Jody Victor: There are two more Heisman Trophy winners that played for Ohio State. This is a tribute to them in memoriam.

Les Horvath - Horvath was the first Buckeye in school history to win the coveted Heisman Trophy. The Big Ten's Most Valuable Player in 1944, Horvath possibly was the most versatile player in the country during his time. He kicked, blocked, tackled, passed and ran OSU through its unblemished season and helped the team to a final No. 2 national ranking. He compiled over 1,200 all-purpose yards while leading the Big Ten in rushing (669 yards) and total offense (953 yards). By directing his team on the field, Horvath earned himself the nickname the "Playing Coach."

After completing his OSU career with over 2,000 yards of total offense, Horvath entered the Navy in 1945. He was a dental officer by morning and assistant football coach (to Paul Brown) by afternoon. Horvath continued to coach in Hawaii and won the service championship. After a three-year stint with the Los Angeles Rams and Cleveland Browns as a player, he returned to Los Angeles where he practiced dentistry. He also enjoyed coaching little league football.

Vic Janowicz - The 1950 Heisman Trophy winner, Janowicz is said to have been every player rolled into one with his great passing, running and kicking abilities. As evidence of his great athletic ability, he won the Heisman despite the Buckeyes' 6-3 season record.

During his junior season in 1950, Janowicz put together one of the greatest campaigns by an individual player in OSU football history. Accounting for 16 touchdowns and 875 yards in total offense, he proved he could be a threat on both sides of the ball.

One of his masterful performances occurred in a game against Iowa, in which he ran for two touchdowns and threw for four more in an Ohio State 83-21 win. He completed five-of-six passes for 128 yards in the Buckeye win and also set a Big Ten record with 10 extra points.

But perhaps even more amazing was the Michigan game, now called the snow Bowl of 1950, in which Janowicz kicked a 27-yard field goal into blizzard-like conditions. His kick is considered one of the greatest individual accomplishments in OSU history and perhaps sealed the Heisman Trophy nomination. His 21 punts for 685 yards set two more school records that day.

At the end of the season, Janowicz was named an All-American and the Heisman Trophy winner. In all, he had rewritten several records in the OSU football history book and forever put his name on its pages.

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: Heisman Trophy winners are a breed apart. Here are two more of the Ohio State 4 still living.

Eddie George - 1995 Heisman Trophy Winner - In '95, Eddie George rushed for 1,927 yards, a school record for a single season, and scampered into the endzone 24 times, the second most for a year of action.

He also recorded three of the Top 15 rushing performances in Ohio State history that year. In the early part of the season, George totaled 212 yards gained against Washington (9/16/95) before again igniting the home fans with 207 yards against Notre Dame (9/30/95).

The game that really got the attention of the rest of the nation was when Illinois came to town Nov. 11, 1995. Not only did he rush for a single-game record 314 yards, George scored two rushing touchdowns and added one receiving score. Add in 32 receiving yards and George's 346 all-purpose yards is the second most in Buckeye history behind the 354 totaled by Keith Byers at Purdue in 1984. His rushing performance, though, is what all but engraved his name on the Heisman.

Troy Smith - 2006 Heisman Trophy Winner - A gifted runner and passer, Troy Smith saved his best for last in 2006. The Cleveland native piloted the No. 1 ranked Buckeyes to a 12-0 regular season record and a spot in the national championship game as a senior.

With one remarkable performance after another, he threw for a school single-season record 30 touchdowns and became just the second quarterback in Ohio State history to post a 3-0 record against Michigan as a starter. In a see-saw 42-39 win over the Wolverines, Smith threw four touchdown passes and topped the 300-yard mark in total offense for the third consecutive year.

Following the regular season, the consensus All-American was a landslide winner in the Heisman Trophy voting, recording the second largest margin of victory ever in the balloting to determine the most outstanding player in college football.

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: A look back on the standout seasons turned in by 4 living OSU players. Here's 2 of them.

Howard "Hopalong" Cassady - 1955 Heisman Trophy Winner - In four years, Cassady helped the Buckeyes to a 29-8 record and their first of five national championships under legendary head coach Woody Hayes. Cassady also earned many individual honors including twice being named All-American, the 1955 Heisman Trophy winner and 1955 Associated Press Athlete of the Year.

In 1955, he rushed for 958 yards and 15 touchdowns. Cassady finished his college career with 2,466 rushing yards. A total that still ranks 10th on the all-time Ohio State rushing list.

Archie Griffin - 1974 and '75 Heisman Trophy Winner - In 1974, Ohio State tailback Archie Griffin became just the fifth junior ever to win the Heisman Trophy. In 1975, Griffin became the first player ever to win a second Heisman. Griffin, who in 2010 will celebrate the 35th anniversary of his second Heisman, remains the only two-time winner of college football's most-coveted award.

Griffin, now the President and CEO of the Ohio State Alumni Association, was the Buckeyes' starting tailback for four years, leading Ohio State to a 40-51 record and four Big Ten titles between 1972 and 1975. He started in four-consecutive Rose Bowls, the only player ever to do so, and was a three-time first-team All-American.

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: Ohio State Junior quarterback Terrelle Pryor and his Buckeye teammates are just a little more than a month away from reporting for 2010 football fall camp. With an exciting regular season looming in the near future, the OSU Alumni Association sat down with Pryor to talk about his demanding role as OSU signal-caller. The full interview can be read in the next issue of OSU Alumni Magazine. For further information, visit OhioStateAlumni.org.

