckeyes are 1-0 vs. Coastal Carolina and UNC Asheville and 2-0 vs. Radford and Virginia Military Institute. The Buckeyes defeated VMI 90-57 Nov. 25 at St. John Arena this season.

Ohio State is making its eighth appearance in the NIT all time. Overall, the Buckeyes have a 13-7 record in NIT postseason tournament competition. Ohio State won the event in 1986, 73-63 over Wyoming, and advanced to the finals in 1988 before a loss to Connecticut 72-67. The Buckeyes last played in the NIT in 2003, a loss to Georgia Tech in Atlanta (72-86).

But tonight Buckeye fans can cheer them on. The game is in the Value City Arena at 7 pm, televised on ESPN2.

GO BUCKS!!!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: The field is set for the 2008 Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament that will take place this week, Thursday-Sunday, March 13-16, at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind. Wisconsin (26-4, 16-2) claimed the No. 1 seed after capturing the Big Ten title for the third time in Bo Ryan's tenure. Purdue (24-7, 15-3) earned the No. 2 seed, while Indiana (25-6, 14-4) clinched the No. 3 spot. Michigan State (24-7, 12-6) claimed the No. 4 spot and Ohio State (19-12, 10-8) ended the season in fifth place in the conference standings, earning the No. 5 seed. Each of the top five teams receives a first-round bye and will start tournament play this Friday.

The 11th annual Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament will tip off this Thursday, March 13, with No. 8 Iowa (13-18, 6-12) taking on No. 9 Michigan (9-21, 5-13) at Noon EDT on the Big Ten Network. The second game of the tournament will feature No. 7 Penn State (15-15, 7-11) against No. 10 Illinois (13-18, 5-13) at approximately 2:30 pm EDT on ESPN2. The final game on Thursday will include No. 6 Minnesota (18-12, 8-10) and No. 11 Northwestern (8-21, 1-17) at roughly 5 pm EDT on ESPN2.

Day two will begin with top-seeded Wisconsin facing the winner of the Iowa/Michigan game at Noon EDT on ESPN. The Badgers are the No. 1 seed for the third time in tournament history as UW claimed the top seed in back-to-back Big Ten Tournaments in 2002 and 2003. Wisconsin will look to avenge its loss in last years's tournament final to Ohio State. The No. 1 seed has won the tournament only three times with Michigan State claiming the 1999 title, Illinois capturing the crown in 2005 and the Buckeyes winning the tournament last year.

The second game features the No. 4/5 contest at approximately 2:30 pm EDT on ESPN. Fourth-seeded Michigan State and the defending tournament champion No. 5 Ohio State will square off. The Spartans are vying to become the first squad in big Ten Tournament history to win the tourney crown three times, as MSU claimed the 1999 and 2000 titles. Illinois and Iowa also have two tournament crowns each. Earning the highest seed in Boilermaker history, second-seeded Purdue will begin tournament action on Friday at 6:30 pm EDT in the first of two games that will air on the Big Ten Network. The Boilermakers will face the winner of the Penn State-Illinois contest. The second day will conclude with No. 3 Indiana facing the Minnesota-Northwestern winner at apporximately 9 pm EDT on the Big Ten Network.

The Big Ten Tournament semifinals will take place on Saturday, March 15, with the first game beginning at 1:40 pm EDT on CBS. Game two will start 30 minutes following the conclusion of game one at approximately 4:05 pm EDT on CBS. The tournament will conclude with the championship game on Sunday, March 16, at 3:30 pm EDT on CBS.

GO BUCKS !!!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: They're calling it a Gray-Out Game. Fans attending the game tonight are encouraged to wear gray in support of the Buckeys against the league-leading Boilermakers.

