AD Discusses Year That Was, More

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“For The Buckeye Fan Who Needs To Know More”
June 2013
K
Smith Speaks
AD Discusses Year That Was, More
By JEFF SVOBODA
Buckeye Sports Bulletin Editor
The 2012-13 season provided a different set of issues for
Ohio State athletics director Gene Smith to navigate than the
choppy waters of previous years, but it’s also safe to say the
sea was much calmer than it had been before.
NCAA scandal was in the rearview mirror, leaving the two
marquee sports – football and men’s basketball – to prove
they were each among the best in the country.
That left Smith free to deal with some other big-picture
issues that face not just his department but college sports in
general, from NCAA reform to the future of the Big Ten to
gay rights.
Not everything was perfect at OSU – changes atop the
women’s basketball and men’s hockey programs spoke to
that – but by and large Smith was in a good mood about
things when he sat down with BSB in mid-May to discuss the
state of the athletic department and other issues.
The football and men’s basketball squads highlighted
another strong year of competition, but they were far from
the only sports to do well. The rowing team won the first
NCAA title in program history, while men’s tennis, men’s
lacrosse, men’s gymnastics, synchronized swimming, wrestling, pistol and fencing each finished among the top 10 in
the nation.
On the other hand, the Buckeyes took a dip in the standings of the Directors’ Cup, the yearly trophy that tabulates
the on-field success of a school across all of its sports. After
top-four finishes the past two years, OSU was ranked 13th
in the most recent release of the
standings May 30.
Individually, Ohio State had
success, including national championships won by a pair of rowing
crews, wrestler Logan Stieber,
gymnast Michael Newburger and
tennis player Blaz Rola.
OSU also had another strong
year in the classroom, as more
than 500 student-athletes – well
above half of the department
– were named Scholar-Athletes
and 156 earned degrees from
the university. The school’s 327
Academic All-Big Ten choices
again led the Big Ten and placed
third in OSU history.
With all that in mind, Smith
had a lot to talk about when he
met with BSB. What follows is a
partial transcript of our in-depth
question-and-answer session with
the director of athletics.
Buckeye Sports Bulletin:
What is the state of the department at this point? Do you feel
good about what’s happened over
the past year?
Gene Smith: “I do. I can’t
compliment our coaches enough.
They’ve done a marvelous job. Not too long ago we recognized 511 athletes for maintaining a 3.0 GPA, so in the classroom our kids have done a great job. We had 111 graduates
this spring, and that’s what it’s all about for us. Everybody
is doing a good job competitively. It hasn’t been as good
a year overall as we’ve had the two years before this, and
some of that is because of our youth, but we’ve had some
great moments like men’s lacrosse winning its first conference championship and hosting the NCAAs for the first
time. That’s a new exemplar for us. We’re excited about that.
And obviously you go back to the fall and with what Urban
(Meyer) did, that was just phenomenal, and what Thad
(Matta) has done is great. We’ve had some great successes
here. I feel good about the way things are going.”
BSB: You’re at a point with this athletic department
where you’re in a good spot with your two flagship programs,
football and men’s basketball. Financially, you’re in a good
spot. You don’t have a whole lot of APR or academic issues.
Do you feel like this department’s house is in order at the
moment?
GS: “We always have things we have to do, to improve
upon, but it’s exciting to come to work. Financially, we’re
extremely well off. With the Big Ten, we had a great year
from our television (deal) and everything else, so revenue
from that stream was phenomenal. We feel good about that.
Academically, our APR is off the chain. The culture is right,
so things are really good. It’s a lot of fun. It really is.”
BSB: You’ve lost some higher-ups in your administration
over the last couple of years. Ben Jay went out to Hawaii,
Tom McGinnis left, same with Pat Chun, and there was
the unfortunate passing of Bill Jones. How do you feel like,
administration-wise, you’ve coped with that and gotten this
department to keep moving forward?
GS: “One of the things that I tried to do is spread out
some of those responsibilities to give other people an
opportunity to grow. It’s working extremely well. We did
hire a new fund-raising guy by the name of Dan Cloran. He
was working with the university and prior to that he was at
Xavier. He now runs our fund-raising department. We moved
Martin Jarmond, who ran that department, to handle some of
Ben’s stuff and some sports. But it’s working well.
“The main thing is making sure we communicate. We
have a culture where our leadership and staff, everybody
communicates. You’re going to miss some things when you
have 320 employees and 887 athletes. You’re going to have
some communication problems, but I would say overall it’s
very strong. I feel good about it. I don’t anticipate making
any more hires for a while, but somebody else might leave.
Who knows?”
BSB: That’s a good sign, though, if you have people in
demand.
GS: “Well, what we did six years ago, maybe seven, there
was a group of staff who aspired to be athletic directors, so we
created a professional development program for them. One
year we brought in Joe Castiglione, the AD at Oklahoma,
Chris Del Conte, the AD from TCU, and Sandy Hatfield
Clubb, the AD from Drake. And another year, they all went
down to North Carolina, so they visited Ron Wellman at
Wake Forest, they visited Kevin White at Duke and Debbie
Yow at N.C. State. We’ve done a number of things to help
them develop their leadership skills.
Y
Vol. 32, No. 22
MATTHEW HAGER
GOOD YEAR – Buoyed by the success of the football and men’s basketball teams, athletics director
Gene Smith said Ohio State had a good year on
and off the fields of play.
“Ben and Pat had benefited from that. Tom McGinnis
aspired to be an AD and he had been here for so long, and
that opportunity at Minnesota opened and it gave him a
chance to grow. He picked up some sports – he picked up ice
hockey, which is huge there – so he’s growing. That’s one of
the things that we wanted to do. If that’s your aspiration – if
you aspire to go run IMG or Learfield Sports – we want to
help you grow and go do that, so I focus on that a little bit.”
BSB: With football, obviously, you had a 12-0 season. Last
year, when we talked to you, we asked if you were amazed
by how quickly Ohio State had bounced back from the May
before that (and the departure of Jim Tressel). Now, here we
are two years later, coming off an undefeated season.
GS: “Wow.”
BSB: You say wow, but do you really shake your head?
Or is it just amazing how this program has been able to get
back on the right track?
GS: “It really is amazing. When you think about what we
had gone through, it speaks volumes to our brand, The Ohio
State University, and the talent we’re able to attract. Urban in
my view is the best in the country, but he also put together
a great team. I really like the group of coaches he brought
in and put together and the ones he retained and how they
mingled together and ultimately became a good staff.
“It was amazing that we were able to go undefeated in
that year, and now the expectations are there. Everybody is
like, ‘We should do that again.’ And that’s understandable.
That’s who we are and that’s what we want to do. It’s just
really added to our ability to compete at the highest level.
It’s pretty solid.”
BSB: And we assume you’ve been pleased how Meyer
has integrated himself in the athletic department and the
community as well.
GS: “Yeah, he’s out there. This is a large, complex place,
and I really like how he came in and dealt with the returning
staff – the trainers and strength coaches and support staff, the
Continued On Page 12
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Time To Reunite Meyer, Tebow
Tim Tebow would be a wonderful addition to the Ohio State Buckeyes’ football
coaching staff. This could possibly be the
final piece of the puzzle to get what is
needed for the Big Ten, and specifically
Ohio State at this point, to overcome the
dominance of the SEC.
Imagine how the players would react
to a speech by Tebow before a really big
game, like before playing Michigan and
hopefully before playing for the national
championship.
Imagine how a recruit would react
when Mr. Tim Tebow calls and requests
a visit. Imagine how the image of Ohio
State would be improved just by having
Tebow on the staff.
I understand that Troy Smith has
been employed by the Buckeyes to aid
in recruiting. The combination of Troy
Smith and Tim Tebow would be outstanding, to say the least.
I sincerely thank you for allowing
me to express my opinion. I have been
a Buckeye Sports Bulletin subscriber
since its inception and have been very
impressed over the years by your capable
writers and their very interesting articles.
Keep up the great work.
James E. Johnson
Royersford, Pa.
(Troy Smith has been interning within
the athletic department while attending
graduate school, not working as a full-time
employee, but it’s still nice to have the
Heisman Trophy winner around. Ed.)
Wondering About Miller
Consider me a little bit skeptical of
those fans who think it’s going to be an
easy trip for Braxton Miller to make it to
New York City for this year’s Heisman
celebration.
I think he’s a heck of a quarterback and
a heck of a player, but I am still not sure
he’s going to be as good as someone like
Johnny Manziel, the Texas A&M quarterback who won the Heisman last year.
Miller had a very good year for Ohio
State last year, but he still struggled in
some key games. The offense didn’t look
very good at all against Purdue before
Miller went out of the game, and his
stats vs. Wisconsin and Michigan weren’t
great. All three of those games were in the
second half of the year, which makes me
wonder if Big Ten teams hadn’t figured
out Miller by the end of the campaign.
The Purdue game was also one of many
in which it seemed like he was injured.
If that happens again and Miller misses
time, it will hurt his stature in the eyes of
the national media, not to mention OSU’s
national title chances.
Reports from spring practice said that
Miller was throwing the ball better, but I
will reserve judgment until he can show
he’s a great passing quarterback for the
entirety of a season against real live
opposing defenses.
I just think he has a long way to go
before he’s in the conversation for the
best players in the country. I’ll be excited
to see Miller prove me wrong, though.
Jason Stevenson
Avon Lake, Ohio
Counting Sports
I read, often, that Ohio State has 36
varsity sports teams, most in the nation. I
would like to see the teams listed.
Dave Miller
Dearborn Heights, Mich.
(The 36 sports Ohio State claims
include 16 men’s sports – baseball, basketball, cross country, diving, football,
golf, gymnastics, hockey, lacrosse, soccer,
swimming, tennis, indoor track and field,
outdoor track and field, volleyball and
wrestling. The 17 women’s sports are basketball, cross country, diving, field hockey,
golf, gymnastics, hockey, lacrosse, rowing,
soccer, softball, tennis, indoor track and
field, outdoor track and field, swimming,
synchronized swimming and volleyball.
Fencing, rifle and pistol are coed sports.
Harvard offers 42 sports, most of any
Division I program. Ed.)
If you would like to express an opinion concerning Ohio State University
sports, please send your letter to BSB
Letters, P.O. Box 12453, Columbus,
OH 43212, or email it to bsb@buckeyesports.com for use in BSB. Letters must
be signed and include the writer’s hometown and a daytime telephone number
for verification. Publication priority
will be given to those letters that are
brief, and we reserve the right to edit
letters for publication.
From The Pages Of BSB
25 Years Ago – 1988
A group of 1,400 Buckeye fans gathered near Toledo
for a “Meet the Buckeyes Night” at the Lucas County Rec
Center. Among those in attendance were football coach
John Cooper, assistant athletics director and football great
Archie Griffin and director of athletics Jim Jones, but a local
personality garnered just about as much attention.
That person was Jimmy Jackson, a senior-to-be at Toledo
Macomber who was rated among the best prep basketball
players in the nation. Afterward he said he was impressed
by the turnout.
“It shows that Ohio State has a lot of supporters in this
area,” he said. “I haven’t made my decision just yet, but this
can influence you a little bit.”
Jones even got into the act of encouraging Jackson to
become a Buckeye.
“If you’ve been to Columbus once or twice, you know
we’ve been drumming up some enthusiasm about thumpthump (basketball),” Jones told the crowd. “And we’re
looking at some folk in this northwestern part of Ohio, and
we really want to see him in Columbus.”
Wrestler Ron Gharbo and diver Karen LaFace were named
recipients of the Big Ten Conference Medal of Honor.
What was initially termed a secondary infraction by the
Ohio State men’s basketball coaching staff turned into an
investigation that turned up 17 NCAA violations.
The Buckeyes also lost prized signee Damon Flint, a 6-3
guard from Cincinnati Woodward rated among the nation’s top
15 prospects, as a result. Among Ohio State’s transgressions
was a dinner purchased for Flint at a local Damon’s restaurant
by then-OSU assistant coach Paul Brazeau.
The NCAA ruled Flint ineligible to play for Ohio State, and
shortly afterward he signed with in-state rival Cincinnati.
Ohio State baseball players Chris Granata and Tony
Khoury were chosen by the Minnesota Twins and Chicago
Cubs, respectively, in the annual Major League Baseball firstyear player draft.
That news came after the Big Ten champion Buckeyes’ bid
to advance to the College World Series came up one game
short. Ohio State’s trip to Atlanta for regional competition
was bookended by losses to Wichita State. The Shockers
drubbed Ohio State 14-5 in the first game of the regional
then went 1-1 against the Buckeyes on the final day of the
double-elimination competition. Ohio State beat WSU, 8-6,
to force a second title game, which the Shockers won 5-3. In
other action at the regional, the Buckeyes beat host Georgia
Tech and East Carolina.
In Minneapolis for the Big Ten tournament, the Buckeyes
posted a 4-1 mark that included two wins over the host
Golden Gophers on the final day to claim the title.
In NCAA action at Auburn, the Buckeyes went 3-0 with a
win over Clemson and two over the host Tigers.
The women’s basketball team shuffled its staff as head
coach Jim Foster replaced Tamika Raymond, who quit as an
assistant coach in April, with Ed Baldwin, who previously
had spent three seasons as Ohio State director of basketball
operations.
Foster then replaced Baldwin with Tanzania Williams, a
former OSU assistant director of basketball operations and
the sister of Raymond.
Eight former Buckeye players and the coach of Ohio
State’s first Final Four team were inducted into the Ohio
Basketball Hall of Fame. Players Jim Cleamons, Tippy Dye,
Arnie Risen, Allan Hornyak, Frank Howard, Larry Siegfried,
Neil Johnson and Herb Williams joined coach Harold G. Olsen
as honorees.
Longtime men’s golf head coach Jim Brown announced
the following season would be his last.
“I have a good team coming in,” the two-time national
coach of the year said. “I wanted to leave the program on the
upswing, and that’s what we’re doing.”
Second-year men’s basketball coach Jim O’Brien’s efforts
to rebuild the Ohio State program took a decidedly European
flair when he signed one Serbian and gained a verbal
commitment from another.
First to join was 6-5 guard Slobodan Savovic, a star at
Newark (N.J.) East Side who signed a national letter of
intent during the late signing period, and then there was
Slobodan Ocokoljic, a 6-8 junior from Massillon (Ohio)
Washington who verbally committed to Ohio State in late
May.
With two scholarships set to open the following season
because of the impending graduations of Jason Singleton and
Neshaun Coleman, Ohio State apparently also was keeping
an eye on two more Serbians – 6-10 junior Sasa Mijajlovic,
a teammate of Ocokoljic, and 7-3 Aleksandar Radojevic of
Barton County (Kan.) Community College.
“I think all programs are trying to find their niche with
European players,” assistant coach Paul Biancardi said, “and
our niche happens to be in Yugoslavia.”
O’Brien himself made some headlines as well regarding
a lawsuit against his former employer, Boston College, that
was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount. O’Brien
accused BC of turning away prospects for petty reasons and
failing to grant him a $185,000 annuity.
The baseball Buckeyes missed the NCAA regionals for
the second time in three seasons and the third time in head
coach Bob Todd’s 10 years at the helm.
Despite losing star lefty Scott Lewis – the Big Ten Pitcher
of the Year – to a torn ulnar collateral ligament during the
final series of the regular season, the baseball Buckeyes won
the conference tournament and breezed through NCAA
regional competition to qualify for the program’s first NCAA
Super Regional since 1999.
2 • BUCKEYE SPORTS BULLETIN June 2013
Five Years Ago – 2008
One Year Ago – 2012
Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer handed out
indefinite suspensions to offensive tackle Jack Mewhort and
tight end Jake Stoneburner after the pair was accused of
fleeing police who observed them urinating in public in the
Columbus suburb of Shawnee Hills during the weekend of
golf’s Memorial Tournament.
The Ohio State athletics community was saddened by the
loss of Bill Mrukowski and Margaret E. Griffin.
Mrukowski was a Buckeye quarterback and defensive
back from 1960-62, helping the Buckeyes to a Big Ten
championship as a junior. He later served as an assistant to
Woody Hayes before a long career in private business.
Three of Griffin’s eight children – Archie, Ray and Duncan
– and three of her 24 grandchildren – Kevin, Andre and
Adam – suited up for the Buckeye football team.
www.BuckeyeSports.com
OPINION
Gee’s Ill-Advised Jokes Nothing More Than That
Vol. 32, No. 22
June 2013
Buckeye Sports Bulletin (USPS 705-690,
ISSN 0883-6833.) is published 24 times a
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PUBLISHER
Frank Moskowitz
ASSISTANT PUBLISHER
Becky Roberts
EDITOR
Jeff Svoboda
MANAGING EDITOR EMERITUS
Mark Rea
ASSISTANT PUBLISHER EMERITUS
Karen Wachsman 1944-1999
PHOTOGRAPHY
Sonny Brockway
Terry Gilliam
Kevin Dye
Josh Winslow
CONTRIBUTORS
Bill Armstrong
Bob Roehm
David Breithaupt
Julie Roy
Rich Exner
Mark Schmetzer
Matthew Hager
Steve Siegfried
Marcus Hartman
Mike Wachsman
Craig Merz
Ari Wasserman
Eric Loughry
Nicole Weis
ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES
Peggy Beathard
Ron Friedman
Jack Woodworth
2012-13 PUBLICATION SCHEDULE (VOL. 32)
No. 1
Sept. 8
No. 13
December
No. 2
Sept. 15
No. 14
Jan. 12
No. 3
Sept. 22
No. 15
Jan. 26
No. 4
Sept. 29
No. 16
Feb. 16
No. 5
Oct. 6
No. 17
March 2
No. 6
Oct. 13
No. 18
March 16
No. 7
Oct. 20
No. 19
March 30
No. 8
Oct. 27
No. 20
April 20
No. 9
Nov. 3
No. 21
May
No. 10 Nov. 17
No. 22
June
No. 11 Nov. 24
No. 23
July
No. 12 Nov. 30
No. 24
August
The next issue (July cover date) will be
mailed on July 2.
Buckeye Sports Bulletin is a privately
owned newspaper and is not affiliated
directly or indirectly with The Ohio State
University.
Throughout history, one person’s attempt
at humor has always had the potential to wind
up as the cause of another person’s pain. I’m
just not sure how much pain was inflicted
by Ohio State University president Dr. E.
Gordon Gee when he tried to crack wise
during a Dec. 5 meeting of the university’s
Athletic Council.
During the meeting – taped by some
unknown source and then obtained and
released by The Associated Press on May 30
– Gee was an equal opportunity offender, criticizing Notre Dame, Roman Catholics, the SEC,
the University of Louisville, the University of
Kentucky, Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema
and Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany.
Gee later apologized, of course, several
times and in several different ways, stating via
Twitter, “I am truly sorry for my comments
– such attempts at humor do not reflect Ohio
State values nor my role as its president.”
It is not the first time the OSU president
has opened his mouth only to find his foot
firmly lodged inside.