Pryor's 2009 Season Highlights:

* Rose Bowl MVP - 72 yards rushing and 23-37 passing for 266 yards, 2 TD passes

* Archie Griffin Award (outstanding offensive player) from Ohio State coaches

* Big Ten all-academic

* Honorable Mention All-Big Ten

* 167-295 passing for 2,094 yards, with 18 TDs

* Ohio State's leading rusher with 779 yards

* Six TD passes and only two interceptions in last five games of regular season, all wins to clinch Big Ten title

* First 300-yard total offense game vs. Toledo in Cleveland, with 110 yards rushing (1 TD) and 262 yards passing (3 TD)

* 343 yards total offense in Minnesota win, rushing for 104 (1 TD) and passing for 239 (13-25, 2 TD)

* Rushed for 83 yards (1 TD) and passed for 135 (1 TD) in first half vs. New Mexico State

* Passed for two TD and rushed for another at Penn State

* 14-17 passing in the Iowa win

* Rushed for 74 yards and had a TD pass to Dan Herron at Michigan

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: (Sept. 26, 2009) - Ohio State defeated Illinois, 30-0, to retain the Illibuck Trophy for another year as tailbacks Dan Herron and Brandon Saine combined to rush for 156 yards and the Ohio State defense forced three interceptions and limited the Illini to just 170 yards in marking the team's second-consecutive shutout. It was the first time the team had back-to-back shutouts since 1996.

Illinois, 1-2 on the year, had won three of last four games in this series in Columbus, including a stunning 28-21 win over No. 1 ranked Ohio State in 2007. But on a gray, muggy day, the Buckeyes controlled the action despite just 82 passing yards. The team rushed for 236 yards to notch its third win of the season against just one defeat.

Saine rushed for 81 yards, two shy of his career best, and Herron rushed for 75 yards and two touchdowns. Both totals represented season highs. Terrelle Pryor added 59 rushing yards on a day where hew threw just 13 times and completed eight for 82 yards and a late touchdown to Dane Sanzenbacher, who had 36 yards on three catches on the day.

The Buckeyes led 13-0 at the half with all but a couple minutes of the half played in a driving rainstorm. Two Aaron Pettrey field goals put Ohio State in the lead, 6-0, and Herron scored from the 4 to cap an 80-yard drive midway through the second quarter to increase the lead to 13-0.

A two-yard run by Dan Herron and a 27-yard Pettrey field goal increased the lead to 23-0 heading into the fourth quarter.

A Buckeye fumble as the game was winding down was recovered by the Illini. However, on the first pass of Illinois' drive Hines picked off an Eddie McGee pass, his first throw of the game, marking Hines' first career interception. The Buckeyes drove 42 yards on the ensuing possession, ending with Pryor connecting on a three-yard touchdown pass to Sanzenbacker with 1:18 remaining. Illinois had one last chance to break up the shutout, but Rob Rose sacked McGee for eight yards on the final play of the game. More info at osu.edu.

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: Two Buckeyes, senior defensive lineman Cameron Heyward and senior linebacker Ross Homan, have been named to the 2010 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List, the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) announced Monday. The trophy is awarded annually to the nation's best defensive player by the FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club.

Heyward, who was a second team All-Big Ten pick last season, also has been named to the 2010 Preseason Playboy All-America Team and the Lombardi and Lott Trophy watch lists, among others. He led the Buckeyes with 6.5 sacks and had 10 TFL last year. Homan, who led the Buckeyes with 108 tackles and tied for the team lead with five interceptions, also joined Heyward on the Lombardi and Loft lists and was a second team All-Big Ten pick in 2009.

Players may be added or deleted to the Bronko Nagurski Watch List during the year. Each week during the 2010 season, the FWAA will choose a Defensive Player of the Week. If that player is not on the Watch List, he automatically will be added.

The FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club will announce five finalists for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy on November 18. The annual Bronko Nagurski Trophy Banquet will be on Dec. 6 at the Westin Hotel in Charlotte, NC.

Three Ohio State offensive linemen have been named to the 2010 Outland Trophy Watch List, the FWAA also announced Monday. The list includes 63 of the nation's top offensive and defensive tackles, offensive guards and centers.

Senior guard Justin Boren, junior center Michael Brewster and senior guard/tackle Bryant Browning are the three Buckeyes named to the list. Boren, who also was named to the Lombardi Award watch list, was a first-team All-Big Ten pick by the media in 2009.

The Outland Trophy, presented annually since 1946, is the third oldest award in major college football. The Outland Trophy is named after the late John Outland, and All-America lineman at Penn and Kansas at the turn of the century. The FWAA All-America Committee will select three finalists in late November and eventually the overall winner. The 2010 winner will be announced on The Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show on Dec. 9. The Outland Trophy presentation banquet, sponsored by the Greater Omaha Sports Committee, will be on Jan. 13 in Omaha, Neb. For more info go to osu.edu.

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: Two members of the 2010 Ohio State football team will be among 8,000-plus Ohio State students participated in Spring Commencement this past Sunday afternoon inside Ohio Stadium.

Offensive lineman Scott Sika and safety Aaron Gant will graduate after finishing their degree in four years and continue their playing careers on the field with the Buckeyes this fall in hopes of bringing a national title to Columbus. Sika will receive a degree in sport and leisure studies while Gant earned his degree in consumer services.

Sika is in the mix at both center and guard after playing in five contests in 2009 as a reserve lineman while Gant has played in 32 career games, making 23 tackles, battling injuries much of his career. The two have made it to a BCS game each year, including a pair of national championship games, while winning the Big Ten each season.

Perhaps more importantly than anything Sika and Gant have done on the field, is the fact that both of them stayed on the right track academically and finished their undergraduate degree in just four years, a great accomplishment for any college student, let alone a Division I student-athlete.

For both, playing football at Ohio State made them better students and put them in a much better position for life after football. For this article and more info go to osu.edu.

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: Ohio State junior defensive back Nate Ebner will have his mind set on winning a different kind of championship this weekend when he takes the field for the Ohio State rugby team at the USA Sevens Rugby Collegiate Championship Invitational at Crew Stadium.

A standout on the United States U19 and U20 rugby national teams and MVP of the Rugby World Cup in 2007 and 2008, Ebner did not play football while at Hilliard Davidson High School. After joining the Buckeye football team as a walk-on in 2009, Ebner recorded seven tackles and appeared in 12 games for the Rose Bowl and Big Ten champions.