Purdue, in a hunt for a title, travels to Columbus with a 23-6 record and a 14-2 mark in Big Ten Conference play. The Boilermakers are tied for the lead in regular-season conference play with wisconsin with two games to play. E'Tuaun Moore is the leading scorer for Purdue with 12.1 ppg. Two others average in double figures as well. Robbie Hummel (11.7 ppg) and Keaton Grant (10.7 ppg) have averaged double digits. Hummel is the leading rebounder for the Boilermakers at 5.9 boards per game.

Buckeye senior Jamar Butler averages 12.3 points a game in seven career meetings vs. Purdue. He averages 31 minutes a contest and has made 52 percent of his field goals (26-50) and 14 of 32 3-pointers (.438). In 19 trips to the foul line, Butler has knocked down 16 (.842). Butler also has the most rebounds among his teammates (18) in the Purdue series. Classmate Matt Terwilliger has faced the Boilermakers six times, scoring 11 points and grabbing 17 rebounds. Othello Hunter has four games under his belt. He averages nearly four points and three rebounds against the Boilermakers.

Ohio State began its final regular-season stretch run vs. Wisconsin Feb. 24, a 58-53 loss to the No. 11 Badgers in one of three home games ove the final five contests before the 2008 Big Ten Tournament (March 13-16/Indianapolis). The Buckeyes stand in the No. 5 position (tied with Minnesota) in the league standings with games remaining against two teams in front of Ohio State in the standings. The Buckeyes entertain Purdue (14-2) tonight and Michigan State (11-5) Sunday at home to close out the regular season.

You can catch tonight's game on the OSU Radio Network, WBNS FM-97.1 AM-1460, or Channel 161 on Sirius Radio.

Go Bucks!!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: Indiana has won its last three games and six of the last seven after going to the wire to win (85-82) at Northwestern last Saturday in Evanston, Ill. After a win at Ohio State Feb. 10 (59-53), the Hoosiers fell to Wisconsin at home 68-66 before wins in Bloomington, against Michigan State (80-61) and Purdue (77-68). Freshman Eric Gordon leads the team offensively with 21.5 points a game. He is followed by senior D.J. White's 17.1 ppg. White also tops the Big Ten in rebounding with an average of 10.4 boards per game.

Ohio State began its final regular season stretch run vs. Wisconsin Sunday, with a 58-53 loss to the No. 11 Badgers in one of three home games over the final five contests before the 2008 Big Ten Tournament (March 13-16/Indianapolis). The Buckeyes stand in the No. 5 position in the league standings with games remaining against the three teams in front and the one behind Ohio State in the standings. After taking on Wisconsin (13-2), ahead of 12-2 Purdue and Indiana, Ohio State travels to take on the Hoosiers tonight and Minnesota, currently sixth after a win vs. Penn State in Minneapolis Sunday. Ohio State then plays host to the Boilermakers March 4 before ending the season against Michigan State in Columbus (3/9).

Senior guard Jamar Butler is the most experienced Buckeye in games vs. Indiana. Butler has six appearances under his belt with an average of 5.8 points per game. He also averages 3.2 rebounds a contest in the IU series. Freshman Kosta Koufos tallied 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds in the earlier meeting this season. Classmate John Diebler scored 14 in his debut vs. the Hoosiers. Senior Othello Hunter averages 10 points and six rebounds in his two meetings vs. the Hoosiers.

Tonight's game at Assembly Hall will start at 7:00 pm ET. You can watch the game on ESPN or listen to the OSU Radio Network, or Sirius Radio Ch. 123.

Go Bucks!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: Kosta Koufos scored 18 points and Evan Turner had 16 for the Buckeyes (17-9, 8-5), but it wasn't enough as Michigan pulled away late for an 80-70 victory Sunday at Crisler Arena. It was Ohio State coach Thad Matta's first loss to Michigan in eight games.

Freshman Manny Harris scored a career-high 27 points and DeShawn Sims added 22 for Michigan.

Kelvin Grady also had eight points for the Wolverines (8-17, 4-9 Big Ten). Michigan has won three straight conference games for the first time since it registered five consecutive victories over a stretch in January and February 2006.