You can go all the way back to the 1992
Michigan game when Gee termed the 13-13
tie against the Wolverines “one of our greatest
victories.” But even that was topped two years
ago during the ill-advised press conference to
announce an initial two-game suspension for
then-head coach Jim Tressel in the early days
of a burgeoning NCAA scandal. When asked
if dismissing Tressel had been discussed, Gee
replied, “No, are you kidding? Let me just
be very clear. I’m hopeful the coach doesn’t
dismiss me.”
In each of those cases, the assumption
always has been that the university president
was trying to be funny. Unfortunately, there
are some people who simply cannot tell a
joke, and Gee is one of those people.
I don’t know Gee well, but I know him well
enough. He has few peers when it comes to
fund-raising, which is why Ohio State begged
him to return in 2007 following the failed
Karen Holbrook experiment. Holbrook was
an academician who was out of her element
when it came to asking for money. With his
quirky nature, a high-pitched nasally voice
and a toothy smile that beams from ear to ear,
Gee could probably charm a muskrat into giving up his musk.
I have seen Gee work a room with such
deftness the room didn’t know it was being
worked. I have also seen him wade into a
group of students at Ohio Stadium, high-fiving and trash-talking like he was one of them.
And make no mistake: The students gravitate
to him like bees to honey.
Unfortunately, there are those times when
Gee chooses to step over the line from sober,
staid university president to blowhard fan
whose every comment is squeezed through
a scarlet-and-gray strainer. That was the
guy attempting to crack wise at the Athletic
Council meeting.
Then again, there are people today who
simply cannot take a joke. Political correctness is so pervasive these days that it seems
someone is always getting their feelings hurt
for one reason or another.
I have spoken the last two years at a
hometown function the night before the OSUMichigan game during which I tell a few
Michigan jokes. One of the shortest is “What
are the most difficult three years in the life
of a Michigan football player?” The answer:
“Fifth grade.” Am I now going to be forced to
apologize to some struggling fifth-grader?
I understand some jokes are told in bad
taste while others are simply bad jokes. My
point is that society could loosen its collar just
a tad. Sometimes a joke is just that – a joke.
The joke here is that Gee’s comments
spent the better part of a week as the lead
sports story around the nation.
Texas A&M and eventual Heisman Trophy
winner Johnny Manziel.
Some Other Tidbits
Selective Editing
While Gee was getting barbecued throughout the college athletics world, comments
made by his head football coach were getting
a lot of play throughout SEC country.
Urban Meyer was interviewed May 24 by
CBSSports.com writer Jeremy Fowler and
made a couple of comments about defending
national champion Alabama that made some
Crimson Tide fans see red.
EDITOR’S
NOTEBOOK
Mark Rea
Several topics were covered during the
interview, including the SEC, Big Ten recruiting, Ohio State’s offensive changes, regret
with how he left Florida, the college football
playoff, increasing scholarships and the need
for schools to pay not only players but their
parents for official visit expenses.
But when excerpts of the interview made their way to a website called
SaturdayDownSouth.com, which unabashedly bills itself as a home for SEC football fans,
feathers got ruffled in a hurry.
“You look at (2012 and Alabama) should
have lost three games,” Meyer said. “Georgia
had them beat. LSU – I watched that one and
it was over.”
Of course, the website cleverly omitted the
first part of Meyer’s quote, the part in which
the coach responded to a question about how
Alabama and the SEC refuse to allow complacency seep into a formula that has produced
seven consecutive national championships.
“That’s how I think Alabama has done a
really good job,” Meyer said. “You have to
give those guys a lot of credit. A lot of times
you see that nowadays, the entitlement issues
that come with winning and outside influences. I just think it’s why the SEC is so good.”
SaturdayDownSouth blogger Jon Cooper,
who produced the excerpts and thereby conveniently left out Meyer’s praise of Alabama
and its conference, further fanned the flames
when he wrote, “I know I’m not alone in hoping Meyer’s Buckeyes play an SEC team in
2013.”
Naturally, that produced the desired
effect.
A poster calling himself Tide64 wrote, “So
true. That is all (Meyer) has. Try to bring
down someone else. ’Bama is so past him and
his crying. He is at a great school and should
concentrate on how many games his team will
lose/win. I see him at OSU five years max.
They will run his ass out on a rail when they
see he is all blow and no show.”
As the late U.S. Sen. Daniel Patrick
Moynahan once so famously observed, “You
are entitled to your own opinion, but you are
not entitled to your own facts.”
Georgia held a 28-25 lead over the Tide in
the final minutes of the SEC Championship
Game, and the Bulldogs still had a chance to
win in the waning seconds before time ran out
on them at the Alabama 5-yard line and the
Tide slipped by and into the national championship game with a 32-28 victory.
A month earlier, LSU went into the final
minute holding a 17-14 lead before the Tide
scored on a 28-yard screen pass with 51 seconds remaining to pull out a 21-17 win. The
following week, of course, Alabama lost to
• Congratulations to former Ohio State
assistant coach Bill Mallory, who was inducted May 30 into the Mid-American Conference
Hall of Fame. Mallory, who began his college
coaching career with three years on Woody
Hayes’ staff at OSU from 1966-68, spent nine
seasons as a head coach in the MAC – five
with Miami (Ohio) and four at Northern
Illinois, winning a conference title at both
schools. Later, Mallory spent 13 seasons
as head coach at Indiana and guided the
Hoosiers to six bowl appearances, including
victories in the 1988 Liberty Bowl and 1991
Copper Bowl. Since firing Mallory following
the 1996 season, Indiana has gone 59-137
and posted exactly one winning season. The
2007 team went 7-6 including a 49-33 loss to
Oklahoma State in the Insight Bowl.
• An entity known as the Football Bowl
Association recently released the 2013-14
bowl schedule featuring 35 games spanning
17 days. The festivities get under way with
three games set for Dec. 21 and culminate
with the final BCS National Championship
Game on Jan. 6 at the Rose Bowl.
• Next year, there will be even more
postseason games when the cleverly named
College Football Playoff format goes into
effect. In case you like to plan ahead, the
inaugural CFP semifinal games will take
place at the Rose Bowl and the New Orleans
Superdome on New Year’s Day 2015, while
the first-ever title game is scheduled Jan. 12
at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
• In the “You Must Be Joking” category,
the NCAA recently sanctioned a female golfer
from a West Coast Conference school for the
heinous crime of washing her own car on
campus. Apparently, the golfer had to repay
the university the grand sum of $20, which the
NCAA estimated as the cost of the water she
used plus rental of a university-owned hose.
And Finally …
You will read elsewhere in this issue
that I am stepping down as managing editor
of Buckeye Sports Bulletin, exchanging my
day-to-day duties for the more tranquil life of
semiretirement.
It has been 25 years since BSB publisher
Frank Moskowitz hired me as editor, a quarter-century filled with more personal changes
than I care to remember. Likewise, there have
been changes in our business, including the
proliferation of the Internet while print publications struggle to remain relevant.
The past 25 years have been enjoyable,
made so by the countless people I have
encountered, the good times I have experienced, especially with BSB staffers past and
present, and fact that I was doing something
I truly enjoyed.
I’m not exactly ready for the rocking
chair just yet. I am currently working on
another book about Ohio State football, I’ll
continue to write this column and you will
still notice my byline in BSB from time to
time. I’m simply ratcheting things back a
notch or two, leaving the daily grind in the
more-than-capable hands of my successor,
Jeff Svoboda.
When you do something nearly every day
for 25 years and then suddenly stop doing
it, there is a transition period that includes
reflection as well as some introspection. It
was during that time I was reminded of the
old saying, “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile
because it happened.”
Trust me. Today, I’m all smiles.
June 2013 BUCKEYE SPORTS BULLETIN • 3
OHIO STATE INSIDER
INSIDER
Prexy Gee’s Latest Gaffe
Touches Off Mass Criticism
Ohio State University President Dr. E.
Gordon Gee has let his mouth get him
in trouble several times in the past, but
never before did the heat on the administrator rise to the level of late May after The
Associated Press published inflammatory
remarks Gee made about Roman Catholics,
the SEC, multiple other universities, former
Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema and
others during an Athletics Council meeting
last December.
Gee, a Mormon, told meeting attendees, “You can’t trust those damn Catholics,”
when discussing the Big Ten’s courtship of
Notre Dame before the Indiana-based institution eventually decided to join the ACC as
a partial member instead.
Also on the topic of Big Ten expansion,
he questioned the academic integrity of
Louisville and Kentucky while adding that
Cincinnati had no chance to ever join the
Big Ten.
“You know Penn State just abhors Pitt
– it would be the same way (with us and
Cincinnati),” Gee said. “Even though we love
Cincinnati as a city, we want it to be an Ohio
State city. They’d have to take (OSU athletics
director Gene Smith) out and shoot him to let
Cincinnati into the Big Ten. There are some
things that we just would not do. And that’s
the way that Penn State also feels about Pitt.”
He called Bielema’s decision to leave
Wisconsin to become coach at Arkansas a
blessing for the Badgers and hinted at a riff
between Bielema and UW athletics director
Barry Alvarez.
“They didn’t like him,” Gee said. “Barry
Alvarez thought he was a thug. And he left
just ahead of the sheriff.”
According to the AP, the Ohio State
board of trustees was already aware of the
comments and had instituted a remedia-
tion plan in response before the article was
published.
Gee issued an apology via Twitter, saying,
“I am truly sorry for my comments – such
attempts at humor do not reflect Ohio State
values, nor my role as its president,” but a
firestorm had already erupted in response.
Along with a barrage of angry columns
written about Gee, many of the subjects
released responses in some form or another.
Perhaps the most vociferous answer
came from current Louisville men’s basketball coach Rick Pitino, who previously was
head coach at Kentucky.
“When people have to make jokes and
denigrate others to get laughter, that means
they’re truly ignorant of the facts, and certainly he is ignorant of the facts,” Pitino told
WHAS radio.
“I don’t know what denomination he is
or what lord he prays to, but trying to get
jokes out of that, it really, really boils me.
It’s a pompous attitude and certainly I have a
major problem with him, not with Ohio State,
and he’s a pompous ass for making those
statements.”
Arkansas athletics director Jeff Long and
Cincinnati president Santa Ono also understandably took issue with Gee’s comments.
“As a member of the higher education
community, a director of athletics and a
native of Ohio, I am deeply troubled by
the unfounded and slanderous remarks the
president of the state’s flagship institution,
Dr. E. Gordon Gee, made about coach Bret
Bielema,” said Long, a Kettering native.
“While I recognize Dr. Gee has issued an
apology stating his regret for his comments,
it does not erase the unwarranted attack on
Bret’s character.”
While Long issued his statement via
the Arkansas athletics team site, Ono used
Twitter to publicize his response.
“Although I am disappointed with
President Gee’s comments about UC, he did
call me personally last week to apologize,”
Ono wrote May 31. “I accepted his apology.”
Meanwhile, Catholic League president
Bill Donohue urged judgments of Gee not to
be too harsh.
“It’s time for everyone to take a deep
breath,” Donohue said. “I have never met
President Gee, but it is clear from what I
read that what he said was made in jest.
Was it dumb? For someone of his stature,
yes. But context and tone matter, as does
the frequency of what may be considered an
offensive remark. A real bigot is someone
who repeatedly, and maliciously, attacks others. Gee is not such a man.”
Football Endures Roster
Turnover In May
The Ohio State football roster lost one
Pace Gets Hall’s Call
In his second year on the National introduced into the football lexicon, one
Football Foundation’s College Football popularized by the 6-6, 330-pound Pace’s
Hall of Fame ballot, Orlando Pace was propensity for driving opposing defensive
among 12 players announced May 7 as players to the ground until they were flat on
2013 inductees for the NCAA Division I their back like a pancake. The Ohio State
athletics communications department did
Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly I-A).
An athletically gifted Ohio State offen- its part by tracking his pancakes throughsive tackle, Pace was rated an All-American out his final season in Columbus and sendby numerous recruiting services as a senior ing pancake-shaped magnets to Heisman
at Sandusky, Ohio, and wasted little time Trophy voters that fall.
After blocking for 1995 Heisman winner
showing why during a career that spanned
Eddie George – including dur1994-96.
ing the tailback’s school sinHe stepped right into the
gle-game record 314-yard day
starting lineup for his first
against Illinois – Pace received
game in scarlet and gray and
serious consideration for the
never relinquished that spot,
’96 award but finished fourth
starting 38 games in all before
in the balloting behind winner
he was finished.
Danny Wuerffel, a quarterback
“Orlando Pace is not only
from Florida, along with runthe best offensive lineman I
ner-up Troy Davis – a running
have ever coached, but he is
back from Iowa State – and
the best I have ever seen,”
Arizona State quarterback Jake
said John Cooper, Pace’s head
Plummer.
coach at Ohio State and a
Orlando Pace
Pace then went on to be cho2008 inductee into the College
Football Hall of Fame. “Every game was sen first overall by the St. Louis Rams in
a highlight reel for him. We ran a lot of the 1997 NFL draft. He won a Super Bowl
counter sweeps and a lot of screens, and ring with the Rams in 2000 and made seven
on many of those plays Orlando had to be Pro Bowls in 12 seasons.
He is the 24th Buckeye to be selected
out in front of the ball carrier. And we had
as player, following George’s induction a
some pretty good ball carriers.
“I don’t know how you could play the year ago.
Pace is the first Ohio State offensive
position any better than he did. He was
just a fantastic football player. He was the lineman to be chosen since John Hicks,
who concluded his playing career in 1973
best.”
Pace dominated as few from his position and was elected to the Hall of Fame in
have before in college football and took 2001. Hicks was the Heisman runner-up to
Penn State running back John Cappelletti
home numerous awards as a result.
The first two-time winner of the as a senior and the last offensive lineman
Lombardi Award in 1995 and ’96, Pace to finish in the top four of the voting before
also captured the Outland Trophy the lat- Pace.
Pace will be recognized on campus this
ter year. A consensus All-American and a
first-team All-Big Ten choice in both sea- fall at a football game before being inductsons, he was also the UPI Lineman of the ed Dec. 10 at the NFF Awards Dinner and
Year his final campaign while being named enshrined in 2014.
Along with Pace, two Ohio State names
the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year
and winning the Chicago Tribune Silver appeared among the 77 nominees on the
2013 ballot – linebacker Tom Cousineau
Football.
Along the way, the term “pancake” was and fullback Jim Otis.
player and gained another in May with the
departure of linebacker David Perkins and
the transfer in of wideout Jeff Greene.
On May 30, Ohio State head coach Urban
Meyer confirmed earlier reports about
Perkins’ departure.
“Perkins is going to try to move on,”
Meyer said. “I don’t know where or whatever. And that’s mutual. Wish him well.”
A four-star prospect from South Bend
(Ind.) Washington, Perkins made six tackles
in nine games as a true freshman last season, mostly on special teams. He received
significant first-team reps at weakside linebacker during spring practice because of
the absence of starter Ryan Shazier (hernia
surgery) but was not expected to be a starter
this fall.
“I think anytime you lose (a player) it’s
disappointing, but that’s business,” Meyer
said. “It’s not like there was a nasty breakup.
We wish him well.”
The story took a darker turn later in the
day, however, when The (Toledo) Blade
reported Perkins had been arrested the
previous weekend in Bowling Green, Ohio,
after allegedly trying to break into a woman’s
house and smashing the window of another
woman’s car May 25.
According to a police report, a bloody
and apparently intoxicated Perkins was then
found on the woman’s porch and taken to
the Wood County Hospital emergency room
via ambulance before being charged with
misdemeanor counts of criminal trespassing,
criminal mischief, criminal damaging and
underage drinking.
In contrast to that news, Ohio State hopes
to receive some future help on the football
field with the arrival of Greene, a three-star
recruit in the class of 2011 at Fayetteville
(Ga.) Starr’s Mill who signed with Georgia
Tech.
He played in 12 games as a reserve in
2011 then led Yellow Jackets wide receivers in receptions (18) and yards (284) last
season.
According to The Atlanta JournalConstitution, Greene and the Ramblin’
Wreck coaching staff agreed to part ways
last December. His high school coach, Chad
Phillips, told the paper that Greene will
enroll at Ohio State in June then join the
football team as a walk-on.
The 6-4, 210-pounder will have to sit out
the 2013 season because of NCAA transfer rules and have two years of eligibility
remaining.
More Times, Teams,
Dates Set For Football Team
Five of Ohio State’s 12 kickoff times for
the 2013 season were established by the
time BSB went to press.
The Buckeyes’ contest with California of
the Pac-12 will begin at 7 p.m. Eastern on
OHIO STATE INSIDER
State and Rutgers along with Western
Division opponents Illinois and Minnesota.
In 2014, the Buckeyes will play at
Maryland, Penn State, Michigan State and
Minnesota while hosting Indiana, Rutgers,
Illinois and Michigan. All sites will be flipped
the following year.
Svoboda New BSB Editor
Jeff Svoboda has been named editor of
Buckeye Sports Bulletin, BSB publisher
Frank Moskowitz announced. Svoboda
becomes only the fifth editor in the 32-year
history of Buckeye Sports Bulletin.
“We are very excited about Jeff’s promotion,” Moskowitz said. “Not only does he
have the confidence of our management
team, but we believe he also has the confidence and respect of his peers.”
Svoboda will also serve as editor of
BSB’s sister publication, Reds Report, a
newspaper devoted to the Cincinnati Reds.
Meanwhile, managing editor Mark Rea
is moving to managing editor emeritus status. Rea will still be involved in the editorial
operation of both publications, including
writing his popular “Editor’s Notebook”
column for BSB as well as his “From the
Managing Editor” column in Reds Report.
He will also contribute on special projects.
“Mark’s influence on our company has
been felt for a quarter of a century, and his
steady hand has helped us navigate many a
troubled water,” Moskowitz said. “We are
fortunate to have him continue as a member of our team.”
Sept. 14 and be broadcast nationally on Fox.
On Oct. 19, Ohio State will host Iowa in a
game that will kick off at 3:30 p.m. Eastern
and serve as homecoming.
The clash with the Hawkeyes will be
broadcast by ABC, ESPN or ESPN2. That
makes at least four games to air on that family of networks, joining previously announced
home games against Wisconsin (Sept. 28)
and Penn State (Oct. 26) as well as a contest
at Northwestern (Oct. 5).
Svoboda’s new position will not be foreign to him, as he has served as acting editor anytime Rea was absent over the past
few years. Moskowitz believes he will bring
a fresh perspective to parent Columbus
Sports Publications’ products.
“Our industry has changed rapidly in
the last decade or so, and Jeff has grown
up within those changes,” Moskowitz said.
“He has a good grasp of all the options to
deliver news that are out there today.”