During the Buckeyes' Rose Bowl run last season, the Dublin, Ohio native brought his "Finish Strong" motto, which he carried on from his father, Jeff, who tragically passed away last year, to the rest of his teammates who used the mantra as inspiration as they closed out the season with six consecutive wins, including a 26-17 triumph over Oregon in Pasadena. Not only did Nate learn the inspirational message from his father, but he was exposed to the game of rugby by him at an early age.

The inaugural round-robin event begins at 5:30 p.m. Friday as San Diego State takes on Florida. The Buckeyes face Utah in their first match at 7:50 p.m. Friday before playing in-state foe Bowling Green and Penn State Saturday. Indiana joins Ohio State and Penn State as Big Ten Conference schools with a team in the tournament. For this and more info go to osu.edu.

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: The 2010 winners of the prestigious Big Ten Medal of Honor, given annually to the most outstanding senior student-athletes at each conference school, will be announced later this week. Leading up to the 43rd Annual Scholar-Athlete Dinner, the 11 Medal of Honor finalists will be featured on OhioStateBuckeyes.com.

Jim Cordle was not just a three-year starter on the Ohio State offensive line, but a key component of the winningest senior class in Buckeye history, which captured five Big Ten titles, five BCS bowl bids, five wins over Michigan and a Rose Bowl victory. A starter for Ohio State at center, tackle and guard, Cordle, the pride of Lancaster, Ohio, graduated last December with a 3.27 average from the Fisher College of Business, earning repeated academic all-Big Ten honors. A tremendous team leader, Cordle made a lasting mark in his commitment to outreach, highlighted by his organization of a bowling fundraiser that raised nearly $20,000 for Special Olympics in his home Fairfield County. Jim is now a member of the New York Giants in the National Football League. For this story and more info go to www.osu.edu.

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: Ohio State's 2010 season came to an end with a split against Minnesota Saturday afternoon. The Buckeyes dropped game one, 4-3, and came back to win game two, 9-6. The Buckeyes wrap up their season with a 28-23 record, 11-13 in the Big Ten.

Ohio State retired head coach Bob Todd's No. 18 in between games as Todd will join Marty Karow, Steve Arlin and Fred Taylor as Buckeyes with their number retired on the right field wall.

In addition, it was Senior Day at Bill Davis Stadium for eight Buckeye seniors. Eric Best, Ryan Dew, Shawn Forsythe, Chris Griffin, Zach Hurley, Cory Kovanda, Cory Rupert and Michael Stephens were all honored before their final game.

Stephens finished 4-for-8 on the day with three runs batted in. Eric Best tossed three perfect innings, striking out four batters over his final two appearances as a Buckeye.

With the game one win, Minnesota clinched the outright Big Ten title and the No. 1 seed in next week's Big Ten Tournament. For more info go to osu.edu.

Go Bucks!!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: Ohio State hosts the Pitt Panthers in the Sixth Annual Columbus City Schools Day game Tuesday at Bill Davis Stadium. Ohio State is 27-21 overall and coming off an 11-6 win over Iowa in the final game of the three game series. Big East leader Pitt comes in nationally ranked and on the verge of one of the finest seasons in school history with 36 victories already. The Panthers took two of three games against Cincinnati over the weekend.

Ohio State and Pitt have met 18 times since the 1942 season with the Buckeyes holding a 17-1 edge in wins. Pitt's win came here at Bill Davis Stadium in 2006, 7-3. Ohio State opened its 2008 home season with a 9-1 win over Pitt.

Alex Wimmers struck out 15 and pitched his first complete game as a Buckeyes and the Ohio State offense totaled 20 hits in a 20-3 win over Pittsburgh last year in west Palm Beach, Fla. Wimmers' strikeout total was the most in a game by a Buckeye since Scott Lewis struck out 15 in a 2003 game.

Ohio State's 11-6 Game 3 win over Iowa Sunday represented the 900th Ohio State win for 23rd-year coach Bob Todd. He has 1,024 overall victories. For the rest of this article and more info go to www.osu.edu.

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: Ohio State will play its final non-conference night game of the regular season at 6:35 p.m. Wednesday against the Ball State Cardinals of the Mid American Conference. The Buckeyes are coming off an 8-4 win over Illinois Sunday, a victory that snapped a five-game losing streak and kept the Buckeyes from being swept at Bill Davis Stadium for the first time since 2007. Ball State, under the direction of Greg Beals, won its MAC series with Western Michigan, 2 games to 1 over the weekend.

Ohio State is in a tie for fifth place in the Big Ten with its 9-9 record. Michigan, Purdue, Minnesota and Northwestern are a game in front of OSU at 10-8. The Buckeyes are second among Big Ten teams with a .323 batting average and their team ERA of 5.04 is fourth.

Ball State, a three-time winner of the MAC Western Division under Beal, is a game up on Toledo in the division. The Cardinals are hitting .298 as a team and have a team ERA of 5.23.

Ohio State and Ball State have met 16 times since 1964 with Ohio State leading the series, 11-5.

Alex Wimmers has been named by the College Baseball Foundation one of 25 quarter finalists for the 2010 Pitcher of the Year Award. Wimmers, fifth at Ohio State all-time with 265 career strikeouts, is 9-0 this season with a 1.61 earned run average. He has 78 strikeouts and has allowed just 20 walks and 53 hits in 67.0 innings pitched. He also has two complete games. For the complete article and more info go to osu.edu.

Go Bucks!!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: The Buckeyes have their first Tuesday game during the conference season this week as they host the 36-7 and 10th-ranked Louisville Cardinals tonight at 7 p.m. in a game that will be televised on the Big Ten Network. The two-game series will conclude Wednesday with a 2 p.m. first pitch at Bill Davis Stadium. Ohio State is 24-15 overall.