After Ohio State took a 44-43 lead early in the second half, Michigan blew the game open with a 15-5 run to build a 58-48 advantage with 10:42 left. The Wolverines had 3-pointers from Harris, Sims and Grady during the stretch.

The Buckeyes responded by scoring 10 of the next 12 points to cut the deficit to 60-58. The game stayed close down the stretch but Michigan was able to hold off Ohio State by hitting 9 of 12 free throws in the final 86 seconds.

Neither team could gain full control of the first half. There were eight lead changes and six ties, including 38-all at halftime.

The Buckeyes are back in action at 4 p.m. this Sunday against Wisconsin at Value City Arena. Be sure to catch the game on CBS.

Go Bucks!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: Ohio State is 104-44 all-time vs. Northwestern with a 62-14 record in Columbus and a 42-30 advantage in Evanston. The Buckeyes won the earlier meeting this season 62-51. The Buckeyes have won the last 16 games in the series, including the last seven in Evanston. Ohio State has won the last 24 in Columbus. All the recent Ohio State win streaks are the longest for the Buckeyes in the all-time series.

Jamar Butler is the most experienced Buckeye in the Northwestern series with six games played. He averages 9.0 points with an average of 33 minutes a game. In the earlier meeting this season freshman Kosta Koufos scored 17 points and grabbed 12 rebounds while classmate and Chicago native Evan Turner contributed 16 points. Rookie Jon Diebler also helped with 15 points.

Northwestern opened the 2008 Big Ten Conference season Jan. 2 against Penn State in Evanston. The Wildcats completed its non-conference schedule with a 5-4 record, including a stretch of four-consective victories to end 2007. Sophomore Kevin Coble leads the team with 16 points a game in 12 appearances. He also leads the squad with 5.8 rebounds a game. Junior Craig Moore contributes 13.6 points while freshman Michael Thompson adds 12.5 ppg. Thompson leads the Big Ten in minutes played with 36 a contest. Nine Wildcats have made at least two 3-pointers on the season with Moore leading the way with 68 made and 174 attempted treys. Ten Buckeyes have made a 3-pointer this season. Jamar Butler leads the way with 65 makes and 163 attempted.

Jamar Butler has played in all but one game in his Ohio State career, a total of 126. Senior classmate Matt Terwilliger has made 105 appearances during his career. The pair could go down as the winningest Buckeyes all-time and Butler is on pace to appear in more games than any other Buckeye in history.

Don't miss the Buckeye's game tonight against Northwestern at the Welsh-Ryan Arena. Game time is 9:00 p.m. ET on the Big Ten Network or radio WBNS FM-97.1, AM-1460.

Go Bucks!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: Michigan is 5-16 overall and 1-8 in league play heading into the game tonight in Columbus with the Buckeyes. The Wolverines have dropped their last five games after a win at Northwester Jan. 12. That win broke a five-game losing streak. Michigan is led by Manny Harris' 16.3 game. DeShawn Sims and Ekpe Udoh lead the team in rebounding with 4.8 per contest.

Ohio State four-year seniors Matt Terwilliger and Jamar Butler are 6-0 vs. Michigan in their careers. Butler averages a team high 7.7 points a game vs. the Wolverines and averages 33.5 minutes a game. Senior Othello Hunter, a junior college transfer, faced Michigan three times a year ago and owns the team lead with 4.3 rebounds a game.

Thad Matta, head coach of the Buckeyes, is 6-0 in the Michigan series during his tenure with the Buckeyes. Ohio State leads the all-time series 82-69 with a record of 47-26 in Columbus. The Buckeyes faced Michigan three times last season winning 73-63 in Columbus Feb. 6, 65-61 in Ann Arbor March 3 and in the quarterfinal round of the 2007 Big Ten Conference Tournament, 72-62 March 9.