Svoboda, a Lorain, Ohio, native, became
a staff writer for Buckeye Sports Bulletin
in 2006. Before coming to BSB, the 2006
graduate of Ohio State held leadership
positions at The Lantern – OSU’s student
newspaper – as well as the student radio
station while writing for “The Wise Guide
to Ohio Stadium” and The-Ozone.net.
“I am excited to follow in Mark Rea’s
footsteps and serve as editor of one of
the most decorated collegiate publications in the country,” Svoboda said. “I am
looking forward to continuing to work
with our great staff while also looking at
ways to improve our publications on all
platforms.”
OSU Players Work To
‘Play It Forward’
Those three games will all be 8 p.m.
starts, meaning no more than four of Ohio
State’s home games will kick off at noon this
season.
Looking deeper into the future, the Big
Ten’s release of its football schedules for
2014 and ’15 helped bring the Buckeyes’
slates for those seasons into focus.
Ohio State’s Big Ten opponents those seasons will be Eastern Division foes Indiana,
Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Penn
A large portion of the Ohio State football team donated time to cleaning up a
Columbus middle school May 30 as part of a
new program dubbed, “Play It Forward.”
A partnership between the football program, the OSU Office of Student Life, Lowe’s
and local schools in Columbus, the concept
of the program was inspired by former
OSU coach Woody Hayes’ “Pay It Forward”
legacy, and that prompted Meyer to get his
football team more involved in the local community.
Graham Expeditionary Middle School
was chosen to be the first to receive a new
playground because the school has a mission
to serve urban students in central Ohio.
The building, located near campus at
140 E. 16th Ave., was originally opened in
1909. It was the first junior high school in
the nation and was added to the National
Register for Historic Places in 1980.
After helping equip the school with new
basketball hoops, a painted shed, a garden
and other new or renovated play equipment,
the football players said it was a blessing to
do something positive for the community.
“Time really flies,” tight end Jeff
Heuerman told BSB. “I remember when I
was just a kid and would look up to college
athletes, and now here I am. It was just so
nice to come out here with the kids and
make a difference. I know it meant a lot to
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come out there and do this.”
Shortly after the work was completed,
students enrolled in the school gathered
around for a ceremony at which Meyer and
Heuerman addressed the crowd.
“I’ve always felt this way and I learned
it from Earle Bruce – for some reason football players start thinking they’re something
more than a student-athlete, and they’re
not,” Meyer said. “It’s our job to make sure
they remember that. Our guys, they get it.
There’s no pushback whatsoever to come
here and spend all day with the students.”
Meyer and others pledged $25,000 in
cash and in-kind contributions to launch the
program.
Former OSU Player, Coach
Lose Battles With Cancer
The Ohio State football fraternity lost two
members in May – former fullback Barry
Walker and former assistant coach Tom
Lichtenberg.
Walker, 49, succumbed to complications
related to his battle with pancreatic cancer
May 10.
A Lancaster, Ohio, resident and native, he
suited up for the Scarlet and Gray from 198386, winning four varsity letters under the
direction of Bruce after starring in multiple
sports at Lancaster High School.
Walker earned All-Ohio recognition as a
senior on the gridiron for the Gales and also
set an Ohio prep shot put record at 69 feet,
10¾ inches to become an All-American in
that sport.
When he got to Ohio State, he flip-flopped
between fullback and tailback but saw health
issues cut into his effectiveness. In addition
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Continued From Page 5
to fighting asthma, Walker suffered shoulder
injuries as well as a couple of concussions.
He started at fullback in 1984 and rushed for
154 yards on just 30 carries.
“Barry Walker was a special kind of kid,”
Bruce told BSB. “He most certainly was a
hard worker in the classroom and a very
hard worker on the football field. A very
fine kid to coach. He took coaching well and
listened and took what you said and made it
happen.”
Walker was diagnosed with pancreatic
cancer less than a year before his death,
and the Lancaster community rallied around
him.
“You always hear about how caring and
sincere people are – with Barry, what you
saw is what you got,” Ohio State teammate
Bill Andrews told BSB. “We would occasion-
ally run into each other at the store. When
we did, Barry’s conversation was just not a
‘Hi, how are you?’ It was always a sincere,
‘How are you doing? How’s the family?’ or
‘You doing okay?’ However, once the helmet
came on, Barry was in a different world. You
better have had your chin strap buckled
up.”
Lichtenberg passed away May 26 in
Florida at the age of 72 after a long battle
with prostate cancer.
A product of Cincinnati Lockland,
Lichtenberg was the first head coach of the
football program at Mason High School near
the Queen City, and it was there he caught
the eye of Bruce.
“He was a very successful coach at Mason
High School, and I saw that when I visited
there on my way to watch Alabama in spring
practice,” Bruce said. “When the time came I
called him when I got the Iowa State job and
he became the quarterbacks coach the next
year. He did a great job.”
Lichtenberg worked under Bruce at Iowa
State for five years and later joined his staff
at Ohio State in 1986, replacing Jim Tressel
when he left to become head coach at
Youngstown State. Lichtenberg spent two
seasons at Ohio State and was an assistant
at Notre Dame and Northern Iowa while
serving as head coach at Ohio University,
Morehead State and Maine.
“Both are great people,” Bruce said of
Walker and Lichtenberg. “There’s no doubt
about that. They lived lives they can be
proud of. They were into helping people
and into being with people. They were both
people persons.”
BSB ran reprints from Walker’s career in
its May 21 electronic issue and will reprint a
story from 1986 about Lichtenberg’s hiring
in our June 18 electronic issue.
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Some things were the same at this
year’s Memorial Tournament in Dublin,
Ohio – for example, it rained, postponing
the second round multiple times.
Some things were a bit different,
though. The focus of Jack Nicklaus’ annual press conference the day before the
May 30-June 2 tournament wasn’t about
any changes to the Muirfield Village Golf
Course that the OSU alum so loves to tinker with simply because he hadn’t made
any.
Instead, there was much talk about a
recently completed new clubhouse and
suite structure, as well as an initiative
called the Jack Nicklaus Learning Leagues
that will debut across the country in order
to try to draw kids to golf.
The sport is losing playing members
at all levels, and the JNLL will attempt to
counteract that by providing kids from
ages 5 through 12 the chance to play in
parks using a plastic club and soft ball covered in Velcro.
“At 8 or 9 years or old, kids have picked
their sport,” Nicklaus said. “If golf is not
there, it’s not going to be one of them, so
we’re trying to get where golf becomes
one of those sports, whether it’s getting
Annual Event To Feature
Buckeye Broadcasters And More
The 10th annual Morning Sports Report
presented by the Greater Columbus Sports
Commission is scheduled for 7-9:15 a.m. on
June 25 in the Griffin Ballroom at the Ohio
Union.
Sports broadcasting is the featured topic
this year with Meyer joining Ohio State athletes-turned-broadcasters Kirk Herbstreit,
Eddie George, Clark Kellogg and Chris
Spielman to form the keynote panel.
Additionally, Meyer and Smith will preview the football season as part of an overall outlook for various Buckeye squads.
Representatives from the city’s professional
teams and other members of the sports community are scheduled to appear as well.
For more on the 2013 event, visit www.
columbussports.org.
Senn Memorial Match
Undergoing Changes
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Nicklaus Brings New Youth
Leagues To Central Ohio
The Connor Senn Memorial Match was not
staged this May as usual, but it is expected to
continue for the Ohio State men’s soccer team
in the future without the Columbus Crew of
Major League Soccer as the opponent.
Instead, it is likely that the Buckeyes will
move the fund-raiser from the spring exhibition schedule to be a part of their regular
season in the fall.
Senn, a freshman walk-on from Granville,
Ohio, collapsed during a match at Akron on
Sept. 26, 2001, and died that night from an
undetected congenital heart defect.
Ohio State started the memorial match
in 2002 and it had been staged against the
Crew every year since but 2011. The games
and accompanying auctions plus other fundraisers enabled a scholarship in Senn’s name
to be endowed in 2007, allowing funding to
instead move toward research to help detect
heart defects in athletes.
However, scheduling on both sides has
become an issue, as MLS has increased the
scope of its Reserve League and Ohio State
now ends spring classes in early May after
its switch to semesters.
In addition, Crew coach Robert Warzycha
said his club wants to make the Kirk Urso
kids started, learning the basics, getting a
way they can have fun. And this is a team
sport.”
Columbus will be one of five cities in
which the leagues will debut, with the
intent to have them available in all rec
centers and the six city-owned golf courses
by next year.
Nicklaus added he has outfitted many
of his courses, including Muirfield Village,
with permanent shorter tee markers that
make the course playable for young golfers.
“I mean, I’ve played a game that I’ve
played all my life, a game that I love,”
the Columbus-area native and 1961 NCAA
champion said. “I can’t play it anymore, but
I love it. And I see people leaving the game
and there are reasons why they’re leaving
the game. We’ve got to figure out ways to
get them in the game and keep them in
the game.”
As for the tournament, which Nicklaus
founded and hosts, the event was captured
by Matt Kuchar with a 12-under-par score
of 276. Kuchar beat Kevin Chappell by
two strokes to earn his sixth professional
victory.
– Jeff Svoboda
Memorial Match in North Carolina on the
final weekend of the preseason its annual
charity game. Urso was a midfielder for the
Crew who died unexpectedly in August, also
of an undiagnosed heart ailment.
Warzycha said the Crew and OSU will
likely play low-key spring games in the
future when the schedule permits as the pro
team does with other schools in the region.
He added that the team wants to continue support for the Senn match, possibly
through donated auction items or player
appearances at the game.
Miscellaneous Notes
• After one year as interim head coach
of the Ohio State women’s tennis team,
Melissa Schaub was named permanent mentor for the program May 15. Schaub joined
the Ohio State staff as an assistant coach for
the 2011-12 campaign then took over the top
spot prior to last season after longtime head
man Chuck Merzbacher left the Buckeyes to
coach at Minnesota, his alma mater. A native
of Lexington, Ohio, Schaub previously spent
five seasons at Middle Tennessee State, serving as the head coach in her final season.
• Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman
Mike Adams is expected to need six-to-eight
weeks to recover from stab wounds he
suffered in the early morning of June 1 in
Pittsburgh. The Ohio State product reportedly was trying to prevent three men from
stealing his truck from a parking lot when
one stabbed him in the abdomen and forearm. “He’s very blessed to be in the position
he’s in, in that we expect a full recovery from
him,” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said.
Adams was drafted in the second round of
the 2012 NFL draft and started six of the 10
games in which he played as a rookie.
• New York Giants offensive lineman
Jimmy Cordle, a Buckeye from 2005-09, plans
to host a fund-raiser July 13 at Tiki Lanes in
Lancaster, Ohio. “Bowling with Buckeyes”
will feature a celebrity bowl-off and numerous Buckeye celebrities, with proceeds benefitting Special Olympics in Fairfield County
and the Cordle Cares Scholarship Fund. For
more information, visit www.cordlecares.org
or email info@cordlecares.org.
OHIO STATE FOOTBALL RECRUITING PROFILE
Worley Focuses On Academics, Follows Glenville Path
By ARI WASSERMAN
Buckeye Sports Bulletin Staff Writer
When the calendar turned to 2013 and
Christopher Worley remained uncommitted, it became natural to wonder if the
recruitment of this particular Cleveland
Glenville star would turn out differently.
That’s because less than a month
remained until National Signing Day and
the 6-3, 195-pound prospect had yet to do
what many high-level Glenville recruits did
before him – commit to Ohio State.
“He was late to commit to Ohio State,
but he knew the entire time,” said Tony
Overton, who served as Glenville’s head
coach while Ted Ginn Sr. took a leave of
absence during the past year due to health
reasons. “For us, we were just worried that
he was focusing on something more important, and that was his books.”
A 1991 Glenville graduate and a member of the Tarblooders’ coaching staff
since 1999, Overton has been around long
enough to see the school send 18 players to
Ohio State as part of the program’s last 11
recruiting classes since 2002.
Overton knew Worley would be No. 19
in Ohio State’s 2013 class long before the
public found out Jan. 11, but the coach also
knew something else about the standout
defender – that none of it would be possible
if Worley couldn’t attain a higher score on
his ACT.
So while outsiders thought the threestar prospect was holding his verbal commitment to the Buckeyes because he was
considering scholarship offers from programs such as Arkansas, Georgia Tech,
Illinois, Michigan State, Pittsburgh and
West Virginia, he really was at home studying to ensure he’d academically qualify for
collegiate football.
Worley began working with a private
tutor to help him improve his initial ACT
score of 15 – one short of the required score
of 16 – and the two could meet only late at
night for sessions that often ran until the
early hours of the following morning.
For Worley, that meant days that
included waking up early for school, going
to classes, working out, participating in
football practice and doing his homework
before finally working with the tutor.
That relentless schedule lasted for an
entire month before Worley finally earned a
qualifying score.
“At first, I really didn’t want to do it,”
Worley told BSB. “I was always tired. I was
going on three hours of sleep for a whole
month, and I had practice and workouts. I
was really exhausted for the first couple of
weeks. After a while, I realized that I needed
to do it in order to get my dreams.”
Worley didn’t want to make his pledge to
the school he grew up loving until he knew
he could officially be the next Glenville
player to continue his football career in
Columbus.
“It says a lot about just his work ethic
and the commitment he made,” Overton
said. “He buckled down on his ACT score
and showed he can do anything. He’s always
been a great athlete. I have been watching
him since he was 6 or 7 years old, but I think
the work that he’s putting behind it now is
taking him to a whole new level of ability.
“Once he started getting offers, he realized he had to be the best, and he really
buckled down on his own – not only on the
field but in the books. Coaches are there,
but he did these things on his own. I think
if he continues this path, he can be anything
he wants to be both on and off the field.”
Now that Worley has accomplished his
high school academic goals he can focus on
the next task – proving that he can have an
immediate impact on Ohio State’s football
team despite not being as highly regarded
as past Glenville prospects.
Rated by Scout.com the No. 38 outside linebacker in the 2013 recruiting
class, Worley will report to Ohio State as
a player who lacks a true position. For the
Tarblooders, he was simply told to find the
football on defense and make a play. His
skill set projects to both defensive back
and linebacker at the college level, but he’ll
have to adapt to the responsibilities of both
positions in order to flourish.
Those familiar with Glenville have compared Worley to former Tarblooder and
OSU defensive back Jermale Hines, a hardhitting defender who played both safety and
nickel back at the college level.
Overton feels as if Worley has the ability
to shine anywhere he’s placed.
“I think the versatility will help him
because of his frame,” Overton said. “I
think that he’s rangy. He can end up being
a really big guy like Jermale Hines was, but
he can also move. He worked very hard this
summer on his footwork and ball skills.
“To me, he’s suited to be a strong safety.
I think he has the body, the speed and
everything to put together to be a really
good strong safety. But he also is a guy that
can go from linebacker to safety and sometimes even play corner.”
Regardless of what position he’ll play,
Worley’s track record of finding the ball
quickly before delivering big yet effective
hits could put him in the ideal position to
contribute as a special teams player in his
freshman year.
Worley understands that could be the
first step toward becoming yet another former Glenville player to leave a vast impact
on Ohio State’s football program before
accomplishing the next goal – playing in
the NFL.
“It is a lot of pressure to go to Ohio State
and perform, but you can’t fold under pressure, you have to live up to it,” Worley said.
Get To Know: Christopher Worley
High School – Cleveland Glenville
Position – Outside linebacker
Height, Weight – 6-3, 195 pounds
Rankings – Scout.com rates Worley a threestar prospect and the No. 38 outside linebacker
in the 2013 recruiting class.
Player Evaluation – “He is a guy that can
contribute this year on special teams if they
need him to. He is a run-and-hit guy, so that
translates well to covering kicks and on special
teams. You’re getting a guy that more than Christopher Worley
likely is going to need a year or two in the program to learn, and if he can adjust to it you’re getting a kid who
can change directions in a hurry and make an impact on defense.
There’s a lot of upside for Chris Worley.” – BuckeyeSports.com
recruiting analyst Bill Greene
Strengths – “He definitely has athletic ability. He can really run
and there’s no doubt about it. He is just a guy who runs all over
the field and hits people. He can run to the football and he is a
sure tackler when he gets there. He has gotten a lot bigger, and I
think he’ll play at 215 in college. I think he’ll be able to play linebacker at the next level, and that could help Ohio State out at a
position of need.” – Greene
Weaknesses – “He is going to have to do more things at the
college level. In high school he kind of freelanced a lot where he
could just go get the football. That isn’t going to fly in college.
He is going to have to learn his position, and he is going to have
coverage responsibility. He has to play in a disciplined defense.
You can’t just make mistakes and use your speed to make up for
it in college. So really, he has to adjust to learning all aspects of
whatever position he ends up playing.” – Greene
“It just reminds me that even though I am
on my way to Ohio State how much more
work I need to put in to be great. Really,
all the work and everything is just starting.
This is just the beginning.”
That realization hit Worley when he
tuned into Super Bowl XLVII between the
Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco
49ers. The 49ers’ roster boasted two former
Glenville and Ohio State standouts in wide
receiver Ted Ginn Jr. and defensive back
Dante Whitner.
“In the first three plays Donte Whitner
got a tackle, and later my family and I were
pumped in the house seeing Ted take back
the punt return about 30 yards,” Worley
said. “I was just proud of them. I texted
Donte and Ted after the game and told
them I am still proud of them. Just seeing Glenville players do things that big, it
really is inspiration for what I can one day
accomplish.
“My journey is just starting, but I’m
excited.”
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OHIO STATE FOOTBALL RECRUITING
Booker Adds Name To 2014 Class, LB Haul
Perhaps the start of the construction of
Ohio State’s 2014 recruiting class hasn’t
gone as quickly as many anticipated, but
head coach Urban Meyer got a big boost
May 23 when the Buckeyes earned a commitment from four-star outside linebacker Dante Booker of Akron St. Vincent-St.
Mary.
RECRUITING
OUTLOOK
Ari Wasserman
Rated by Scout.com the No. 9 outside
linebacker in the class, Booker chose Ohio
State over scholarship offers
from such programs as Illinois,
Indiana, Louisville, Maryland,
Michigan, Nebraska, Notre
Dame, Oklahoma, Penn State,
Tennessee and Wisconsin.
So in at least one more
instance, Ohio State met its goal
of keeping the best players in the
state at home.
“I think I knew the moment
I got the Ohio State offer that I
would commit to them,” Booker
Dante
told BuckeyeSports.com recruiting analyst Bill Greene. “I just kind of knew
the whole time and waited for the right time.
There really wasn’t a reason to wait, but I just
wanted to take it slow and be sure. I wanted
to weigh all my options.
“It was close to home and it’s Ohio State.
It doesn’t get any bigger than that. My family can come down anytime so I’ll be able to
play in front of them. I get to play in front of
100,000 fans screaming OH-IO.”
Though Meyer often snags the headlines
as being a larger-than-life figure, it was one
of his assistants – defensive line coach Mike
Vrabel – who made all the difference in
Booker’s recruitment.