The Louisville games start a season-long six-game home stretch of games. Illinois comes to town for a key weekend series and then the Buckeyes will entertain Ball State next Wednesday (May 12) in a 6:35 p.m. game.

The series between Ohio State and Louisville started in 1988 in coach Bob Todd's first year. Ohio State took two of three from the Cards in a season-opening trio of games in Louisville that year. In 1992, Ohio State won, 12-1, also in a game played in Louisville. Louisville has won the last three games to take a 4-3 lead in the all-time series.

Ohio State was defeated by Louisville twice last year at UL's very cool Jim Patterson Field. The Cardinals hit six home runs and as part of a 19-hit night in the Game 1, 21-5 win. Game 2 was won by the Cardinals, 12-7. All of Ohio State's runs were the results of five home runs, by Matt Streng, Zach Hurley, Justin Miller and tow by Michael Stephens.

In 2008, Ohio State and Louisville combined for 37 hits, 25 runs, five home runs and plenty of excitement as Louisville won, 13-12, at Bill Davis Stadium. Justin Miller led the Buckeyes with a career high five hits and five RBI. Louisville's Andrew Clark was 4-for-5 with four RBI and two runs and Chris Dominguez had a pair of hist and three runs scored. Both took part in a three-home run fourth inning that gave Louisville the lead for good after trailing, 5-2.

Ohio State dropped its second consecutive Big Ten Conference series, 2-1, at Michigan over the weekend. The team got admirable pitching performances in the wake of Alex Wimmers' tweaked hamstring on Friday. The reshuffled lineup limited the Wolverines to a .220 batting average and a 4.15 ERA for the series.

Tonight's game with Louisville will be replayed on the Big Ten Network at 12 a.m. Wednesday morning and again at 9 a.m. Wednesday morning. For more info on this and other games go to osu.edu.

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: Ohio State took a half-game lead in the Big Ten Conference race by defeating Penn State, 3-1, Friday at Bill Davis Stadium behind a record-tying pitching performance by All-American ace Alex Wimmers. The Buckeyes are now 7-3 in the Big Ten and 22-11 overall. Penn State is 2-8 and 15-22. Michigan, which is hosting Iowa this weekend, dropped both games of its Friday doubleheader and is in second-place with a 6-5 mark.

Wimmers, the terrific junior from Cincinnati's Archbishop Moeller High School, improved his record to 9-0 this season with a complete-game four-hitter that included 11 strikeouts. With the win, he ties the school record for the best start to a season that has been done only twice in 127 years of baseball at Ohio State. Doug Swearingen started 9-0 for Ohio State i 1982 and Scott Lewis opened 9-0 in 2003.

Wimmers, who is 18-2 the past two seasons, gave up two of the hits in the third inning - a double and a single - and they staked the Nittany Lions to a 1-0 lead. He also gave up a pair of two-out singles in the ninth. Wimmers did walk a season-high five batters, but his 10 strikeouts and scarce number of hits rendered that stat moot. The 10 Ks represented the 10th time in his career that he has struck out 10-or-more.

The Buckeyes came back to tie the score at 1-all with a run in the third. Zach Hurley led off with a double and he scored on Michael Stephens' two-out single.

Ohio State took the lead in the fourth on a Cory Rupert single and Matt Streng's RBI double.

Streng, a junior from Columbus and Upper Arlington High School, gave the Buckeyes some breathing room with a two-out home run to left field to increase a slim, 2-1, Ohio State lead in the sixth inning. It was the switch-hitting Streng's first home run of the season after hitting eight in his breakout 2009 season.

Penn State received a nice pitching effort from Steven Hill, who lasted 7.0 innings and gave up just three runs on eight hits. Hill walked three and struck out five. His record drops to 2-4. For more info on this and other games go to osu.edu.

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor:  Ohio State hosts coach Pat Bangston and the Akron Zips at 6:35 p.m. Wednesday at bill Davis Stadium. this is the third consecutive season the two schools have met on the ball diamond. The Buckeyes are coming off a 2-1 series win at Michigan State last weekend and enters with a record of 21-10 overall. Akron lost a MAC series to Eastern Michigan over the weekend in Akron and is now 15-19 on the season.

Ohio State and Akron are meeting for the 31st time in a series that was initiated in 1980. Ohio State leads the series, 20-10, including a 7-3 record for Bob Todd-coached teams. Bangston's Akron teams last defeated Ohio State, 7-3, in the second game of a double-header in 2008. Ohio State is 12-2 vs. Akron in games played in Columbus, a mark that includes a 4-2 record at Bill Davis Stadium.

The Buckeyes are in a tie for first place in the Big Ten Conference with Michigan after winning its series at Michigan State last weekend. The Buckeyes have won seven of their last 10 games. The team is collectively hitting a Big Ten best .337 (in all games) with seven every day players batting better than .320. The pitching staff has been on a role of late with another Big Ten best stat: a 4.65 team earned run average. For this and more info go to osu.edu.

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: Ohio State pounded out 13 hits en route to a 10-8 victory over Indiana Sunday afternoon at Bill Davis Stadium. With the win, Ohio State won the series and moved to 19-9 on the season, 4-2 in the Big Ten. Indiana dropped to 15-15, 3-3 in the Big Ten.

Buckeyes starter Dean Wolosiansky tossed six innings, giving up six hits and four earned runs while striking out three to even his record at 3-3 on the season. Theron Minium tossed the final three innings, striking out a pair, to earn his third save of the season.

Brian Delucia led the Buckeyes offensively, going 3 for 3 with four RBI and a run scored while Michael Stephens finished 2 for 4 with three runs scored and an RBI.

For the second consecutive day, the Hoosiers got out to the early lead and once again, it was Micah Johnson sparking Indiana offensively. The freshman singled to lead off the ballgame, advanced to third after a sacrifice bunt and a ground-out to first, and scored on a two-out RBI single by Alex Dickerson as the Hoosiers took the 1-0 lead.