Jamar Butler needs only four assists to reach 500 for his career. He will become just the second Buckeye to reach 500 helpers, Kelvin Ransey is the career leader with 516 from 1977-80.

You can catch tonight's game at 7:00 pm ET on ESPN or radio WBNS FM-97.1, AM-1460.

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: Penn State is 10-9 on the year and 2-5 in league play but have struggled following the loss of leading scorer Geary Claxton (17.5 ppg.) following a season-ending knee injury. The Nittany Lions have dropped their last five league games after opening the season 2-0 with wins at Northwestern and Illinois. Jamelle Cornley, a Columbus native and Brookhaven High School graduate, is the top scorer for PSU with 12.5 points a game. He is also the leading rebounder with 6.1 per contest. Claxton was pulling down 8.4 boards a game.

OSU senior, Jamar Butler has faced the Nittany Lions eight times over his career and has averaged 8.1 points in those games to lead the Buckeyes in both categories. Classmate Matt Terwilliger averages 4.0 points and leads Ohio State with 3.8 rebounds a game vs. the Nittany Lions over his four career games.

Thad Matta is 8-0 against Penn State in his tenure as the Ohio State head coach. The Buckeyes lead the overall series 20-12 with wins in the last nine meetings. Ohio State is 7-7 against the Nittany Lions at State College, Pa., and 11-3 in Columbus. The eight victories Matta has amassed vs. the Nittany Lions are the most vs. a single opponent in Matta's career. He has seven wins apiece vs. Dayton, George Washinton and Purdue.

Put all that together and it should be an interesting game tonight. You can watch it on ESPN or listen to the game on WBNS FM-97.1 and AM - 1460. Game time is 7:00 pm.

Go Bucks!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: Jamar Butler became the 43rd Ohio State men's basketball player to reach 1,000 career points - he led both teams in scoring with 21 points to up his career scoring mark to 1,016.

Butler also knocked down all six foul shots to up his school record streak of consecutive makes to 31 over the last 10 games. Butler has not missed a free throw since his first attempt of a two shot foul vs. Coppin State Dec 10.

In addition to leading the team in scoring, Butler also was the top assist man in the game vs. the Spartans with seven helpers. He is on pace to become Ohio State's career leader in assists. He has 466 and needs to average 3.6 assists the remainder of the season to catch Kelvan Ransey (516, 1977-80).

Ohio State had its two-game win streak in East Lansing broken with the loss. Thad Matta is 3-3 in the Michigan State series.

Senior Matt Terwilliger scored eight points and tied for the team lead with five rebounds over 21 minutes of game action. The effort marks the first time Ohio State has lost a game (27-1) when Terwilliger scores four or more points in a game.

Freshman Kosta Koufos blocked three Spartan shots to up his season total to a team-high 32 for the season. He is No. 6 all time in blocks in the Ohio State Freshman record books, Gerald Eaker (1994) is No. 5 with 36. Greg Oden owns the record with 105 a season ago.

Ohio State trailed the Spartans 32-11 with 3:54 to play in the first half but cut the lead to 39-36 at the 15:38 mark of the second half for a run of 25-7 over 8 minutes, 16 seconds.

Butler scored the final 14 points of the game for the Buckeyes on six foul shots, a pair of 3-pointers and a layup - the effort was the third of the season in which he scored 12 or more consecutive points in a game for the Buckeyes (15 vs. Illinois, 12 vs. Purdue and 14 vs. the Spartans).

Go Bucks!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: All-American linebacker James Laurinaitis has decided to stay at Ohio State for his senior year, he announced Monday.

Laurinaitis, a two-year consensus All-American, won the 2007 Butkus Award as the nation's top linebacker and the 2006 Nagurski Award as the top defensive player in college football. A finalist for the Lombardi, Lott, Nagurski and Bednarik awards this season, the 2007 Big Ten defensive player of the year set a BCS championship game record with 18 tackles vs. LSU. The junior captain from Hamel, Minn., led the Buckeyes with 121 tackles for the season.