It also didn’t hurt that Booker’s current
teammate, running back Parris Campbell,
has been committed to Ohio State since the
beginning of February.
“There really wasn’t one thing the coaches said to me that really helped me make my
decision,” Booker stated. “I’m
just real close and cool with
Coach Vrabel. I’d say he’s the
reason I felt Ohio State was the
right school the whole time.
“I also get to keep playing
with Parris. I like that. All the
commits had been on me for
quite a while, but not as much
as him.”
The 6-3, 217-pound linebacker said Ohio State’s staff could
see him playing at the strongBooker
side position, but he said he’s
certain he’ll be making the game uncomfortable for opposing quarterbacks.
Now that his recruitment is behind him,
OSU Football Verbal Commitments
Players in the class of 2014 who have issued verbal commitments to play football at Ohio State.
Player
Pos. Ht. Wt. Stars
High School
Kyle Berger
Dante Booker
Parris Campbell
Sam Hubbard
Lonnie Johnson
Marcelys Jones
Dylan Thompson
Kyle Trout
Damon Webb
OLB
OLB
RB
OLB
WR
OG
DE
OT
CB
6-2
6-3
6-1
6-6
6-3
6-5
6-5
6-6
6-0
215
217
180
221
180
325
265
280
175
Booker said he’s going to concentrate on
helping OSU’s staff fill out the rest of the
class that currently has nine verbal commitments, starting with four-star Georgia
linebacker Raekwon McMillan.
“I’m going to help build the class,” he
said. “It’s the fun part. I know Raekwon
pretty well and he’s my guy. I’ll be going
after him the rest of the way.”
Harris Camps At OSU,
Earns Staff’s Attention
Meyer has been quite careful when offering scholarships to 2014 quarterbacks, but
Bossier (La.) Parkway signal caller Brandon
Harris is one of the select few who have
earned one thus far in the process.
A three-star prospect whom Scout rates
the No. 24 quarterback in the 2014 recruiting
class, Harris took an unofficial visit to Ohio
Cleveland St. Ignatius
Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary
Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary
Cincinnati Moeller
Gary (Ind.) West Side
Cleveland Glenville
Lombard (Ill.) Montini Catholic
Lancaster, Ohio
Detroit Cass Tech
State on May 31 before participating in the
Elite 11 Super Regional camp at the Woody
Hayes Athletic Center the following day.
While participating in the camp – which
featured only quarterbacks, many of whom
are regarded as the top prospects at that
position in the country – Harris performed
among the best.
But what Harris will remember more than
the way he performed was the way Ohio State
treated him during his time in Columbus.
“From the minute I stepped onto their
campus they made me a priority,” Harris
said. “They just kept telling me they want me
and that I am a perfect fit for what they want
to do. I haven’t really had a long relationship
with them, so it was great to get that kind of
reassurance from them.”
Continued On Page 10
The Morning Sports Report
June 25, 2013
Presented by Marathon
The Ohio Union – Archie M. Griffin Grand Ballroom
at The Ohio State University
Reserve your seats online at columbussports.org by June 14.
Featuring OSU Head Football Coach Urban Meyer and a
keynote panel consisting of national sports broadcasters
with Buckeye ties including Clark Kellogg, Kirk Herbstreit,
Eddie George and Chris Spielman.
Toledo CC QB Remains On OSU’s Radar
While on the visit, Harris spoke personally with Meyer and also had the chance
to meet Ohio State figures such as current
quarterback Braxton Miller and legendary
running back Archie Griffin.
“Man, it was an awesome time,” the 6-3,
195-pounder said. “Braxton Miller is a great
player, and he was even cooler of a guy to
hang around with. I really enjoyed chatting
with him. I think my game is similar to his,
so it was good to share some time with him.
“The facilities were so impressive also.
I’ve been to top schools before like LSU and
Alabama, but Ohio State’s facilities were a lot
bigger and better it seemed. That was quite
a surprise to me. I had some family with me,
too, and I think they really enjoyed what they
saw as well.”
With scholarship offers from programs
such as Alabama, Auburn, Baylor, LSU,
Mississippi, Ohio State and Texas A&M
– the seven schools currently at the top of
his list – Harris isn’t bashful to admit he
has much to consider before making his
announcement on July 18.
“I really can’t go wrong with any of the
schools on my list,” Harris said. “I kind of
have an idea of a few schools it will come
down to at this point, but it can still change. I
want to take the rest of these visits, sit down
and then talk with my family about what
the plan will be. I’ll probably trim my list
one more time before I make my announcement.
“I may let the school I’m going to choose
know that I will be picking them, but nobody
else will know until July 18. There’s really no
significance behind the date, but really just
kind of a time frame to concentrate on so
I can come to a decision. I just didn’t want
my recruitment to go any further than that. I
want it done so I can focus solely on getting
better and helping my team win games.”
Kizer Performs Big In Elite 11,
Keeping Tabs On Ohio State
Toledo Central Catholic quarterback
DeShone Kizer has been long considered a
A Look Back At Recruiting From The Pages Of BSB
When the Buckeyes signed Griffin, Ga.,
quarterback Tommy Willis, they did so with the
hopes he could turn into a productive college
wide receiver.
Listed at 6-2, 195 pounds, with 4.35 speed
in the 40-yard dash, Willis told BSB he would
have liked to be a receiver in high school but
Griffin head coach Lloyd Bohannon used him
at quarterback because of his overall skills.
“We were forced to play him a little bit
everywhere,” Bohannon said. “But I think
he will become accustomed to playing only
receiver at Ohio State, and he’ll be a great
one.”
“Any way I can help the team is fine with
me,” Willis said.
With the verbal commitment of St. Henry,
Ohio, offensive lineman Matt Zahn, Ohio
State’s class of 1999 reached 10 members.
At 6-7, 350 pounds, Zahn appeared to be
the prototypical road-grading run blocker, but
he said that was not his best skill.
“People tell me all the time I have good
feet and balance,” he said. “I’m probably
better at pass blocking. We’ve mainly been a
passing team. I know you’ve got to be good at
both, but my best is probably pass blocking.
top quarterback prospect, and the 6-5, 205pound signal caller proved those considerations were accurate with his performance at
the Elite 11 camp June 1.
Kizer’s showing was strong enough to
earn a coveted invitation to the Elite 11 finals
and “The Opening” camp, which features
only the top – and selected – prospects in
the country. The two events are held June
28-July 3 in Beaverton, Ore.
“Being (at Ohio State) was great and I
loved being around these other great quarterbacks,” Kizer said. “I didn’t think I played
as well as I can, but I’m honored to be
selected for The Opening. It’s going to make
me work even harder to be ready to compete
out in (Oregon).”
A four-star prospect, Kizer has accumulated more than 20 scholarship offers, but
he recently released a top six that consists
of Alabama, Arkansas, LSU, Notre Dame,
“I feel it’s good to have the size, but I’m
sure there are other things about my game
that they like. I’m sure they wouldn’t just
recruit someone because they’re big.”
Ohio State picked up two in-state verbals in
the month of May, bringing the total number
of commits to date to six.
First, Carrollton tight end/linebacker Chad
Hoobler pulled the trigger, picking Ohio State
over Penn State, West Virginia and Boston
College. Next came the good news from
Columbus Beechcroft defensive back Sirjo
Welch, who chose his hometown school over
the likes of Michigan, Michigan State, Iowa,
Wisconsin and Boston College.
They joined Hubbard (Ohio) defensive back
Shaun Lane, Xenia (Ohio) offensive lineman
Ben Person, Akron Buchtel running back Tony
Pittman and Austintown (Ohio) Fitch wide
receiver Miles Williams.
Five Years Ago – 2008
A pair of Michigan natives gave verbal
commitments to Ohio State in May, giving
head coach Jim Tressel 15 prospects heading
into June.
Word trickled out May 12 that Grand
Ledge receiver James Jackson had joined the
Ohio State and Tennessee. Ohio State and
Notre Dame, however, have yet to offer the
quarterback a scholarship.
Kizer hopes his most recent camp performance is enough to help Ohio State’s
coaching staff make the decision to offer him
a scholarship.
“From how I see it, they have already
made their first round of offers, and I didn’t
make the first cut,” said Kizer, whom Scout
rates the No. 13 quarterback in the 2014
class. “Quarterbacks coach Tom Herman
came to my school to see me throw two
weeks ago, and he said he will re-evaluate
me with Coach Meyer.
“Hopefully, I get the offer from them, and
they’re obviously my home state school. I
don’t necessarily think they would jump to
the top because I’m considering other great
schools. If I get that offer, I will need to see
where things are for me and go from there.”
fold, though no official announcement was
made.
A little more than two weeks later, tight
end Reid Fragel of Grosse Point South made
his intentions known to BuckeyeSports.com.
“It is nice to be done with all this stuff,”
Fragel said.
The good news was tempered by the
defection of another commitment.
Indian Head (Md.) Lackey cornerback
Darrell Givens chose to become a Penn State
Nittany Lion instead after comparing the depth
charts of the two schools, according to his
high school coach.
One Year Ago – 2012
Ohio State offered a scholarship to Trotwood
(Ohio) Madison linebacker Michael McCray in
late May despite the four-star prospect’s verbal
commitment to Michigan.
McCray, the son of the former Buckeye
captain with the same name, had expressed
interest in Ohio State early in the recruiting
process but committed to the Wolverines in
March after Michigan was quicker to offer
him.
“I don’t expect (the offer from Ohio State)
to have any effect on his commitment to
Michigan,” said Trotwood-Madison head
coach Maurice Douglass.
Kizer doesn’t have a decision date in
mind, but he has visits planned to Alabama
and LSU on consecutive days starting June 6.
Kizer also would like to schedule a visit with
Tennessee in the near future.
“Tennessee has really stepped their game
up, their recruiting efforts under Coach
(Butch) Jones, and they have a great class
right now,” Kizer said. “All they’re missing
is a quarterback, and I think a lot of the
program.
“I can see Tennessee getting back in the
national championship picture under this
staff in the next few years. I’d love to get
down there in the next few weeks to check it
out. I plan on getting down there in the next
few weeks, but I don’t have a date set yet.”
Ohio State Commits, Targets
Dominate NFTC MVPs List
The day after Ohio State hosted the Elite
11 quarterback camp, the Buckeyes’ facili-
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BSB 2013 Electronic
Issue Schedule
July 16
Jan. 11
July 26
Jan. 15
July 30
Jan. 18
Aug. 6
Jan. 25
Aug. 13
Jan. 29
Aug. 30
Feb. 1
Sept. 6
Feb. 5
Sept. 13
Feb. 8
Sept. 20
Feb. 19
Sept. 27
March 5
Oct. 4
March 19
Oct. 18
April 2
Oct. 25
April 9
Nov. 1
May 7
Nov. 15
May 14
Nov. 22
May 21
Nov. 29
May 28
Dec. 6*
June 18
*tentative
ties were busy again hosting a Nike Football
Training Camp that featured all positions
and players from all over the country.
When the event was all said and done,
many familiar faces to the Ohio State coaching staff were on the camp’s MVP list. The
complete list of MVPs, listed by position, is
as follows.
Quarterback: Drew Barker, Hebron
(Ky.) Conner. Barker, a four-star prospect
rated by Scout the No. 7 quarterback in the
2014 class, was recruited by Ohio State but
never earned a scholarship offer from the
Buckeyes. Barker (6-4, 205) committed to
Kentucky on May 10 before his performance
during the Elite 11 camp earned him a ticket
to the Elite 11 finals and The Opening.
Running
back:
Jalen
Hurd,
Hendersonville (Tenn.) Beech. A four-star
prospect rated by Scout the No. 6 running
back in the 2014 class, Hurd has earned a
scholarship offer from Ohio State. However,
the 6-3, 230-pound back verbally committed
to Tennessee in March.
Wide receiver: Montae Nicholson,
Monroeville (Pa.) Gateway. If Nicholson’s
extensive scholarship offer list is any indication, it’s no surprise that he was the camp’s
wide receiver MVP. With offers from Florida
State, Miami (Fla.), Michigan, Nebraska,
North Carolina, Ohio State, Stanford, Virginia
Tech, West Virginia and many others, the 63, 203-pound two-way player’s athleticism
and ability to quickly change directions and
reroute stood out. Scout ranks Nicholson the
No. 11 wide receiver in the 2014 class.
Offensive line: Martesse Patterson,
Columbus Marion-Franklin. It was a surprise performance from a player still working to earn a reputation, but his display of
quick feet and power could do the trick.
The 6-4, 270-pound prospect has offers from
Kentucky and a handful of MAC schools.
Defensive line: Joseph Henderson,
Shaker Heights, Ohio. Shortly after committing to Tennessee on May 30, the 6-4,
225-pound prospect showed he’s ready for
SEC football during his camp performance.
Rated by Scout the No. 71 defensive end in
the 2014 class, Henderson was recruited by
Ohio State but never earned a scholarship
offer from the Buckeyes.
Linebacker: Kyle Berger, Cleveland St.
Ignatius. One of the jewels of Ohio State’s
BSB Quickly Set For June 18
Football recruiting frequently heats up
in the summer as the nation’s elite players
attend camps around the country.
There is no need for Buckeye Sports
Bulletin readers to wait until the July issue
of BSB, scheduled to be mailed July 2,
for updates. There will be a BSB Quickly
electronic issue posted June 18 with all the
latest in recruiting news, as well as features
and all the latest in Ohio State sports happenings.
Additional summer issues of BSB
Quickly are scheduled to be posted July
16, 26, 30 and Aug. 6 and 13, with our big
football preview issue set to be mailed the
week of Aug. 19.
In total, Buckeye Sports Bulletin publishes 36 electronic issues annually in addition to our regular print schedule.
Current BSB subscribers wishing to
access the additional electronic issues
must email their name, address, phone
number and preferred email address to
subscriptions@BuckeyeSports.com. We
will send back simple instructions on how
to access the additional electronic issues
as well as the electronic version of the
print BSB on Mondays during football
season and Tuesdays the rest of the year.
A complete schedule of the additional electronic issues appears on this page.
Please note that subscriptions@
BuckeyeSports.com is an email address,
not a website. After you send BSB your
information, we will send you instructions
on how to access the website.
Those current subscribers who elect
to enjoy the electronic version of BSB as
well as the additional electronic issues
will continue to receive their print copies
of BSB in their mailboxes at the usual
time.
If you have any questions, please feel
free to call us at (614) 486-2202.
2014 recruiting class, the 6-2, 215-pound
outside linebacker had arguably the best
performance of any prospect at the camp.
A four-star prospect rated by Scout the No.
2 outside linebacker in the country, Berger
showed he was comfortable in coverage, was
proficient in seamlessly changing directions
and showed soft hands as well.
Defensive back: Damon Webb, Detroit
Cass Tech. The 6-0, 175-pound Ohio State
commit shone on the field at his future college, winning most challenges with other
cornerbacks and the camp’s top wide receivers. A four-star prospect rated by Scout the
No. 6 corner in the 2014 class, Webb has
been committed to the Buckeyes since midJanuary.
Players who earned invitations to
The Opening with solid performances in
Columbus were Barker; Berger; wide receiver Justin Brent of Indianapolis Speedway;
tight end Ian Bunting of Hinsdale (Ill.)
Central; defensive end Da’Shawn Hand of
Woodbridge, Va.; center J.C. Hassenauer of
Woodbury (Minn.) East Ridge; Hurd; Kizer;
Nicholson; defensive end and OSU commit
Dylan Thompson of Lombard (Ill.) Montini
Catholic; and Webb.
are a fast-paced team,” Settle said. “They
don’t ever give up. It doesn’t matter if they’re
down or not.”
“When I was there the coaching staff said
that they love me. I really like these facilities
and the campus is beautiful. You can tell
when you drive by. I took a bunch of pictures
of it. We got here kind of late so I wasn’t able
to visit for that long, but it was still great. I
think I’ll come back sometime.”
Recruiting Notes
• There may not be a prospect in the
2015 class who passes the look test better
than Pittsburgh Baldwin offensive tackle
Sterling Jenkins. Colleges seem to agree, as
the 6-8, 305-pounder already has 11 scholarship offers, including one from Ohio State.
Jenkins worked out at the NFTC camp.
“Some of the schools sticking out are
Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, Pittsburgh,
Arizona, Virginia
Tech and West
Virginia,” Jenkins
said. “At Ohio State,
I speak with Coach
(Ed) Warinner, and
he is a cool guy to
speak with. He
was in my school,
and when I called
him afterwards he
gave me the offer.
I know they have a
Sterling Jenkins
good academic program because I’ve looked them up, and they
have a really good football system.”
• Two of the top targets on Ohio State’s
board in the 2014 class were five-star prospect
Jabrill Peppers of Paramus (N.J.) Catholic
and three-star linebacker Chase Winovich of
Clairton (Pa.) Thomas Jefferson. Unfortunately
for the Buckeyes, both ended their recruitments by committing to Michigan.
Rated by Scout the No. 4 cornerback in
the 2014 class, Peppers (6-0, 190) chose the
Wolverines over Stanford, LSU and Penn
State. Winovich, rated by Scout the No. 28
outside linebacker, chose Michigan over
Pittsburgh and Ohio State.
• Another quarterback Ohio State offered
in the 2014 class was Scottsdale (Ariz.) Desert
Mountain’s Kyle Allen, a five-star recruit whom
Scout rates the No. 1 signal caller in the class.
Allen (6-3, 195) ended his recruitment June
3, but he opted to commit to Texas A&M.
Allen chose the Aggies over Ohio State, Notre
Dame, Oklahoma State and UCLA.
Top 2015 Defensive Tackle
Camps, Really High On OSU
Manassas (Va.) Stonewall Jackson defensive tackle Tim Settle’s recruitment was only
starting in February, but the 6-2, 295-pound
prospect didn’t hesitate to name Ohio State
his favorite school.
Fast-forward to early June, and Settle
not only has an Ohio State offer, but he
worked out at the program’s NFTC camp.
A 2015 prospect, Settle also has scholarship
offers from Alabama, North Carolina, South
Carolina, Virginia Tech, Wisconsin and others, but the Buckeyes made an unforgettable
first impression.
“Ohio State was great and I loved it,”
Settle said. “The campus is huge. The facilities were huge. It’s really nice there. It’s
organized. You can tell from experience
and the path that they are a very successful
program.
“I just like the environment at Ohio State
in general. I wasn’t even thinking football
when I came here. It’s just how everything
is right now. If you look around, you can just
tell it’s beautiful there.”
Ohio State’s coaching staff didn’t hide
their admiration for the young defensive
tackle.
“I grew up liking Ohio State because of
the way they play in general and how they
COVER STORY
Spring Game Away From OSU ‘One-Time Thing’
Stan Jeffersons, all those people, and he dealt
with everybody in a humanistic way. I like
the way he managed that. That’s a leadership
trait, to be able to come in and manage that
number of people in that situation. There’s
trepidation, there’s anxiety and there’s fear,
so how you handle that is important, and he
did it in such a way that he was able to create
a chemistry on his staff and with his coaches
to get it to the point where the kids could go
12-0. That’s leadership.