The Buckeyes answered right back to score four in the bottom of the first, getting to Indiana freshman starter Walker Stadler. After Zach Hurley singled to lead off the inning and Cory Kovanda flew out to center, Hurley was erased on a fielder's choice by Dan Burkhart and that is when the Ohio State rally started. Stephens followed Burkhart with a single and Ryan Dew walked to load the bases with two out. Cory Rupert then hit a swinging bunt down the third base line and the throw to first by Indiana catcher Dylan Swift tailed up the line and allowed Burkhart and Stephens to score. DeLucia then followed with a two-run single to give Ohio State the 4-1 lead after one. For the rest of the game highlights go to osu.edu.

Next up, the Buckeyes travel to East Lansing to face Big Ten leader Michigan State for a three-game series beginning this Friday.

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: Ohio State hosts the Xavier Musketeers in the first night game of the season at Bill Davis Stadium Wednesday at 6:35 p.m. The Buckeyes are 1-0 at home this year, with a well-l=played, 4-3 win over Toledo coming last Tuesday.

Ohio State enters the game with a 16-8 record and a 2-1 mark in the Big Ten Conference after winning two of three last weekend at Northwestern. The Buckeyes continue Big Ten play this weekend with a three-game series against Indiana at Bill Davis Stadium. Xavier, under the direction of fifth-year coach Scott Googin, is 7-20 overall and 3-3 in the Atlantic Conference.

Ohio State leads the all-time series with Xavier on the diamond, 27 wins to eight. The teams have split the last two meetings: Ohio State won, 9-7, last year and Xavier won, 4-3 in 2007. Each game was played at Bill Davis Stadium. The only other meeting between Ohio State and Xavier in the 23-year Bob Todd era came in 2000 in Jacksonville, Fla., a 5-0 Ohio State win.

Ohio State opened its home season last year against Xavier after 24 consecutive "road" games. The home team defeated Xavier, 9-7, before a nice crowd of 689 fans. The win improved Ohio State's record to 21-4 - which tied for the best 25-game start in school history - while Xavier fell to 13-9.

Ohio State started the season nationally ranked in four of the five major polls and stayed in the rankings for five weeks while building a 12-4 record. Since then, however, the team is just 4-4 and is unranked. The Buckeyes did open the Big Ten campaign on a good note, taking two of three from an always-tough-to-play Northwestern team in Evanston to hold down a share of the early Big Ten lead. Ohio State is 1-0 at home, 11-5 on neutral fields and 4-3 in away games so far this season.

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: After playing its first 20 games on the road, Ohio State opens its 2010 home slate Wednesday at 2:05 p.m. against in-state foe Toledo before traveling to Northwestern for the first Big Ten series of the season Friday through Sunday. The Rockets are 13-8 on the season and took two of three vs. Kent State last weekend to open MAC play.

After opening the spring break trip with three consecutive wins over Eastern Illinois, Bucknell and Army, the Buckeyes bats struggled to get much going offensively, dropping three of the last four games on the trip. Here's some stats.

* Senior outfielder Zach Hurley led the team offensively on the trip, batting .500 (15-for-30) with four doubles, two home runs and 15 runs scored. For his efforts, Hurley was named Big Ten player of the week March 22.

* Senior 1B/DH Ryan Dew batted .414 (12-for-29) with a home run and five runs scored.

* Senior 2B Cory Kovanda hit .409 with a long ball and five runs batted in.

* Junior right-hander Drew Rucinski made a successful transition from the bullpen to the starting rotation, picking up a pair of wins over Bucknell and Dartmouth. The Broken Arrow, Okla. native combined to pitch 11.0 innings, giving up two earned runs and striking out 10 batters in the two starts.

* Junior right-hander Alex Wimmers continued his strong start, moving to 5-0 with a win over Army. The preseason All-American went 7.0 innings, giving up two earned runs and striking out eight. Wimmers, who has struck out at least eight batters in four of five starts this season, also started 5-0 last season. Only two other Buckeye starters have begun the year 5-0 in the last five seasons: Cory Luebke (7-0 in 2007) and J.B. Shuck (5-0 in 2006).

* Junior right-hander Dean Wolosiansky put together a strong spring break trip after a couple of shaky starts. After picking up a save in 2.1 scoreless innings in two appearances to start the trip, Wolosiansky was the hard-luck loser against Rollins, tossing a career-high 9.1 innings, giving up three earned runs (two in the 10th inning) on nine hits while striking out six.

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: After winning the 2010 Big Ten Tournament March 14 in Indianapolis, Ohio State enters NCAA the Midwest Regional Semifinal game vs. Tennessee with a 29-7 overall record and a 14-4 regular season mark in Big Ten Conference play. The Buckeyes finished tied atop the Big Ten with Purdue and Michigan State after the regular season slate. Thad Matta will lead the Buckeyes against No. 6 seed Tennessee (27-8) Friday (7:07 p.m. ET - televised on CBS) at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, Mo. Ohio State is the No. 2 seed in the Midwest Region. The winner of the game between the Buckeyes and the Volunteers will take on the winner of the game between Michigan State (26-8), the No. 5 seed, and Northern Iowa (30-4), the No. 9 seed.

Ohio State has the overall edge in the all-time series with Tennessee with four wins in five meetings. The Buckeyes won both games in 2007, a 68-66 victory in Columbus and an 85-84 triumph in the 2007 NCAA Tournament Regional Semifinals in San Antonio which sent the Buckeyes to the regional title game against Memphis and eventually the national title game.

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: After Winning the 2010 Big Ten Tournament last week in Indianapolis, Ohio State enters NCAA tournament play with a 27-7 overall record and a 14-4 regular season mark in Big Ten Conference play. The buckeyes finished tied atop the Big Ten with Purdue and Michigan State after the regular season slate. Thad Matta will lead the buckeyes against First Round opponent UC Santa Barbara  (20-9) Friday (9:45 p.m.) at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wis. Ohio State is the No. 2 seed in the Midwest Region. UC Santa Barbara is the No. 15 seed. The winner of the game between the Buckeyes and the Gauchos will take on the winner of the game between Oklahoma State, the No. 7 seed, and Georgia Tech, the No. 10 seed.