"After a long thought process and strategic evaluation of the pros and cons of this decision with my close family and friends, I've decided to stay at Ohio State for my senior season to complete my schoolwork and football career.

"I know I can still improve as a player, and I know there is still much more for me and for the Buckeyes to accomplish. My love for this university, my love for the people of the state of Ohio, and my love for teammates and friends is so great that I want to stay a Buckeye for another season. You only get to do this once, so I want to take full advantage.

"There are a lot of things that money can't buy, and some of those things are the experience of a senior season. Going through those things with my teammates next year is what I look forward to the most.

"I received a lot of great advice from those close to me: my parents, close friends, former players and through prayer.

"I knew the right decision for me was to follow my heart and figure out what's important to me right now. That's the decision to remain at Ohio State, have a great senior season, and graduate with my degree in communications next year. I am very satisfied with that decision."

Go Bucks!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: Top-ranked Ohio State enters the BCS national championship game against LSU searching for redemptiom, hoping to buy the memories of an embarrassing loss in last year's title game.

"As much as you try to forget about it, there's no way of forgetting about it," Ohio State fullback Dionte Johnson said. "I can close my eyes and go through that game like I'm still there."

The second-ranked Tigers come into Monday night's showdown at the Superdome looking for validation, trying to prove they were indeed the team most deserving of a chance to play the Buckeyes for the title.

The winner will become the first school to win two BCS titles since the Bowl Championship Series began in 1998. The Buckeyes won it in 2002, then lost 41-14 to Florida as a prohibitive favorite in last year's championship game.

LSU won the BCS title in 2003, beating Oklahoma in New Orleans, the Tigers' home 90 miles south of Baton Rouge.

Ohio State (11-1), the Big Ten champions, and LSU (11-2), champs of the Southeastern Conference, have been two of the nation's elite programs over the past six seasons; the Buckeyes have won 66 games and the Tigers 63.

The Buckeyes say they've learned from last year's debacle. That they're more focused. They arrived in New Orleans less than a week before the game and have mostly hunkered down in their hotel instead of bopping around Bourbon Street.

Tonight's game will tell the tale. We'll be sitting on the edge of our seat the whole game!

Go Bucks! Go Bucks!! Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: Before he leaves Ohio State - after one more game or one more season - James Laurinaitis will undoubtedly rank among the school's top linebackers ever.

This astounds Laurinaitis. The son of a WWE icon, he still thinks of himself as a work in progress despite winning earlier this month the Butkus Award, given to the nation's top linebacker, and the Nagurski Award a year ago as top defender.

Laurinaitis, a two-time first-team All-American, is the face of the current Buckeyes. Quiet and unassuming, humble to a fault, he prefers to let his actions do the talking. He leads the Buckeyes with 103 tackles and is among the leaders with 5 sacks, 8.5 tackles for minus yardage, two interceptions and a fumble recovery.

Based on his background, not many would expect Laurinaitis to be so humble. His father, Joe Laurinaitis, was "Animal" from the WWE's Legion of Doom and Road Warriors. He and his tag-team partner wore "Mad Max" inspired spikes, face paint, tights and body armor theat several Ohio State fans wear as an homage to the player they call "Animal Jr."

Laurinaitis grew up in Minnesota and passed up a scholarship from his home state Big Ten school to come to Ohio State. His parents make it to most of his games. When it comes to expecting a lot out of him, James says his mom, a body builder, is harder on him than his dad is.

Laurinaitis has filed the paperwork to the NFL to get an evaluation of his draft status. He says he has no plans to leave Ohio State early, but all the mock drafts have him going in the top few picks as the No. 1 linebacker available. He just wants to see where he stands.

The immediate objective is the national championship game. Laurinaitis will likely be the center of attention when Ohio State's defense is on the field. He enjoys that; it's being a focal point off the field that still floors him.

Go Bucks! Go Bucks! Go Bucks!

Jody Victor