“He did a marvelous job with that, plus
he and (his wife) Shelley have engaged the
community in a great way. They’ve managed
themselves really well. As I told them when
they first came here, you can get eaten up if
you don’t manage your calendar because there
is so much philanthropy in our community, so
you have to manage that. He and Shelley have
been doing that. It’s going well.”
BSB: And he’s been a guy that has been
outspoken on a number of topics. He doesn’t
hold back, talking about night games, recruiting, the Big Ten, things like that. Do you like
that strong personality?
GS: “I love it. We’re leaders. When The
Ohio State University makes a statement on
an issue, it’s going to carry some weight, so
he is strategic. I like that. He’s opened the
doors even more for the media to be engaged
with what he does. He’s more forthright. I
like that. He knows what issues we need to
put out there, and he and I had talked about
night games before because I was one that
wanted to do more now that our culture was
ready for it.
“In 2005, we learned a lot. We weren’t
ready to have more night games that fast, but
now we are. We can handle them, the parking
and traffic and all that and how people handle
themselves throughout the day. We’re ready.
I was tired of how we were always getting two
night games on the road and one at home. I
was like, if we’re going to have three night
games, let’s at least do two at home so we’re
not traveling all the time.
“It seems like there’s a number that’s overkill. We need to be careful. There’s a novelty
to the night games. We’ve been wildly successful with the night games. They’ve been
exciting games, so you have to be careful that
you don’t take away from that euphoria that
exists around the night games. I don’t know if
the number is two or three. We’ll have to see
as we move forward.”
BSB: You just completed an out-of-town
spring game, going down to Cincinnati. How
did that work from your perspective, and is it
something you would consider doing again?
GS: “It was a one-time thing. It’s not something we would do unless we had construction in the stadium. That’s the only reason we
did it. I like to have those here, but I think it
worked. We had no clue what we could get
from an attendance point of view. We were
just hopeful we’d get north of 30,000, which
we did, because 30 was kind of our breakeven
point financially, so that worked for us.
“The thing I really liked when I was walking on the field pregame is our guys got a
chance to be in a pro stadium and have that
on the list that during their tenure, they
played in that stadium. That’s a cool thing.
It’s not something we’ll do again unless we’re
doing construction in the stadium, and I don’t
see anything that we’re planning that would
cause us to change.”
BSB: Speaking of construction, how are
the renovations in the stadium coming, and
the new practice gym for basketball, how are
those two projects coming along?
GS: “It’s going well. The stadium project
is moving along. We’ll probably have to go
into next year a little bit, and it won’t impact
the spring game, but we’ll have all the seats
back in by the time the season starts. Then
they might have to come back next year and
do a little bit around some things. But that’s
going well.
“And the basketball facility, somewhere in
mid-July I think it’ll be totally done. It’s moving. The locker room area and everything, all
that is done. The training room is done, but
the gyms and the weight room area, mid-July.
It’s shaping up. It’s going to be really nice.
We’ll have to do a media tour in there at some
point because it’s phenomenal, but you know,
it was needed. It’s going to work extremely
well for both teams to have their own practice
facility.”
BSB: We have to ask about scheduling
for football, especially with the nine-game Big
Ten schedule approved. Earlier, you had said
you were looking at nine or 10, and in some
ways you favored 10 from a balance standpoint, but was nine the best of both words?
GS: “It was. It was kind of the compromise.
We just couldn’t make 10 work. Everybody
decided that we all need to have seven home
games in order to make our local budgets
work, so you just couldn’t make it work with
10. It was unanimous from the beginning
once we figured 10 wouldn’t work, everybody
was for nine. There really wasn’t a whole lot of
debate about it. We talked about the five-four
(home games) issue and the imbalanced part,
but we spent a lot of time on that.
“Now, during that time, we had a moratorium and we couldn’t do any more (nonconference) scheduling, but now that moratorium is
lifted so we have our out years where we have
Oklahoma, North Carolina, Texas, Oregon,
TCU, Boston College, so now we’re trying to
fill around those, which is not easy.”
BSB: It’s kind of a balancing act now,
isn’t it?
GS: “Yes, because all of our open dates,
we need home games, so we’re out trying
to find the right type of schools that we can
get. We’re going to play MAC schools periodically, but we’re also trying to change that
a little bit, working with Big 12 schools, ACC
schools. We’re working with some Pac-12
schools, but it’s hard to get them to come
here one time. We pulled it off with Colorado,
which was unique, but we’re trying it. Martin
Jarmond is doing the legwork on it, and we’re
going to try to pull some of them in.”
BSB: With Ohio State and Michigan moving to the same division, is that something
that, especially with the playoff coming in and
the possibility of playing back-to-back, does
it kind of work out for you two to be where
you are?
GS: “That’s what David Brandon and I
talked about. The playoff system is coming
in ’14, and if we had stayed and we ended up
playing at the end of the regular season and
then played in our conference championship
game, and then you have to turn around and
go to play in a playoff system if you’re fortunate, that would have been too much. That’s
just too much.
“So he and I decided early on that once
we started the division conversations that
we would be on the same page with getting
in the same division. Once we started the
discussions, geography became our No. 1
planning principle as athletic directors, so
going East-West was easy. Then we all knew
particularly in the East that the East would be
tougher, we understood that, but it just made
perfect sense. The conference office had done
a survey of 60,000-some fans and the overwhelming majority was to go geographic. We
played North-South, we looked at that, and it
just doesn’t work as smoothly.
“One of the other things we wanted to
make sure we avoided, we had those situations where student-athletes would miss a
team for four years in a row. It happened with
us and Northwestern (from 2009-12), and I
think we’re getting ready to go on a run with
Nebraska where we would miss them four
years in a row. Now how does that happen?
Ohio State and Nebraska? You have to have
that. So anyway, we’ve solved that problem. I
think it’s going to work. There’s no question
the East is tougher, but as I told Urban, we
have to beat them anyway, so let’s just go
beat them.”
BSB: With ticket prices being raised and
the premium game pricing being instituted,
what has been the reaction to that now that
it has been out for a while? What have you
heard from fans about that?
GS: “Initially there were some people who
were upset about it, and I tried to respond to
every email or call that I got. The ticket office
got some calls and we responded. Renewals
are going pretty strong. I don’t have any
concerns there. That’s an indicator of what
we can do, and I think we’re sitting at 97.2
percent renewal right now without the alumni
lottery. We allow about 71,000 tickets for
alums and usually they sell out, so it will be
interesting to see how that plays, but we have
to be careful with that premium game.
“The numbers that the board (of trustees)
passed are ceilings, so we don’t have to go to
that $175 for the Michigan game. We have
to be conscious of what the season is going
to look like, and so we’ll be careful with that.
Like this year, we did Wisconsin and we did
it at a lower level than we could have done.
We’re not going to just jump to that number
because it is there.
“Historically I have not been supportive of
(premium pricing), but I felt that we needed
to get to it because we have so many deferred
maintenance issues. I can’t fund-raise for
those. We have the roof at the Woody Hayes
that we have to replace, that’s about $1.2 or
$1.3 million, and then we have to replace the
indoor field at some point in time. That’s why
we did it, so we’ll see what happens.”
BSB: We wanted to ask about basketball,
too. This is a school with a basketball history
that is up and down, but now with Thad it’s
almost a straight line upward.
GS: “It’s unreal, isn’t it? I do feel lucky
every day. He’s one of those guys that I don’t
worry about his program. He gets it and he
runs it the right way. He has had a hard job.
I don’t know if people truly understand how
tough it is to do what he does. Your basketball
team has so many outside influences, and the
ability to hold them together and keep that
chemistry is phenomenal, and getting the
players to accept roles.
“We all do it, we sit there and say, ‘Put
him in!’ and he’s found a way to manage that,
so I compliment him. This may have been his
best coaching job because of what we lost,
and then his ability to take that team and get
them to evolve over time and get on that run,
holy smokes. That’s amazing.
“So yes, we now have a program that is on
the right trajectory, and that’s why we need to
keep investing in basketball strategically the
right way because it should be there. We are
one of those schools where both basketball
and football can compete at that level. Doing
the practice gyms, doing the locker rooms,
those types of things are crucial, so hopefully
he can keep it there.”
BSB: We have to ask, Matta doesn’t talk a
whole lot about his health, but he has a nerve
injury in his back that affects the use of his
right foot. Is that the kind of thing that worries you, and do you have to do some things
to help the program deal with where he is?
GS: “I don’t worry about it now. Initially
when he was going through it and came back,
I was concerned about what we were doing.
We talked about strategies, and we added the
seat on the floor that’s a little bit higher in
games, and we added high stools for him to
sit on at practice. I don’t worry about it now
because he doesn’t.
“We increased his private flight hours for
certain trips so he doesn’t have to deal with
going through airports real quickly and signing autographs. It’s hard. He can’t just go to an
airport and go get in line and get on the plane.
He has all the other issues in between, so we
COVER STORY
increased his private flight hours for shorter
trips so he didn’t have to deal with that.
“We did all that early on, so I think they
all seem to be working. He hasn’t asked for
anything else, so I think he’s doing OK. He
knows to ask, which is good, because he
knows I would worry about that, so I think
he’s in pretty good shape.”
BSB: You’ve had changes at the top with
both women’s basketball and men’s hockey
recently. Would you prefer to have stability
in those programs or do you just have to roll
with the punches?
GS: “Oh yeah, you want stability. Steve
Rohlik in men’s hockey I think is going to do
a great job for us. He’s been coaching for 22
years. He has great experience, he knows our
kids, he knows our environment, he knows
the issues we have here. I think he’s going to
keep us on the right trajectory.
“Kevin McGuff was an unbelievable get
for us – someone from Ohio, someone that
has a relationship with Thad because they
worked together at Xavier, and those two
coaches have to work close together. When
you get two basketball coaches like that that
have some familiarity and a relationship, it’s
awesome because they’ll help one another.
That was a big get for us. He’s a great guy
and a good person. He’s a father with six
kids, and his wife played in the WNBA and
then she coached for a little bit. I think that’s
going to be a great package for us when he
gets his family here and gets settled and gets
his staff going.”
BSB: As you mentioned, Ohio State was
not quite as successful on the field overall
this year as in past years, which was reflected
in the Directors’ Cup standings. Obviously in
this department you want to be winning at the
highest level.
GS: “We want to be in the top three or
five, and we want to win that thing one year.
Two years ago we were second, last year we
were fourth. We want to get back up there.
We need to be in that top five on a consistent
basis, is what I strive for. It’s going to be interesting to see how we end up, probably in the
top 10 to 12 I think, but we have to get back
there. Some of that is youth, some of that is
transition, so we’ll get there.”
BSB: Is that worrying to you, that you
took the step back this year?
GS: “I understand some of the issues.
When you lose a Christina Manning in women’s track, you’re going to have issues, and
then football didn’t count, so we have all those
things. We lost Sammy (Prahalis) in women’s
basketball, so we’ll be back there.
“I look at the recruiting in men’s and
women’s track, and what Karen (Dennis) and
Ed (Beathea) are doing. They’ll have athletes
in the NCAAs this year but they’re ones that
usually have higher point totals, and they’ll get
there. I kind of go through each one. Men’s
lacrosse getting in helps us. Historically we
didn’t count on that, and now they’re in. We
hoped baseball would get in because of the
way they scheduled. Man, I love (head coach)
Greg Beals. He’s taking some licks, but he’s
playing a tough schedule.
“I look at women’s tennis, who historically we couldn’t count on, but I know they
signed four top-notch recruits so they’ll be
able to help down the road. It was great that
women’s golf got in. I was happy for (head
coach) Therese Hession. She’s such a good
teacher and she’s a grinder. We started the
new indoor facility, so hopefully that will help
both golf programs step up their recruiting
game a little bit. Hopefully we’ll end up in the
top 10 this year. I’ll be happy with that.”
BSB: You’ve talked recently about how
there are 60 to 70 schools in the NCAA that
have a different playing field than the rest in a
lot of ways, and you’ve said that you’ve talked
to some people about maybe handling that in
a different fashion. Is that something that is
important to you as you go forward?
GS: “Oh yeah. A number of athletic directors met in Santa Monica, Calif., a few weeks
ago – I think it was 82 of us – and we talked
about a lot of different things. It was kind of a
summit to come together and talk about our
issues, and one of them was governance. Out
of that there have been conversations about
different models, so my idea that I’ve had for
a while and talked about out there and some
of my colleagues agreed with is that we need
to find a way to look at the 60 or 70 schools
differently when we do legislation.
“People have been talking about moving
away from the NCAA, but I am not a supporter of that. That makes no sense to me,
but creating a structure within the NCAA that
allows us to legislate a new division where we
come up with a way to identify those 60 or
70 schools – which is pretty easy – and say,
you know what, we’re going to legislate them
differently.
“We created this beast, and one of the
flaws that we had early on in this business
was having legislation to try to create a level
playing field. Now, I was at Eastern Michigan
for 10 years, and being at Ohio State, I can
tell you that there’s no way you can legislate
a level playing field between Ohio State and
Eastern Michigan, or Eastern Michigan and
the University of Michigan, which are 15
minutes apart. You can’t legislate that. You
can do that in some sports, but you can’t do
it in football, that’s for doggone sure, and you
can’t do it financially.
“The one thing now that is kind of used
as the best example is the cost of attendance
piece of legislation. Our scholarship model is
old. That model has been in place for 40 years,
so to me, we have to go to cost of attendance.
I’m fine with the $2,000 cap that has been
identified. I’m fine if we just do it for needbased kids, but we have to do something.
“But we can’t get it done because all of
Division I votes on that piece of legislation. So
the 341 schools vote on that piece of legislation, and if you’re outside the 60 or 70, you
can’t afford it, so of course you’re going to
vote it down. I understand that and I accept
that they can’t do it, so why should we hold
back Tennessee, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio
State and USC – why should we hold those
schools back?
“There’s other models that are being discussed, so at some point in time, there will be
an answer. It might not be my model, it might
be someone else’s, but we need to find a way
to look at those schools differently.”
BSB: That is a radical change in some
ways. This could change the way college
athletics is run.
GS: “That’s right. We’ve done it before.
We used to have legislation that was just
Division I-A legislation and Division I-AA legislation when we had the old model, but we
got away from that. It will definitely change
how business is done. It will be a big issue,
but you know for years now people have been
talking about, ‘Are these schools going to
break away from the NCAA?’
“That conversation has been there. This
conversation is really honing down on that
conversation. You know what, none of us say
to do that, so how do we deal with our issues
without doing that? That’s what is starting to
emerge.”
BSB: Is that mainly for football or will that
go into some other sports?
GS: “That’s one of the conversations. For
me, it’s all sports. For others, maybe it’s just
football. I think you do it for all sports, but I’m
open because some of my colleagues think
we should just do it for football and some of
them say just football and basketball.”
BSB: Then maybe the question becomes
about programs like Akron soccer, where a
mid-major school has become one of the best
in the country in an Olympic sport.
GS: “That’s exactly right. That’s why I
have to be open and listen and say maybe
that’s the way it should be. But right now, I’m
kind of standing on, if I want to provide cost of
attendance to soccer athletes and Akron can’t,
don’t get in my way, you know what I mean?
Don’t get in my way.
“So that’s the issue that I deal with, so I
think we need to think that through. If we
want to be able to hire another coach in
another sport to take it from three to four and
Akron can’t, let us do it, but historically it’s not
been a level playing field.
“We have different issues. We have eBay
people following our student-athletes to class.
We need personnel in order to manage that.
They don’t do that at Eastern Michigan. Our
situation is unique, so if we want to put in
place strategies in order to deal with that,
and it requires legislation or modification or
amendments to legislation, then let us do it.
That’s where I’m coming from. It will be an
interesting debate over the next 12 months.”
BSB: Is it interesting to you how much
time you have to spend dealing with big-picture issues like NCAA issues and Big Ten
expansion and things like that, as opposed to
your own things here at Ohio State?
GS: “It’s a balance. I trust people. I really
do. We’re blessed. We have competent people
along the lines of (communications director)
Dan Wallenberg and (operations director) Mike
Penner. I’m here to help advise them when
they need me, but they run their shops, which
gives me the ability to focus nationally, deal
with donors. A large part of my job is revenue
generation, so doing fund-raising and things.
But to be able to pick up and go to California for
2½ days or go to Big Ten meetings, I go with
no concerns because I know these guys are
running the shop, so it gives me a real comfort
level. I have people I can count on. It’s huge.”
BSB: We also wanted to ask about something that has been in the news – gay acceptance in sports. NBA player Jason Collins just
came out and your men’s hockey program
held a Pride Night. You’ve tried to build an
open, inclusive environment here. Why is
that so important to you and how do you think
that’s coming along?
GS: “I think it’s working. I’ve always felt
that way everywhere I’ve been. My background coming up, I’ve just always been an
inclusive person, regardless of your religion
or your race, it doesn’t matter to me. I really
like that slogan that the You Can Play Project
came up with – ‘If you can play, you can play.’
I thought that was a great way to say it.
“That’s another reason we embraced that
promotion, but we have to continue to find a
way to help our young people understand that
that is the way the world is. You’re going to
leave our incubator of higher education and
football, basketball or track, whatever, and
you’re going to go into the real world and
people are different out there, so embrace it
and respect it.
“I’ve always been passionate about that.
We have probably one of the most, if not
the most, diverse athletic departments in
the country among our administrative team
and our coaches, so it’s just something I’ve
always felt was important. WOSU did a radio
show on this, and one of the great things was
a former fencer for us called in and thanked
the athletic department for creating that environment where he could come out over four
years. Some Monday night I was at a dinner
and I got a text about Derrick Anderson (a
track athlete who came out recently). It gives
me relief. You want people to feel free to be
who they are.”
BSB: Has any negative backlash to that
been something you’ve had to deal with?
GS: “I haven’t dealt with that much here.
Those types of things usually go to other
people, but I have received one email and
interacted with the guy, and we respectfully
agreed to disagree, and that’s OK. We have a
diverse constituency of thought, so I respect
their thought and just disagree and move on.
That’s all you can do.”
BSB: You’ve had Nike provide you with
alternate football jerseys the past couple of
years. How do you balance going with what
they want to do with throwback uniforms for
big games vs. keeping the Ohio State brand
and Ohio State tradition what it is?
GS: “That’s exactly right, and Urban and
I talked about that a lot when he first came
in. Once we started the Pro Combat uniforms
and it kind of worked, we’ll keep doing that
because, one, the kids love it. Two, it’s great
for recruiting. I’m a traditionalist, but I don’t
play anymore. You’re not recruiting me, so
we want to be able to make sure that we’re
staying up with the times, respecting our traditions but staying up with the times relative
to the young people who play and the young
people we have to recruit.