* Ohio State has appeared in 22 NCAA Tournaments since 1939.

* The Buckeyes are 2-0 vs. UC Santa Barbara in the all-time series and 4-0 vs. current members of the Big West Conference.

* Ohio State last faced Oklahoma State Dec. 2, 1989, in the Tournament of champions in Charlotte. The Buckeyes, 0-2 all-time vs. the Cowboys, dropped that matchup 81-59.

* The Buckeyes are 10-3 all-time against Georgia Tech with the last matchup a 73-53 Tech win Dec. 3, 2003 in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge in Columbus.

* Five Big Ten teams were selected to participate in the 2010 NCAA Tournament. Ohio State, Purdue, Wisconsin, Michigan State and Minnesota all will compete. Ohio State was 5-3 vs. those teams in the regular season and league tournament. The Buckeyes faced six teams (7-5 rcd.) this season that qualified for the 2010 NCAA Tournament. In addition to the Big Ten foes, Ohio State played California (W, 76-70, 11/20/09), Florida State (W, 77-64, 12/2/09), at Butler (L, 74-66, 12/12/09) and at West Virginia (L, 71-65, 1/23/10).

* Ohio State has played 51 teams in the 2010 field of 65 in 110 seasons of Buckeye basketball. The Scarlet and Gray holds an all-time record of 474-383 against these teams. By 2010 regional assignment, the Buckeyes are 98-80 vs. the Midwest, 141-91 vs. the West, 128-105 vs. the East and 107-107 vs. the South.

This is UC Santa Barbara's first NCAA appearance since 2002. The Gauchos enter postseason play with a 20-9 overall record after knocking off Long Beach State, 69-64, in the Big West Tournament championship game. In their last NCAA tournament appearance in 2002, UC Santa Barbara fell to Arizona in the first round.

The Buckeyes and Gauchos have squared off just twice before with Ohio State winning both matchups, and 82-75 win Dec 18, 1991, and a 79-56 victory Dec. 14, 1993.

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: Hold on to your seats! Ohio State is the 2010 Big Ten swimming and diving champion! Saturday (Feb 27th), before a raucous and packed McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion crowd, the Buckeyes of swimming coach Bill Wadley and diving coach Vince Panzano captured their first Big Ten Championship in 54 years with a stunning and winning total of 860.50 points. Two-time defending champion Michigan was runner-up with 715.50 points with Minnesota third with 497.

"I wanted the team to have an open mind about this championship because it is possible to surpass what others think," Wadley, named the 2010 Big Ten Coach of the Year, said at the beginning of the meet. "I told the guys to have a better day than they ever dreamed is possible."

The year was 1956 and the great Mike Peppe was Ohio State's coach when the Scarlet and Gray last hoisted a Big Ten championship trophy in swimming and diving. That win ended a glorious run of Big Ten - 12 total - and NCAA championships - 11 - for the Peppe-coached Buckeyes and the team has been fighting for a crown since. Not any more.

The marvelous - and now magical - McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion gave the Ohio State coaches an incredible foundation for recruiting. And since the facility opened five years ago, the two have brought in not only talented athletes, but remarkable students - the team GPA last year was the best in the nation among all public schools - and selfless young men who this week swam and dove for something much greater than themselves. They competed for their teammates. They competed for their coaches and their parents. They competed with desire and they competed with warrior spirit. and, they competed for the pride of Ohio State University.

Ohio State led all schools Saturday and for the meet with 16 more individuals in either a finals or consolation finals, increasing the number to 47 individual event scorers with 33 of those scorers competing in a final. Saturday Ohio State placed 10 in the finals. Fueled by adrenalin and their teammates and the rush of being on the cusp of a championship - because they didn't get much sleep the night before - how can one sleep when living a dream anyway? - the team performed magnificently...again.

Congratulations! Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: In her time at Ohio State, Jackie Barto has transformed the women's hockey program, turning a club program into a well-respected varsity team. Barto's perseverance has paid off: This year, the head coach is sending four players--three alumni and current student Minttu Tuominen--to the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Tuominen, a freshman, came to Ohio State from Finland. She plans a future career in nutrition, working with young athletes. (She's taking classes online to keep up with her school work while competing in Vancouver.) Tuominen realized a longtime dream when she made Ohio State's hockey team. She says it's an honor to represent not only her country, but also the Buckeyes.

"When my teammates heard that I made it to the Olympics, they said, 'Oh, I'll definitely root for Finland,'" Tuominen says. "I think that the team's even more excited than I am."

Athletes with Buckeye ties will be representing the U.S., Canada, and Finland in the Olympics. In addition to Tuominen, Buckeye Olympians are:

·         Emma Laaksonen, who played defense for the Buckeyes from 2001-04 on the team. Laaksonen is the captain of Team Finland; the Vancouver games will be her fourth Olympic appearance.

·         Lisa Chesson, a defender for the Ohio State women’s hockey team from 2005-08, who will play for the U.S.

·         Tessa Bonhomme, a former all-American and women’s team defenseman from 2004-08, will play for Team Canada.

·         Ryan Kesler, a forward for the Buckeye men’s team in 2002-03, rounds out the group. He will play for the U.S.

Barto has a good eye for future Olympians: She was on the selection committee for the 2006 U.S. Women’s Olympic Team. She also coached the U.S. Women’s National Team to a gold medal at the 2008 International Ice Hockey Federation World Championships and a silver medal at the 2007 Four Nations Cup--the two biggest non-Olympic events in women's hockey.

Ohio State has a long history of Olympians, the most famous example being Jesse Owens, who won four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. More than 200 athletes with Ohio State ties have competed in the games, with 48 earning 77 medals: 33 gold, 28 silver, and 16 bronze.