“Every year we bring that out and our players love it. It’s the coolest thing, and you’ve
probably seen some of them and the looks on
their faces, so it’s cool. We’ll keep doing that
with Nike, and over time, I’m sure they’ll ask
us to do something else and we’ll judge it. We
sit down with them once a year and they give
us a presentation and we go through it and
decide, ‘OK, this might fit.’ Sometimes we’ll
pull Archie (Griffin) in and he’ll give us his
opinion, then we go. I’ve liked every uniform
we’ve had for different reasons. I really liked
last year’s. I thought the helmet was off the
chain. But everybody has different taste.
“I don’t know what else we’ll do down the
road, but we’re going to be open every year
because we have to stay on the cutting edge.
We have to. This generation of kids is different, so we have to respond to them.
“We go through this all the time; we do it
with our band. Jon Waters started that swag
song and that’s new for us, but he balances
it with not eliminating a tradition. He uses it
in the right times, and the kids love that. We
have 30,000 students in our stadium and the
ones on the field, so he’s recognizing that
diversity and came up with a pretty cool short
little deal, so there’s balance.”
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OHIO STATE FOOTBALL
Writers High On Meyer-Led Ohio State
By MARCUS HARTMAN
Urban Meyer’s arrival has done more
than help win football games for Ohio State.
It also seems to have gone a long way toward
solving a national credibility problem that
followed the Buckeyes through the second
half of the last decade and lingered into the
start of this one.
Examples of the renewed confidence in
the Buckeyes’ ability to compete with the
best teams in the country are all over the
Internet these days, and they started even
before the 12-0 season Meyer posted in his
first year as head coach of the Scarlet and
Gray.
Respected national writer Dan Wetzel
sounded convinced early on, using his
Yahoo! Sports column the day of the 2011
Ohio State-Michigan game to proclaim the
change coming to the Buckeyes, Wolverines
and the Big Ten overall.
“Urban Meyer soon will be named Ohio
State’s coach, instantly reinvigorating a
Buckeyes program that’s drifted for nearly a
year amid busted secrets and lingering scandal,” Wetzel wrote Nov. 26, 2011. “He’ll also
add a measure of pop to this historic rivalry.
“There is little question (Michigan head
coach Brady) Hoke has the Wolverines
pointed in the proper direction, a combination of attitude and aptitude even before his
touted group of recruits hits campus.
“And there is just as little doubt that
Meyer will excel down the road in Columbus,
where Ohio State’s vast resources, proximity to talent and institutional commitment to
winning await a coach who racked up two
BCS titles at Florida and an unbeaten season
at Utah.”
Perhaps it should come as no surprise
that a coach with such a résumé would be
able to change the perception of a team, but
then again the program in many ways has
not changed much.
The geographic location is still the same,
as are many of the players. Meyer has
reworked the roster quickly, but many of the
upperclassmen he will depend on this fall are
players who signed with Ohio State when
Jim Tressel was still in charge.
ing
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r
a
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a
e
Retail m
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And that is what makes the move of writers across the nation to alter their view of
the Buckeye program so quickly somewhat
fascinating.
While college football is and always has
been more about the Jimmys and the Joes
than the X’s and the O’s, to copy an old saying, Meyer’s ability as a program manager
and player developer has done as much to
improve Ohio State’s outlook as ramped up
recruiting might in years to come even as
the Buckeyes have yet to beat a
major out-of-conference foe during his watch.
Wetzel is not alone in his
positive view of the Buckeyes’
present and future.
Mark Schlabach of ESPN.
com has ranked Ohio State as
the team most likely to go undefeated this season, although that
is in part a result of the lack of
many high-quality opponents on
the Buckeyes’ schedule.
Urban
Andy Staples of Sports
Illustrated ranked Ohio State – with many
veterans returning on offense but six of
seven starters on the defensive front seven
having graduated or left school early for the
NFL draft – fourth in the nation following
spring practice. Jerry Palm of CBSSports.
com projects the Buckeyes to be headed to
Pasadena to play Alabama in the national
championship game, and noted prognosticator Phil Steele predicts Ohio State will start
the season ranked No. 2 behind the defending national champion Crimson Tide.
In the span of a week following the conclusion of spring football, national columnists
from Sports Illustrated (Stewart Mandel) and
CBSSports.com (Dennis Dodd) both penned
pieces extolling the Buckeyes as the nation’s
most likely candidate to topple the Tide
and end the SEC’s run of seven consecutive national championships, an interesting
juxtaposition considering the first of those
national titles came at the expense of Ohio
State following the 2006 season and kicked
off years of doubt the Buckeyes deserved to
be on the national stage again.
The irony thickens with recognition of
the fact that was not only the night seem-
ingly all the national creditability of the Ohio
State program went poof – much of it so hard
won in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl win against a
Miami (Fla.) squad many prognosticators
thought was too fast for the Buckeyes of that
season – but that it was also a fate delivered
by Meyer and a fired-up bunch of Florida
Gators.
“If you don’t believe the SEC can win
an eighth consecutive title, then you have
to believe in something else,” Dodd wrote
the same week Mandel’s piece
was published. “I believe in Ohio
State.”
Dodd is also following the
lead of colleague Gregg Doyel,
a Florida alumnus and Ohio resident who much like Wetzel has
been bullish on the Buckeyes
under Meyer from the start.
“The marriage of Urban
Meyer to Ohio State is a gamechanger for college football, a
move that will propel Ohio State
Meyer
back to the top of the national
heap with such velocity that it will pull
along the rest of the Big Ten in its jet
stream,” Doyel wrote for CBSSports.com
when Meyer was hired, and he did not stop
at the conference level.
“The college football landscape just
changed,” Doyel added. “The balance of power
remains within the SEC, but do you remember the days of Ohio State being the butt of
BCS title game jokes? Good. Hang onto that
memory. Because those days are over.”
Doyel remained sold on the Buckeyes
when he was in attendance for their bludgeoning of Nebraska in October, too.
“Ohio State is only going to get better
– a lot better – in the coming years,” Doyel
wrote after the Buckeyes’ 63-38 win over
the Cornhuskers on Oct. 6. “Even with the
Buckeyes facing NCAA sanctions that will
keep them out of the 2012 postseason and
cost them nine scholarships over the next
three seasons, Meyer recruits too well and
he coaches too well and he hires great assistants too well. For most of the Big Ten, the
time to beat Ohio State is now.”
“The next few months will determine
Ohio State’s place in history,” he later added.
“And the next few years will establish where
they are nationally. Here’s my prediction:
They’re going to become the most likely
program to end the SEC’s streak of national
championships.”
As for Mandel, he wrote something this
spring along the same lines but maintained a
certain amount of reserve in the process.
“Much of the enthusiasm for 2013 centers
on the notion that the Buckeyes will follow
the same path Florida did in its second season under Meyer, when it improved from
a shaky 9-3 team (in 2005) to a 13-1 BCS
champion,” Mandel wrote May 8.
“Gators quarterback Chris Leak, much
like Meyer quarterbacks Alex Smith (Utah)
and Josh Harris (Bowling Green), improved
dramatically in his second season running
Meyer’s spread offense, leaving Buckeyes
fans salivating at the prospects for star
Braxton Miller in his second campaign under
Meyer’s watch. And as those same fans
remember painfully well, dominant defensive ends Derrick Harvey and Jarvis Moss
keyed Florida’s 41-14 rout of Ohio State in
that year’s BCS title game (which began the
SEC’s current streak); Meyer’s first batch of
blue-chip defensive linemen are expected to
play pivotal roles this fall.”
As far as endorsements go, it is far
from the most ringing one ever made, but
Mandel’s piece still sounds distinctly more
upbeat than the types of things the rest of
the country was writing and saying about
the Buckeyes most of the time from 2007-10,
even as they won four Big Ten titles and a
pair of BCS bowls.
Rather than a dismissal of the Buckeyes’
ability to compete with the best in the nation,
there is a sincere sense of looking forward to
what they can accomplish.
And that brings us back to Wetzel, who
has shown no inclination to back down from
his initial proclamations of late 2011.
He came away from the 2012 campaign
impressed, first remarking at the progress
of the Buckeyes in the immediate aftermath
of their 26-21 defeat of Michigan in the 2012
version of The Game.
“The Gatorade-style bath dumped on
Urban Meyer Saturday at Ohio Stadium must
have felt a lot colder than the ones he got
when he aided the actual Gators. Not much
else changed though since Meyer took his
act from the Florida sun to the perfectly gray
and frozen Midwestern November skies,”
Wetzel wrote Nov. 24. “Ohio State has one
of the best coaches in America, a resultoriented, game-changing talent who might
be able to do for the Big Ten what confused
expansion plans likely won’t – return the
league to national relevance.”
A little more than two months later,
Wetzel was again behind Meyer after the
head coach made comments hinting his
colleagues across the conference might
need to step up their efforts on the recruiting trail.
“He might just demand everyone be more
aggressive, more SEC-like, where this stuff
is painfully serious,” Wetzel wrote Feb. 7.
“It’s quite possible his conversation will
go nowhere, with no coach in the league
interested in hearing suggestions on how to
recruit better, let alone from Urban Meyer.
“About the only certainty is this: Meyer is
going to say his piece. Publicly. Privately. No
hard feelings, guys, but he needs someone
to keep up with his Buckeyes. He isn’t doing
this just for fun.”
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OHIO STATE FOOTBALL
DVD Provides Look Back At Perfect Season
Editor’s Note: Buckeye Sports Bulletin is
offering a free copy of the DVD “Game Time
with Urban Meyer: A Season in Review”
as part of its current subscription promotions. Watch your mailbox for information on
how you can receive this look back at Ohio
State’s perfect 2012 football season as part of
your subscription renewal. The following is a
review of the DVD.
By MARK REA
BSB Managing Editor Emeritus
During its long and storied 123-year history, the Ohio State football program has
experienced only six unblemished seasons,
and now fans can relive the latest perfect
campaign with a DVD chronicling the 2012
season.
“Game Time with Urban Meyer: A Season
in Review” boasts nearly two hours of features including game footage from each of
the Buckeyes’ 12 victories, top storylines, a
list of All-Big Ten performers, a look ahead
at the upcoming season schedule and a
sit-down interview with Meyer conducted
by Dom Tiberi, longtime sports anchor for
WBNS-10TV in Columbus.
Tiberi also serves as host for the DVD,
which features an interactive main menu
from which users can access individual game
highlights, interviews and special features.
Meyer kicks things off by offering his
thoughts on what makes Ohio State football
so special.
“Ohio State is different,” the coach says
over a backdrop of scenes from the 2012 season, scarlet and gray-themed graphics and
the familiar strains of “Across the Field.”
“(There is an) incredible responsibility
to uphold this tradition,” Meyer continues.
“What does it mean to be a Buckeye? It
means everything. Our goal is real simple:
It’s to make the great state of Ohio proud.
Obviously, on the field that means winning
games, and off the field it means being great
citizens of this great state.”
Tiberi follows with an overview of the
entire season, including highlights of key
plays beginning with several angles of wide
receiver Devin Smith’s incredible onehanded touchdown catch during the opener
against Miami (Ohio).
Team milestones and records are listed,
including the fact the Buckeyes scored
50 or more points four times to set a
new single-season program record; their 38
rushing touchdowns represented the highest number of ground tallies since 1978;
and sophomore quarterback Braxton Miller
had a record-breaking year culminating in
earning the Big Ten Silver Football award,
symbolic of the conference’s most valuable
player.
The highlight of the opening 30 minutes
of the DVD, however, is an eight-minute
interview with Meyer, conducted shortly
after the season ended. The coach addresses
several interesting topics, including how to
honor the 2012 class of seniors who because
of NCAA sanctions were unable to play for
a Big Ten championship or go to a bowl
game.
“Someday, they’re going to come back,
and when they come back, they need to see
their picture, their name,” Meyer said. “This
is not just some ordinary team. This is an
undefeated football team. This is the team
that went from losing seven games to zero
in one season. For sure, I know we’re going
to do a wall (at the Woody Hayes Athletic
Center) devoted to them. But it’s going to
be so much more important than just a wall.
I want to make sure that they are known
forever.”
The coach was unusually candid when
asked by Tiberi to identify what he thought
was the turning point in the undefeated
season.
“There is no doubt it was that afternoon
in East Lansing,” Meyer said, referring to
the 17-16 victory at Michigan State in the
Big Ten season opener. “There was a very
strong discussion before we got on the bus
to go to the stadium. We don’t win that
game the way that team was (playing up
to that point). There’s no way you win that
game unless everyone says, ‘We’re all in
this together.’
“I’d say the majority of players (hadn’t
yet totally bought in to what we were trying
to do). I knew why. There had been a very
successful way of doing things at Ohio State.
They were saying to themselves, ‘This is the
way we do it. Who’s this guy? He’s doing it
a little bit different and we’re creatures of
habit. We used to do it this way.’ Well, we
weren’t going to do it that way anymore,
and I felt there was some pushback. But at
the end of the day, everybody pushed their
chips to the middle of the table and went
all in.”
The Buckeyes overturned a 13-10 deficit
to the Spartans late in the third quarter with
a 63-yard touchdown pass from Miller to
Smith and then hung on defensively for the
one-point victory. That was the first of eight
consecutive Big Ten triumphs that allowed
Ohio State to finish Meyer’s first season
undefeated and win an outright Leaders
Division championship.
During the interview, Meyer also provides his thoughts on his first OSU-Michigan
game as head coach, gives a message to prospective recruits and addresses his biggest
concern heading into 2013.
“We’re nonfunctional at a couple of positions right now,” he said. “Linebacker is
one of them. If we had to go out and play a
game tomorrow, we’d have to postpone the
game because I don’t know who would play
at linebacker. That’s how dire our straits are
right there.”
Nevertheless, the coach finishes the
interview on a positive note, firmly stating,
“We’re going to keep pushing that envelope
as hard as we can because we have an obligation to maintain a standard this team set
this year.”
Game recaps make up a large part of the
DVD, and Tiberi narrates footage from each
of the contests, beginning by reminding fans
that the memorable 2012 season began with
the Buckeyes trailing Miami by a 3-0 deficit
after one quarter of play.
Each of the five-minute recaps features
highlights supplemented by actual game
commentary from play-by-play announcer
Paul Keels and color analyst Jim Lachey.
The recaps also contain scores, pertinent
stats, exciting plays and postgame quotes
from Meyer and/or a key player in the
contest.
Unlike some DVDs covering past Ohio
State seasons, “A Season in Review” offers
a host of bonus features. They include
vignettes on gameday preparation and tailgating; a visit with senior co-captain Zach
Boren, who keyed a midseason defensive
resurgence by switching from fullback to
linebacker; and a profile of strength coach
Mickey Marotti, who tells viewers the key to
motivating players is “knowing what makes
them click and knowing what makes them
tick.”
Additional bonus features include snippets of the alumni band, a special salute to
the military and a countdown of the top 10
defensive hits of the season as well as the top
offensive and defensive plays complete with
radio calls from Keels and Lachey.
The addition of Keels and Lachey is a
definite plus for the DVD as Ohio State fans
familiar with the popular duo’s delivery will
attest. Some of the more entertaining plums:
Keels describing safety Christian Bryant’s
big hit on UAB receiver Nick Adams as
“dropping Adams like a sack of wet potatoes,” and Boren’s sack of Michigan quarterback Devin Gardner as “planting him like a
cheap flower.”
Informative interviews, exciting game
footage and a ton of extras make “Game Time
with Urban Meyer: A Season in Review” a
must for any Ohio State fan.
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This event is a fundraiser for Special Olympics in Fairfield County
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There will be a silent auction and other raffles taking place
throughout the evening. Bowling with Buckeyes will feature a Celebrity Bowl-Off at 7 p.m.
Admission for non-lane sponsors:
Adults – $5 • Children under 12 (accompanied by an adult) – Free
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OHIO STATE SPRING GRADUATES
Obama Highlights Commencement Ceremony
By ARI WASSERMAN
When Ohio Stadium’s seats are filled, it is
usually head coach Urban Meyer and his Ohio
State football team claiming all the attention.
On May 5, it was the most impactful figure in
the country who found himself center stage in
the Horseshoe.
President Barack Obama delivered the keynote speech during Ohio State’s commencement ceremony, which featured an attendance
of more than 57,000 people – including graduating students and their family and friends.
Of those in attendance, 111 were graduating student-athletes, and all gathered to listen
to Obama offer adages, advice and words of
reflection to those preparing to move into the
next phases of their lives.
But even in a time as serious as graduation,
Obama didn’t fail to recognize what has long
been central Ohio’s largest passion – Ohio
State football.
“Congratulations, Class of 2013. And of
course, congratulations to all the parents, the
family and friends and faculty here in the
Horseshoe – this is your day as well,” Obama
said amid a large roar of applause. “I’ve been
told to ask everybody, though, please be careful with the turf. Coach Meyer has big plans
for this fall.”
Obama delivered this commencement
speech three years after giving one to graduates at Michigan, but the president quickly
earned the admiration of the crowd when
he referred to Michigan as “That School Up
North.”
“It is true that I did speak at that certain
university up north a few years ago,” Obama
said. “But, to be fair, you did let President
Ford speak here once – and he played football
for Michigan – so everybody can get some
redemption.”
That message likely hit home with the
eight former OSU football players graduating,
including Zach Boren. Boren, who earned his
degree in sport and leisure studies, was a captain for Ohio State last year and has become
most known for his selfless move from fullback
to linebacker in the middle of Ohio State’s
season.
On defense, the Buckeyes allowed 386.5
yards per game before Boren arrived, and
only 331.7 in the final six games of the season.
Boren, who signed with the Houston Texans
this April, made 50 tackles and a memorable
sack of Michigan quarterback Devin Gardner
in his time on defense.
The other two starters from the 2012 team
to graduate this spring, Travis Howard and
Orhian Johnson, also signed free-agent contracts with the Texans and are currently accompanying Boren in trying to make Houston’s
roster. Howard was a first-team All-Big Ten
cornerback this year after making four interceptions, while Johnson added 39 tackles and
two interceptions at safety/nickel back.
Among other notable graduates were Max
Stearns of the fencing team, Tiffany Cameron
of women’s soccer, Amanda Furrer of rifle,
Brady Hjelle of men’s hockey, C.J. Magrum of
wrestling and Caitlin Stewart of synchronized
swimming.
OSU’s 2013 male Big Ten Medal of Honor
winner, Stearns finished his fencing career
as a three-time All-American in sabre, which
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included first-team honors during Ohio State’s
2012 national championship run.
Stearns was also a champion in the classroom, and he received an NCAA postgraduate
scholarship and the NCAA’s Elite 89 award in
March, which is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA participating at the finals site in each sport. Stearns
graduated with a 4.0 GPA in political science,
and he’ll move on to attend Moritz College of
Law at Ohio State in the fall.
Cameron, a second-team All-American
and two-time first-team All-Big Ten selection,
graduates from Ohio State with a degree in
communication and is embarking on a professional soccer career. She currently stands as
Ohio State’s all-time leading career goal-scorer
with 40, including 21 in 2012 that shattered the
previous single-season record of 13.