The Buckeyes aren't just dominating on Ohio State's fields, courts, and rinks. Ohio State student-athletes also are leaders in the classroom, earning a 3.07 grade point average last year. They top the Big Ten for the sixth-consecutive year with a record of 306 Academic All-Big Ten selections and 73 Big Ten Distinguished Scholars with GPAs of 3.7 or higher.

Student-athletes' experience playing on a team and working toward a goal makes them lucrative to employers after graduation, Barto says.

"It opens up a lot of opportunities for our women once they graduate."

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: Ohio State (20-6, 10-3) will play Purdue (21-3, 9-3) tomorrow night to finish the season. The home game in Value City Arena begins at 6:31 p.m. ET and will be televised on the Big Ten Network and on radio, the OSU Radio Network.

All five Ohio State starters averaged double figures in the road wins at IU and UI. Evan Turner and William Buford averaged 13 points while Dallas Lauderdale and David Lightly contributed 11.5 ppg. Jon Diebler added 10.5 points. The Buckeyes shot 51 percent from the field (53-105) last week and 41 percent from 3-point range (13-32). The squad also hit 71 percent from the foul line (22-31). The Buckeyes won by an average of 18 points vs. the Hoosiers and Illini, which combined shot shot 36 percent from the field (43-121).

Ohio State enters the game vs. Purdue with a 20-6 overall record and a 10-3 record in league play. The game vs. Purdue also will be the 200th for Matta as head coach of the Buckeyes. He enters the game with a record of 147-52 at Ohio State.

Ohio State recruits Jared Sullinger (2010) and Deshaun Thomas (2010) were selected Feb. 11 to represent the East Team in the 2010 McDonald's All-America game. The game will be played March 31 at Value City Arena in Columbus.

Go Bucks!!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: No. 13/16 Ohio State (18-6, 8-3) will play at Indiana (9-13, 3-7) in Assembly Hall tomorrow night. Game time is 6:31 p.m. ET and will be televised on the Big Ten Network and played on the OSU Radio Network.

For each of the last nine seasons, all as a head coach, Thad Matta has guided teams to at least 20 victories. Only Mark Few, among active coaches, has more consecutive 20-win seasons to start a career (10). Matta set the Ohio State record for consecutive 20-win campaigns last year with a 22-11 record, the fifth-consecutive Ohio State season with 20+ victories. The previous record was four held by the 1960-63 teams under legendary head coach Fred Taylor.

Matta also has won at least 10 Big Ten regular-season games in each of the last four seasons. A fifth double-digit effort in the win column in 2010 would tie Taylor's mark of 10+ league wins in each of the seasons from 1960-64. those were during 14-game regular-season slates. The Big Ten played a 16-game schedule in Matta's first three seasons (8, 12, 15 league wins) and an 18-game schedule the last two (10, 10).

Evan Turner averaged 29.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 3.5 steals in a pair of home wins vs. Penn State and Iowa the week of Feb. 1. The Buckeye junior connected on 57 percent of his field goals (21-37) and 17-of-22 attempts from the charity stripe (.773) while only committing three turnovers in 80 minutes of action. Against Penn State, Turner registered 27 points to go along with 10 rebounds and six assists. The Chicago native finished the week with a career-high tying 32 points to move into 26th on Ohio State's all-time scoring list with 1,239 points. The 6-7 guard also added five assists and seven rebounds in the win over the Hawkeyes. His performance vs. Iowa marked the second 30-point effort of Turner's career. Turner now has 61 career games with 10 or more points, including 16 this season. The Big Ten POW selection marks Turner's fifth of the season, tying him with Purdue's Glen Robinson for the single-season record. He has a league record eight career Big Ten POW honors.

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: A capacity crowd roared as the 1960 national title team was honored at halftime of Sunday's game vs. Minnesota at Value City Arena. Led by stars Jerry Lucas and John Havlicek - along with substitute Bob Knight, who would become the winningest college coach ever - the school's only national championship basketball team received a warm and emotional welcome home Sunday.

Grayer, more stooped and heavier in their dotage, the 1960 Buckeyes received a lengthy standing ovation as they were introduced - a spotlight pinpointing each player as they walked slowly and deliberately to midcourt - during halftime of the current Buckeyes' game with Minnesota. The Buckeyes beat the Golden Gophers 85-63, attributing the victory to not wanting to disappoint the honorees.

Knight then honored the man who brought them all together originally, late coach Fred Taylor. A banner was unfurled from the rafters celebrating Taylor's 18 seasons as head coach, which included seven Big Ten titles, four trips to the Final Four and that 1960 title.

The players, now in their 70s or close to it, returned to Ohio State for what turned into an emotional tribute to one of the few members of that team who wasn't on hand at Value City Arena.

Four members of the team are in the Hall of Fame, with Taylor and Knight in the coaches wing, and Lucas and Havlicek - both of whom were selected as one of the NBA's greatest 50 players ever in 1997 - joining them as players. All five starters, including Larry Siegfried, Joe Roberts and Mel Nowell, played in the NBA.

The Buckeyes hit 84 percent of their shots from the field to build a 37-19 lead over Cal in the national title game at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. They coasted to a 75-55 victory. The underclassmen also made it to the championship game the next two seasons, but lost each time to in-state rival Cincinnati.

Several hundred people attended a reception and ceremony on Saturday night at St. John Arena, where the 1960 Buckeyes actually played their games. Each player received replicas of the national championship trophy.

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: This Wednesday's game will take place at Iowa (8-12, 2-5) in the Carver-Hawkeye Arena. It will be televised on the Big Ten Network and OSU Radio Network. Game time is 8:30 p.m. ET.

David Lighty has 797 career points in 103 career games (7.7 ppg.). with three more points he will join classmates Evan Turner (1,147 career pts./84 games) and Jon Diebler (855/61) on the Ohio State roster in the 800 club. With another 158 points, the Buckeyes could add William Buford (53 games) to the group.