Furrer gained fame when she qualified for
the 2012 Summer Olympics, placing 12th in the
50-meter three-position rifle event in London.
She accomplished that feat with the experience
she gained at Ohio State, as she placed in the
top 10 nationally in smallbore rifle in each season she competed for the Buckeyes.
Hjelle, who became only the third player in
OSU men’s hockey history to earn first-team
All-America honors in 2012-13, was named
the Central Collegiate Hockey Association
Goaltender of the Year after posting a leaguebest 1.89 goals-against average in conference
action. Overall, Hjelle posted a 2.00 GAA in all
games this past season, second best in Ohio
State history.
Magrum is a three-time captain and a fourtime NCAA championships qualifier, collecting more than 80 wins during his Ohio State
career. Magrum also got it done in the classroom, earning National Wrestling Coaches
Association All-Academic Team honors, garnering Big Ten Distinguished Scholar honors
and being named to the Academic All-Big Ten
team three times.
A four-time U.S. Collegiate All-American,
Stewart helped Ohio State collect the ultimate
prize twice – back-to-back national championships in 2009 and 2010. She also served as the
U.S. duet alternate at the 2012 Olympic Games
in London. Academically, Stewart was a 2014
Big Ten Medal of Honor finalist.
A complete list of those graduating, listed
alphabetically by sport, and their majors follows.
Baseball – Mike Carroll, marketing;
Ryan Cypret, sport and leisure studies; Brad
Hallberg, operations management; Drew
Rucinski, criminology.
Women’s Basketball – Aleksandra
Dobranic, logistics management; Tayler Hill,
human development and family science.
Men’s Cross Country/Track and Field
– Donny Roys, sport and leisure studies.
Women’s Cross Country/Track and
Field – Victoria Brink, English; Molly
Jacobson, operations management.
Fencing – Katarzyna Dabrowa, psychology; Tasha Domashovetz, psychology; Nicholas
Kotz, English; Alison Miller, psychology;
Narayan Pathi, economics; Caroline Piesecka,
international business; Maxwell Stearns, political science; Daniel Tafoya, international studies; William Woods, marketing.
Field Hockey – Danica Deckard, sport and
leisure studies; Laura Napolitano, political science; Paula Pastor Pitarque, communication.
Football – Zach Boren, sport and leisure studies; Dalton Britt, criminology; Mike
Collins, sociology; Adam Homan, exercise science; Travis Howard, family resource management; Orhian Johnson, sport and leisure
studies; Jon Lorenz, finance; Ross Oltorik,
communication.
Men’s Golf – Alex Redfield, political science; Patrick Simard, environmental policy
and management.
Women’s Golf – Susana Benavides, communication.
Men’s Gymnastics – Ty Echard, biology;
Philip Onorato, family resource management;
Brandon Wynn, family resourse management.
Women’s Gymnastics – Sarah Gillespie,
finance; Nicole Krauter, medical dietetics;
Lauren Ritter, human development and family
science; Casey Williamson, psychology.
Men’s Hockey – Alex Carlson, actuarial science; Brady Hjelle, economics; Paul
Kirtland, marketing.
Women’s Hockey – Amanda Boskovich,
accounting; Brittany Carlson, psychology; Liz
Rizzo, neuroscience; Kim Theut, human development and family science; Minttu Tuominen,
human nutrition; Kelly Wild, psychology.
Men’s Lacrosse – Nick Liddil, communication; Patrick Toohey, English; Daniel Wertz,
sport and leisure studies; Gene Wilkes III,
communication.
Women’s Lacrosse – Rachel Blue, molecular genetics; Emily Burdalski, English; Alison
Cahill, communication; Kaitlin Cahill, communication; Sarah Lenow, speech and hearing
science; Rachel Wiederkehr, nursing.
Pistol – Eric Dates, hospitality management.
Rifle – Gina Cheliras, family resourse management; Amanda Furrer, finance.
Rowing – Julie Dick, political science;
Samantha Fowle, operations management;
Sara Handa, economics; Sarah Marshall, communication; Katherine Tylinski, industrial
design; Emily Walsh, political science.
Men’s Soccer – Ben Killian, marketing;
Austin McAnena, finance.
Women’s Soccer – Tiffany Cameron,
communication; Kayla Eckman, psychology;
Lauren Granberg, finance; Jessica Greenberg,
political science; Kendyl Reed, accounting;
Kellen Shields, human nutrition; Alyssa Walker,
Softball – Danielle LeBeau, psychology;
Brittany Mills, economics.
Men’s Swimming and Diving – Lincoln
Fahrbach, operations management; Andrew
Keily, sport and leisure studies; Blaine Kincaid,
biology; Austin Mudd, molecular genetics;
Andrew Slater, biochemistry.
Women’s Swimming and Diving – Emily
Creran, exercise science; Megan Detro, health
sciences program; Shannon Draves, human
development and family science; Catherine
Eitel, biology; Lauren Massey, biology; Kelsey
Moran, psychology; Angela Severn, exercise
science; Kelly Titus, psychology.
Synchronized Swimming – Caitlin
Hoffman, sociology; Jennifer Mann, human
development and family science; Caitlin
Stewart, psychology; Michelle Theriault,
Women’s Tennis – Gabrielle Steele, communication.
Men’s Track and Field – Marvel Brooks,
film studies; Michael Hartfield, criminology.
Women’s Track and Field – Katherine
Groseclose, chemical engineering; Bridget
Jacobs, accounting; Rachael Mack, health info
management and systems; Margaret Mullen,
physical education.
Men’s Volleyball – Langley Erickson, city
and regional planning; Nick Gibson, health info
management and systems; Derek Kues, exercise science; Grayson Overman, communication; John Tholen, mechanical engineering.
Wrestling – C.J. Magrum, communication;
Steven Ruthen, finance; Jeremy Sanders, industrial design; Nikko Triggas, family resource
management.
OHIO STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL
Thomas Prepping For Upcoming NBA Draft
There was at least a glimmer of hope that
men’s basketball forward Deshaun Thomas
would return to Ohio State for his senior
season because many NBA draft projections
had him as a second-round selection.
COURT REPORT
Ari Wasserman
But Thomas still opted to forgo his final
collegiate season by throwing his name
into the talent pool for the draft – which will
take place on June 27 – and that’s probably
because the 6-7, 215-pound prospect is still
confident he’ll be selected in the first round.
“I believe I can be that late first-round
pick,” Thomas said at the NBA combine on
May 16. “I have confidence. But all I’ve got
to do is keep working, do what I can do. As
long as I can feel like when I can walk out of
that gym that I worked hard, I’ll leave it in
God’s hands and everything will take care
of itself.”
Thomas is right about not being able to
control his fate, but after leading the Big Ten
in scoring with 19.8 points per game while
helping the Buckeyes to the Elite Eight last
season, he feels he’s worthy of a first-round
selection.
However, it still looks as though that may
not happen. As of early June, NBADraft.net
projected the former Buckeye star as a midsecond-round pick. Thomas said he’s prepared to make the most of his opportunity
regardless of where he’s selected.
“It’s all about getting in there and being
with the right team, having the right team
pick you and going from there,” Thomas
said. “Are you going to work out? Are you
going to keep going? That’s what my motivation is. Get in there, work out, try to work
your way up and be great.”
Thomas finished his career No. 9 on Ohio
State’s all-time scoring list with 1,630 points,
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and he helped the Buckeyes advance to at
least the Sweet 16 in each of his three seasons. His 733 points scored this past season
was the third-highest single-season total in
OSU history.
There’s no question that he is a proven
and seasoned scorer. But Thomas – who
has been preparing for the NBA draft in
Indianapolis – understands that making a
career in the NBA is more about being a
well-rounded player.
“I can bring great energy,” Thomas said.
“I can bring the toughness, the competitiveness and the will to win. Everybody says,
‘Yeah, you can bring the scoring, but what
else can you do?’
“I can go out there and get the extra
points, extra rebounds, extra assists, just the
little things. I learned that from playing at
Ohio State. It’s not all about the scoring. It’s
all about the effort and doing the little things
to help your team win.”
Okafor Trims List
If Ohio State’s effort in the recruitment
of Jahlil Okafor is any indication, the 6-9,
255-pound center out of Chicago Whitney
Young is the Buckeyes’ top target in the 2014
recruiting class.
And why wouldn’t he be? The five-star
prospect – rated by Scout.com the top overall
prospect in his class – has long been considered one of the most transcendent big men
to emerge from the high school ranks in
recent years.
The Buckeyes would love to land
Okafor’s services, especially when considering experts believe he could have the same
type of impact former OSU big man Jared
Sullinger had on the program when he committed as part of the 2010 recruiting class.
Ohio State got a bit of good news May
29 when Okafor announced his final eight
on his public Twitter account, saying, “In
no particular order, my final eight: Arizona,
Baylor, Duke, Illinois, Kentucky, Kansas,
Michigan State and Ohio State.” Some of
the schools that didn’t make the cut were
Arkansas, DePaul, Louisville, North Carolina
and Wisconsin.
But judging by the list of schools still
alive in Okafor’s recruitment, Ohio State isn’t
in a position to relax.
Instead, the Buckeyes hope their involvement in the recruitment of point guard Tyus
Jones of Apple Valley, Minn., could pay dividends because Okafor has stated that he’d
like to attend college with Jones.
Scout rates the 6-0, 175-pounder a fivestar prospect, the No. 1 point guard and the
No. 2 overall player in the 2014 class, and he
has racked up scholarship offers from many
premier programs across the country.
If both are intent on being a package
deal, that could be good news for Ohio State
given that not all of the schools in Okafor’s
final eight are recruiting both actively. Those
looking at both include: Baylor, Duke,
Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State and the
Buckeyes.
OSU Offers Rabb
Oakland (Calif.) Bishop O’Dowd power
forward Ivan Rabb has worked diligently to
become a sought-after player, and the 2015
prospect seems to have accomplished that
goal early in his prep career by earning recent
scholarship offers from programs such as
Arizona State, Ohio State and UCLA.
A 6-9, 220-pound prospect, Rabb said he
was happy to pick up the offers from established college basketball programs.
KEVIN DYE
HIGH HOPES – Former Ohio State
men’s basketball standout Deshaun
Thomas believes he will be a firstround pick in the 2013 NBA draft.
“I used to love Ohio State growing up
because Jared Sullinger went there and that
was my favorite college player,” Rabb told
Scout.com national recruiting analyst Josh
Gershon. “UCLA was really cool because
both the old coaching staff and new coaching staff wanted me. And Arizona State is
another college I grew up watching. I really
appreciated all three offers.”
Joining those three programs on Rabb’s
scholarship offer list are such schools as
Arizona, California, Kansas, North Carolina
State, UNLV and USC, and the five-star
prospect anticipates his opportunities will
grow much more as his high school career
continues to progress.
“The schools recruiting me the hardest
are California, Arizona and N.C. State,” Rabb
said. “Cal came to see me a lot during the
year, and I went to some football and basketball games. I like the coaches over there.
They’re all friendly and know what they’re
doing.
“The Arizona coaches have also come to
see me a couple of times during the season
and I have seen them at my games this
spring. They are friendly and they all know
what they are doing.”
Rabb anticipates taking unofficial visits to
Stanford and California this summer – those
visits have become typical because of those
programs’ proximity to his home – and he’d
like to make it down to the southern part of
the state to visit UCLA and USC.
But Rabb knows he’d like to visit out-ofstate programs, which he’s expecting will
come in the future. However, that didn’t stop
him from trimming schools from his long
list that he already knows he doesn’t want
to attend.
“Me and my coach went through all the
schools in the country and crossed off all the
schools I didn’t want to attend,” Rabb said.
“We narrowed it down to about 43 schools.”
Rabb knows exactly what he wants from
the program he eventually chooses.
“The most important thing to me when
choosing a college is not just basketball,
but academics,” Rabb said. “Not everyone
is going to the NBA and I realize that, and
it doesn’t matter what the rankings say. I
need to stay humble, keep working hard and
make sure I make the right choice.”
King Leads 2016 Class
Maybe it is because V.J. King plays
his high school basketball in the state of
OHIO STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL
Ohio at Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary, but
Ohio State was the first major program to
offer the 6-5, 175-pound shooting guard a
scholarship.
The Buckeyes issued King his scholarship before his freshman season, and now
that he’s entering his second prep campaign he has all of a sudden become one of
the most exciting youthful prospects in the
country.
Though King has still not earned a ton
of scholarships – Iowa and Wisconsin are
the only two other major programs to follow
Ohio State’s actions – he has been receiving
attention from Arizona, Baylor, Connecticut,
DePaul, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan
State, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Stanford
and others.
“I feel I am getting a lot better,” King
said. “I am in the weight room every day
working to get stronger, and that has helped
me attack the rim more. Also I have been
working on my fundamentals and keeping
my handle right.”
Though King now lives in Ohio, he spent
most of life living in North Carolina and
played middle school basketball there while
emerging as a prospect of interest. That could
mean North Carolina enters his recruitment
with a little extra momentum.
“UNC, they came and saw one of my
open gyms,” King said. “I don’t know too
much about their program. I know my dad
has been in contact with them a little bit, but
I am not really paying too much attention to
that right now.”
Now that King lives in Ohio, he has had
ample time to become familiar with Ohio
State. He has already taken an unofficial
visit to the Buckeyes’ campus, met with the
coaches and toured the program’s facilities.
“I’ve been there for a visit and it is a great
campus,” King said of OSU. “The coaches
really stood out to me. You can get in the
gym whenever you want there, and it is just
a great place.”
Though King doesn’t try to contain his
excitement for the opportunities in his future,
he said he has maintained a focus on the
things that matter most at this point in his
life – academics and continuing to improve.
“College basketball is a great opportunity
for me,” King said. “I know I have to keep
getting better and working hard.”
Hoops Notes
• Okafor isn’t the only business Ohio
State has at Chicago Whitney Young, as
the big man’s teammate, four-star shooting
guard L.J. Peak, has also earned a scholarship offer from the Buckeyes. Rated by
Scout, the parent network of BuckeyeSports.
com, as the No. 9 shooting guard in the
2014 class, Peak recently announced a top
five that includes Connecticut, Georgetown,
Florida State, Ohio State and South Carolina.
Peak moved from Gaffney, S.C., after his
sophomore season to join the Dolphins’
backcourt.
• Thomas made headlines another time
while preparing for the NBA draft when he
reportedly refused to give the San Antonio
Spurs his cell phone number during the
interview process. Thomas said that teams
asked a myriad of questions during their
interviews, but he found it interesting that
the Spurs led off their interview by asking
for his cell phone number and email address.
He only gave the Spurs his email.
“I can’t go around giving it out to everyone,” Thomas said with a chuckle. “Now if
they want to draft me, I’d be happy to give
it to them.
OHIO STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
McGuff Hits Ground Running, Hires Assistants
May was a busy month for Kevin McGuff
as the new Ohio State women’s basketball
head coach had to recruit both new players
and new coaches.
He concluded the latter process May 31
with the hiring of Mark Mitchell to join Joy
Cheek and Patrick Klein on his three-person bench staff.
DOUBLE DRIBBLE
Marcus Hartman
Mitchell brings a wealth of experience
from a long and successful career as a high
school coach in Cincinnati. He has been the
head coach of the boys’ basketball team at
Taft High School for the past 11 seasons, a
run that included eight conference cham-
pionships, four district titles and the 2011 including the All-Ohio Black squad that
currently includes his daughters – Kelsey
state championship for the Senators.
He called the chance to become a col- and Chelsea – as well as several other highprofile recruits.
lege assistant at Ohio State a
“I’m very excited to add
dream come true.
Mark to our coaching staff,”
“Coach McGuff and Ohio
said McGuff, who was hired in
State have afforded me with
April after two years as head
an opportunity to continue my
coach at Washington and nine
growth and development as a
at Xavier. “He brings tremencoach while molding our studous experience as a basketball
dent-athletes into successful,
coach and will play a large part
productive people,” Mitchell
in player development and helpsaid. “I am looking forward to
ing craft an exciting style of
the opportunity to help Coach
play. Mark is a proven winner
McGuff bring the women’s basand has had great success as a
ketball program back to national
Mark Mitchell
head coach and helping young
prominence.”
Prior to taking over the Senators’ pro- people develop on and off the court.”
After starring in multiple sports at
gram for the 2003 season, Mitchell was an
assistant at Winton Woods and Western Cincinnati Princeton, Mitchell received his
Hills high schools in Cincinnati. He also has bachelor’s degree in physical education
experience on the AAU coaching circuit, from Eastern Kentucky in 1990 before earn-
ing a master’s in education from Marygrove
College in Detroit in 2002. While at EKU,
Mitchell was a four-year letter winner on
the football team as an offensive lineman,
helping EKU to two Division I-AA semifinal
appearances. He earned first-team All-Ohio
Valley Conference and honorable-mention
All-America honors in 1989.
After college Mitchell played briefly in
the World League of American Football for
the Orlando Thunder in the spring of 1991
before beginning his coaching career.
“His skill set will be a great complement
to what Joy and Patrick already bring to the
table and really helps round out this staff in
a terrific manner,” McGuff said.
The hirings of Cheek and Klein were
announced May 20, though BSB initially
reported them in our May 14 “BSB Quickly”
online edition.
Cheek was a guard at Duke from 200710, earning third-team All-ACC honors as
a senior when she averaged 9.9 points, 5.9
rebounds and 1.3 assists.
After playing one season for the Indiana
Fever in the WNBA and spending some
time playing professionally overseas, Cheek
accepted an offer to become one of two
recruiting coordinators for Duke head
coach Joanne P. McCallie prior to the 2012
season.
“I am really excited for the opportunity
to join Coach McGuff’s staff at Ohio State,”
Cheek said. “It was very hard to leave my
alma mater, but this is a wonderful opportunity and I know I am coming to a great
school and a great program. Coach McGuff
has had success everywhere he has been,
is highly respected in the coaching profession and is someone I can learn from. I have
always heard nothing but great things about
Kevin, and I am excited to get started and
help take the Ohio State program to the
highest level.”
The 24-year-old is a native of Charlotte,
N.C., and considered an up-and-comer in
the profession.
“Joy Cheek is one of the brightest and
most talented young coaches in all of college basketball,” McGuff said. “With her
pedigree as an outstanding player and coach
at Duke she has the necessary experience
to immediately impact our program. In her
role as recruiting coordinator she will put
us in position to attract the type of studentathletes that will allow us to compete at the
highest level of women’s basketball.”
Klein – a 2005 Ohio State graduate who
sources say is well-liked and respected
among coaches in Ohio and the surrounding recruiting areas – is being retained
from the staff of former OSU head coach
Jim Foster.
“I am honored to be able to continue my
coaching career at my alma mater and the
greatest university in the country,” Klein
said. “I have always had a tremendous
amount of respect for Kevin McGuff, and I
am excited to work under his leadership.”