Junior Evan Turner was selected as the Big Ten's Player of the week for the fourth time this season Jan. 18 after leading the buckeyes to wins at No. 6 Purdue and at home vs. No. 13 Wisconsin the previous week. Turner poured in a career-high 32 points against the Boilermakers Jan. 13, including 23 second-half points, to lead a come-from-behind effort in West Lafayette, where Purdue was previously unbeaten. Despite missing 14 first-half minutes vs. the Badgers because of foul trouble Jan. 16, Turner contributed 15 points to help the Buckeyes avenge an early season loss to Wisconsin, in which he did not play, in Madison.

Ohio State is 4-4 vs. ranked teams in the Associated Press Top 25 this season and 4-2 with a full roster. Evan Turner missed six games this season with a back injury. Ohio State was 3-3 in those games, including an 0-2 mark vs. ranked foes. Turner averages 23.2 points and 9.8 rebounds vs. six ranked opponents this season (North Carolina, California, Florida State, Purdue, Wisconsin and West Virginia). He is connecting on 54 percent of his shots (52-97) and has 25 assists, four blocks and eight steals.

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: The 1960 Ohio State men's basketball team will be honored at halftime of the Minnesota game January 31 at Value City Arena (1 p.m./CBS). The squad won the NCAA and Big Ten titles that season with a 25-3 record and a 13-1 mark in the Big Ten. A reception will be held January 30 at St. John Arena from 7-9 p.m. The entire team is expected back for this weekend, including three-time All-American and Big Ten Player of the Year Jerry Lucas, All-American and two-time All-Big Ten selection John Havlicek and Bob Knight, the NCAA career leader in coaching victories (Army, Indiana and Texas Tech) with 902. All three are members of the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: Ohio State (11-5, 1-3) will play at No. 4 Purdue (14-1, 2-1) tonight. Game time is 7 p.m. ET in the Mackey Arena. The game will be televised on ESPN. Evan Turner is back from his injury and will play.

This is the 98th season of Big Ten membership in men's basketball for the Buckeyes. Ohio State is 54-42 (.563) in conference openers, 63-30 (.677) in league home openers and 35-59 (.372) in the first road game of the season in Big Ten play. Ohio State has opened Big Ten play on the road 42 times and has an 18-24 record in those games.

Junior Jon Diebler has made 192 career 3-pointers to rank No. 2 all time at Ohio State behind Jamar Butler's 242 career makes. Butler played from 2005-08 and averaged nearly 61 made 3s a season. Diebler has averaged 64 a season over three years with about half of the 2009-10 campaign remaining. Butler's career percentage from long range ranks No. 8 all time at 37.2 percent accuracy (242-650). Diebler is shooting 38.4 percent (192-500) for his career. This after connecting on just 29 percent (48-166) as a freshman. He shot 42 percent as a sophomore (96-231) and is making 46 percent this season (48-103).

Thad Matta, now in his sixth season as head coach of the Buckeyes, has an overall win percentage of .733 (137-50) after 187 games at Ohio State. That winning mean is the highest among the 11 head coaches in the history of the Ohio State men's basketball program with three or more seasons on the sidelines. Matta's 55-31 record in Big Ten regular-season play (.640) also has produced the highest winning percentage in conference play among any previous Ohio State coach. Fred Taylor (1959-76) is second in both overall win percentage (.653/297-158) and Big Ten win percentage (.608/158-102) in 18 seasons.

Go Bucks!!

Jody Victor

Jody Victor: The top 30 candidates for the John R. Wooden Award, the nation's most coveted college basketball honor, were named by The Los Angeles Athletic Club's John R. Wooden Award Committee. Composed of the players who will compete for this season's player of the year award, the midseason list is based on individual excellence and team record during the first half of the season.

Among the Midseason Top 30 candidates are returning Wooden Award All-American Luke Harangody (2008-2009) of Notre Dame (the nation's No. 4 scorer at 24.5 ppg) and returning players from last year's Wooden Award ballot, Sherron Collins (13.8ppg, 4.2 ast) of Kansas, Duke's Kyle Singler (16.5 ppg, 7.4 rebs) and Kalin Lucas of Michigan State (15,7ppg, 4.1ast).

The list contains 31 players, not the traditional 30, because the playing status of Ohio State's Evan Turner is uncertain due to a back injury. Three teams have multiple players nominated: No. 1-ranked Kansas (Collins, Cole Aldrich and Xavier Henry, who leads his team in scoring at 16.4 ppg); No. 7 Duke (Singler and John Scheyer) and No. 3 Kentucky (Patrick Patterson and John Wall).

The Big East leads the Midseason Top 30 with 6 players selected. The Big 12 and ACC follow with five selections. The Big Ten with four, the SEC with three, the PAC-10, Mountain West and West Coast with two and the Horizon League and Ivy League with one selection each. Overall, more than 90 different players received votes.

Ten players have been selected to the midseason Top 30 who were not on the preseason list. This impressive group includes two freshmen. Kentucky's Wall and Kansas' Henry: and eight returning players: James Anderson (Oklahoma State), Jimmer Fredette (Brigham Young), Darington Hobson (New Mexico), Wesley Johnson (Syracuse), Jeremy Lin (Harvard), Quincy Pondexter (Washington), Omar Samhan (Saint Mary's) and Klay Thompson (Washington State).

Just as players who are not on the preseason list are eligible for the Midseason Top 30, players who do not make the Midseason list are still eligible for the national ballot, which will be selected in March and will consist of approximately 20 players, chosen by the Wooden Award National Advisory Board Committee. Players selected to the national ballot will have to be certified by their university as making progress toward graduation and maintaining a cumulative 2.0 GPA.

More than 1,000 voters, comprised of sports media members and college basketball experts fro across the nation, will then cast their votes to determine both the 10-member All American Team and Player of the Year. In late March, the 10-player Wooden Award All American Team will be announced.

Go Bucks!!

Jody Victor