A Belpre, Ohio, native, Klein began his
coaching career as a Buckeye graduate
assistant from 2005-07 before spending two
years as a full-time assistant at Illinois.
He returned to Ohio State in 2010 as a
graduate assistant before becoming fulltime the following year.
“I’m really excited to keep Patrick in our
program,” McGuff said. “He’s an incredibly
hard worker and is very passionate about
Ohio State – specifically this program. As
an Ohio State graduate, his knowledge of
the school and this team along with his
OHIO STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
connections in the state of Ohio and the Big
Ten will allow us to move forward in a really
positive way.”
Klein has also enjoyed success away
from the basketball court. He founded PB&
J Consultants, a leadership consulting firm
in Columbus, in June 2003 and remains the
company’s CEO.
He also is the founder and director of
the iBELIEVE Foundation, which provides
leadership, communication and problemsolving skills to Appalachian youth and
raises money to help send kids to summer
camp. In 2013, the program raised more
than $100,000 and will send more than 200
students to summer camps.
Recruiting Impact Imminent?
Mitchell’s hiring immediately raised
hopes among Ohio State fans that his daughters would follow him up I-71 to Columbus,
perhaps the beginning of an historic recruiting class for McGuff and the Buckeyes.
Kelsey Mitchell is the state’s top 2014
prospect according to ESPN/Hoopgurlz and
one of five Ohioans in the nation’s top 31.
A 5-7 point guard, she averaged 23.3
points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 3.0
steals for Princeton last season despite
battling a foot injury that kept her out of 15
games. Her twin sister, Chelsea, averaged
9.8 points per game last season and is also
regarded as a Division I prospect.
Sources say the twins are expected to
play for the same college program, but no
commitments had been made as of the time
BSB went to press.
Joining Kelsey Mitchell among the
nation’s top prospects who call Ohio home
are Reynoldsburg center/forward Alyssa
Rice (No. 11 overall nationally), Columbus
Africentric forward Alexa Hart (16) and
Kettering Fairmont forwards Makayla
Waterman (30) and Kathryn Westbeld
(31).
Hart, Waterman, Westbeld and the
Mitchells have all spent the summer getting to know each other better while playing
for All-Ohio Black while Rice is a member of
the Cincinnati Angels.
Fans are excited at the possibility of
seeing one or more of those players suit up
for the Scarlet and Gray in two years, but
McGuff is fighting a bit of an uphill battle
to get their attention thanks to his hiring
date.
The initial contact period for a star-studded class of 2014 had already started when
McGuff took the OSU job April 16, so it
came as no surprise when he told reporters
at his introductory press conference he had
already started calling recruits.
Among the first to receive a call was
Jack Purtell, head coach at Reynoldsburg
High School, so that the new coach of the
Buckeyes could express his interest in signing Rice, a five-star prospect.
“He’s a class act – I think that’s a good
hire for Ohio State,” Purtell told BSB. “He’s
a go-getter.”
If McGuff would like to go get Rice,
he will have to hold off the rest of her top
five, a group that along with OSU consists
of West Virginia, Kentucky, Maryland and
Virginia.
She has visited all of her finalists, including a visit on the next to last week of May
with her mother to see Ohio State again.
“She had a real nice time,” Purtell said.
“She enjoyed that, and I know her mother
did too.”
A verbal commitment is not imminent,
but the coach expects Rice to use the summer to continue to narrow her choices with
a final decision potentially coming before
the beginning of her senior season.
An athletic 6-3 player, Rice figures to
be a good fit in the up-tempo style McGuff
plans to employ during the coming seasons
in Columbus.
“She’s used to that,” Purtell said. “We
practice fullcourt every day so she’s used
to picking up fullcourt. I would love to have
a shot clock in high school because it’s a
little easier to convince kids to play defense
for 35 seconds as opposed to how long they
have to sometimes.”
McGuff’s hiring has increased Ohio
State’s chances of landing Rice, though
she was considering the Buckeyes before
Foster was fired in March.
“I think there were some things that she
really liked (about Ohio State) and some
things that she liked about some other places,” Purtell said. “Obviously with us being
local, to have a kid at Ohio State would
be huge. I think that she was interested. I
know she really got to know Patrick Klein
and really likes him. I think keeping him
was a real plus for them. I think her interest
has grown.”
Cheek is also familiar with Rice thanks
to having recruited her during her time as
an assistant at Duke, according to Purtell,
who said a college program will be getting
the full package in his post player.
“I think the best thing about Alyssa is
she’s a real high-character kid,” he said.
“She’s a great kid, 4.5 GPA, great family.
She’s the whole package. She’s the kind
of kid that you stick her face on the cover
of a media guide, and nobody outworks
her.
“I think she’ll end up playing some three
in college. I play her at the four and five, but
she runs like a guard.”
And Howe!
sure that we run this program in a very
professional manner.”
Foster, Black Land New Gigs
Foster has spent the last 35 winters
coaching college basketball, and this coming one will be no different after the 64-yearold was named head coach at TennesseeChattanooga.
The move represents a return to the
Volunteer State for Foster, who spent 11
seasons as head coach at Vanderbilt in
Nashville from 1992-2003 prior to taking the
helm of the Buckeyes.
“Chattanooga has always been one of
our favorite places, going back to the early
’90s when the SEC tournament was hosted
in the city,” said Foster, who is to be inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of
Fame in Knoxville on June 8. “I have always
had a favorable impression of Chattanooga
because of that and have been back often
with my wife.”
Foster was fired March 19 after the
Buckeyes failed to receive an NCAA tournament at-large bid. Ohio State’s 18-13 campaign was the only one of 11 under Foster
that did not include at least 20 wins and a
trip to the Big Dance.
His Buckeye squads went 279-82 and
won six Big Ten championships – all consecutively – but never advanced beyond
the Sweet 16. Foster left Columbus as the
school’s all-time leader in victories and winning percentage (.772).
“I had no idea that we would be able
to hire a Hall of Famer like Jim Foster,”
UT-Chattanooga athletics director David
Blackburn said. ”His career speaks for
itself. He has achieved success at both the
collegiate and international levels, while
maintaining programs that graduate stu-
dent-athletes and prepare them for productive and meaningful lives.”
Foster was named Big Ten Coach of the
Year four times and led the Buckeyes to
four Big Ten tournament championships.
He mentored eight WNBA draft picks
and three All-Americans in center Jessica
Davenport (2005, ’06, ’07), forward Jantel
Lavender (2009, ’10, ’11) and point guard
Samantha Prahalis (2012).
At Vanderbilt, Foster compiled a 256-99
mark from 1992-2002 along with a 1993
Final Four appearance, four Elite Eight
trips and three Sweet 16 finishes. The
Commodores captured three SEC postseason tournaments (1993, ’95 and 2002).
Prior to his Vanderbilt appointment,
Foster spent 13 years at St. Joseph’s (Pa.)
University (1979-91), recording a 248-126
record and seven postseason appearances.
In 1985, Foster garnered NCAA Coach of
the Year honors.
Former Foster assistant coach Debbie
Black will continue her professional career
as head coach at Eastern Illinois.
A standout guard during her playing days
at St. Joseph’s for Foster, Black specialized
in mentoring the Ohio State backcourt. Her
pupils won four Big Ten Defensive Player of
the Year awards and one Big Ten Player of
the Year honor.
“I don’t know of anybody better prepared
for the opportunity to be a head coach,”
Foster said. “She has played and coached
at every level and had nothing but success.
I’m sure that Eastern Illinois is about to find
that out.”
Foster gave Black her start in coaching when he hired her as an assistant at
Vanderbilt for the 2000 season, and she had
served on his staff at Ohio State since the
2005 campaign.
McGuff also stayed within the Ohio State
community for his director of basketball
operations by hiring Beth Howe.
A southeastern Ohio native who served
as co-captain for the 2005 OSU squad that
won a Big Ten championship, Howe has
been employed at her alma mater since
2009 when she became an account executive in the ticket sales office. She is credited
with helping increase group ticket sales for
women’s basketball 60 percent between the
2011 and 2012 seasons.
“Having grown up in Ohio and been part
of this program as a student-athlete, this is a
dream job,” she said. “I’m very appreciative
of the opportunity that has been presented
to me from Coach McGuff and the athletics
department. I am excited and looking forward to continuing to be part of The Ohio
State University and the women’s basketball program.”
After starring at Jackson High School,
Howe joined the Ohio State program for the
2001-02 season and was a four-year letter
winner while playing for head coaches Beth
Burns and Jim Foster.
An OSU Scholar-Athlete, she graduated
in 2005 with a degree in human ecology
before earning her master’s degree in sport
administration from Belmont University in
Nashville in 2007. While in the Music City,
she worked with the NFL’s Tennessee
Titans as an internet and publications
intern.
She also has worked with the Big Ten
Network’s “Student U” broadcasts as a
color analyst for Ohio State games since
2010.
“Beth had just the background I was
looking for in our director of operations
position,” McGuff said. “As a former player
she has a passion to see this program grow
into one of the very best. She’s bright, energetic and organized and will help me make
OHIO STATE BASEBALL
Beals Not Settling For Moral Victories For OSU
By JEFF SVOBODA
Buckeye Sports Bulletin Editor
The Ohio State baseball team came closer
to making the NCAA tournament than any
time previously in Greg Beals’ tenure, but the
head coach was well aware that when the dust
settled and his team was watching the postseason that he was not overseeing the tossing of
horseshoes or hand grenades.
So despite the fact that the Buckeyes made
significant progress during the 2013 season,
Beals wasn’t really interested in moral victories
after a 35-23 record and second-place finish in
the Big Ten regular-season standings.
“That’s the tough part,” Beals said. “I hear
we’re making progress, and we are, but we’re
incredibly disappointed that we didn’t get the
job done. We were right there on the doorstep,
and we have to find a way as a program to kick
that door down.
“My mind is already spinning on the things
that we need to do as a program to make ourselves more prepared and more ready to kick
that door down next year.”
Ohio State had a golden opportunity to
reintroduce itself as a national power as it
neared the end of its season but fell short. The
Buckeyes ended the campaign with nine home
games against ranked teams – nonconference
foes Georgia Tech, Louisville and Oregon and
Big Ten rival Indiana – but went just 2-7 in that
span.
Included in that stretch were two extrainnings losses and another one-run loss. If
those results had been turned around, Ohio
State likely would have been in the 64-team
NCAA field, but instead the program found out
simply where it needs to get better.
In Beals’ eyes, the first step is embracing
the program’s identity. The third-year head
coach has always preached scrappiness and
effort, and those were key traits on this year’s
squad that excelled at preventing runs but
needed to fight like heck to score them.
However, he saw how a similarly constructed team such as Oregon, which was
ranked sixth in the country when OSU played
it, trusted its system and identity while the
Buckeyes tried to do too much while getting
swept in a three-game series vs. the Ducks.
“I think that belief and conviction are kind
KEVIN DYE
FOND FAREWELL – Multiyear captain and right-handed pitcher David
Fathalikhani was one member of the senior class Ohio State head coach Greg
Beals thanked for their efforts during their collegiate careers.
of the two words that I threw out to our guys
as things we need to get over the hump,” Beals
said. “The other thing I think we need to do is
we need to be tougher on ourselves in the fall
and the offseason. We need to challenge each
other more so that we’re more ready to have a
little bit more competitive toughness when it
comes springtime and we face tough teams.”
Ohio State will also need to beef up its hitting prowess in the future. While the Buckeyes
pitched and played defense better than any
OSU outfit in years, the team simply couldn’t
score runs when it counted – plating just 20
runs over the last 12 games. On that end,
there is reason to be excited, as freshmen
Troy Kuhn, Jacob Bosiokovic and Zach Ratcliff
became some of the team’s more dependable
hitters by the end of the year.
Those players will be a significant piece of
the puzzle going forward, as Ohio State loses
nine seniors, all of them contributors.
Pitchers Brian King, Brett McKinney, David
Fathalikhani and Brad Goldberg; infielders
Kirby Pellant, Ryan Cypret and Brad Hallberg;
outfielder Joe Ciamacco; and catcher Greg
Solomon brought the program back to the
cusp of a postseason bid and also helped establish Beals’ program along the way.
“I’m grateful to this senior class,” Beals
said, giving special notice to multiyear captains
Cypret and Fathalikhani. “They had to deal
with the change in leadership and that’s not
always easy for the players. I really felt that we
grew together – them as a senior group and us
as a team – and certainly their leadership was a
big part of that. We’re going to miss them.”
But the Buckeyes will again have to wait
until next year, though there are some things
to like about the program. The pitching staff
should still have some very good arms, while
OSU will return its solid freshman batters,
budding star right fielder Pat Porter and Josh
Dezse, who missed the season with a back
injury but should return to the lineup and the
pitching staff in 2014.
“I see this being a learning process for
our guys,” Beals said. “We had our postseason meetings here and the returning guys
still have a bitter taste in their mouth, but
they knew what they went through and they
learned through that and they’re very much
looking forward to getting back to work.”
OSU Falls Short In Tourney
Ohio State went to the Big Ten tournament
in Minneapolis’ Target Field thinking it had
what it took to win the event and earn the
league’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, but the second-seeded Buckeyes could
post only a 1-2 record at the event.
OSU opened its portion of the tournament
the afternoon of May 23, using a walkoff walk
by second baseman Kuhn to defeat thirdseeded Nebraska by a 3-2 score.
Sophomore closer Trace Dempsey blew his
second save in a row in the top of the ninth, but
the Buckeyes wasted little time coming back
in the home half of the inning. Ratcliff started
things off against reliever Dylan Vogt with a
single and was replaced by Porter, who moved
to second on a sacrifice bunt by Tim Wetzel.
Aaron Gretz pinch hit for fellow catcher
Solomon and was intentionally walked to set
up a force at any base, but Ciamacco followed
with a walk to load the bases and Kuhn walked
on four pitches to bring home the winning
run.
“I was just looking for a real good pitch to
hit,” Kuhn said. “His fastball had some good
zip on it, so I was looking for something up,
but I never saw it.”
The Buckeyes never trailed, as Hallberg
scored in the second on a single by Ratcliff,
while Kuhn touched home on a double by
Bosiokovic in the sixth. Nebraska scored only
once on starter Goldberg, doing so in the fifth,
but the Huskers tied the game in the ninth
thanks to a two-out single by Bryan Peters.
OSU’s freshmen led the way, as Kuhn had
the winning RBI while classmate Ratcliff was
3 for 4 on the day and Bosiokovic was 1 for 2
with an RBI. Dempsey improved to 3-1 despite
the blown save.
The win moved Ohio State into what was
essentially a semifinal May 24 against topseeded Indiana. Unfortunately, things fell apart
for the Buckeyes as the top-seeded and 11thranked Hoosiers scored six times in the fifth
on the way to an 11-3 win.
The Buckeyes looked to be in good shape
as Kuhn posted a pair of run-scoring doubles
– the first extra-base hits of his career – to give
OSU a 3-2 lead. The first brought Ciamacco
home to make it a 1-1 game in the third, and
the latter plated both Ratcliff and Solomon to
put the Buckeyes ahead in the fifth.
However, Indiana replied with six runs on
six hits in the bottom half of the frame to blow
the game open. OSU had a couple of missed
tags that didn’t show up on the scoreboard,
fell victim to a successful squeeze and was
the victim of what appeared to be a blown
call at second base that helped lead to the six
unearned runs.
“That inning got away from us,” Beals said.
“There were a lot of unfortunate plays and a
lot of opportunities that we had to make a play
and help ourselves get out of that inning and
we just weren’t able to do it. We had a guy
picked off first base and we had another guy
OHIO STATE BASEBALL
picked off in a rundown and he got away from
us. It was just kind of like, ‘Seriously? All of this
at once?’ ”
King allowed 12 hits and eight runs, just
two earned, in 4⅔ innings while falling to 7-6.
Kuhn and Ciamacco paced the OSU attack
with two hits apiece, while Kuhn tied his career
high with three RBI.
Ohio State was unable to get its bats going
in an elimination game May 25, falling to
Nebraska – which advanced to the championship series, where it lost to Indiana – by a 5-0
score.
Nebraska scored three times in the fourth
and twice in the eighth to earn the victory.
“We’re obviously incredibly disappointed
at the results of today, at the results of the
tournament, and the results of the last two
weeks,” Beals said. “Yet again today, we faced
very good competition during that span. We
learned a lot during that time, but for these
three senior captains up here, they don’t care
to hear that. It’s an incredibly disappointing
feeling right now.”
The theme of the day was missed opportunities for the Buckeyes, as evidenced by
the first inning. Ciamacco walked to open
the game and got to third on a failed pickoff
attempt with no one out, but he was stranded
by consecutive pop-outs by Cypret and Pellant
and a ground-out by Hallberg.
Bosiokovic was stranded at third with less
than two outs in the third, while Cypret never
advanced after a leadoff double in the sixth.
Ohio State finished the game 0 for 9 with
runners in scoring position and stranded six
runners overall.
Junior starter Jaron Long fell to 6-7 for OSU
despite pitching through the seventh inning.
Porter did not have an at bat in the tournament because of a wrist injury while Cypret
started only the final game because of a hand
injury, going 1 for 4.
May Series Notes
Full recaps of Ohio State’s regular-season
games since BSB last went to print can be
found in BSB Quickly editions published during May. What follows are thumbnail recaps of
those games.
• Ohio State went into its season-ending
series May 16-18 with No. 21 Indiana with the
ability to clinch a share of the Big Ten regularseason title by winning two of three, but the
Hoosiers bounced back from losing the first
game to capture the last two and the series.
OSU started strong, moving into a first-
place tie with the Hoosiers in the league with
a 2-1 triumph. Ratcliff had a fourth-inning RBI
single among his three hits while Hallberg
singled with two outs in the seventh and came
home on a triple by Porter for the winning run.
Goldberg gave up just four hits and a run in six
innings, while reliever Ryan Riga moved to 3-0
and Dempsey notched save No. 17.
Unfortunately, the sophomore’s inability to
notch his 18th save kept OSU from clinching a
share of the title. The Buckeyes took a 2-0 lead
into the ninth inning of the middle game but
the Hoosiers tied the score then posted five
runs in the 10th to take a 7-2 win. Kuhn and
Mike Carroll had RBI hits but Michael Basil
doubled in a run and came home on a sac fly
in the ninth before Greg Greve gave up all five
runs in the 10th to fall to 4-1.
Indiana (40-13, 17-7) didn’t leave much
doubt in the finale, posting an 8-1 victory. Long
gave up six runs in the first three innings,
while the Buckeyes (34-21, 15-9) had just four
hits on the day, two by Pellant.
• Louisville visited Bill Davis Stadium on
May 14 and left with a 6-3 victory. Coco
Johnson had a pair of homers that drove in a
total of five runs to give the No. 10 Cardinals
(43-10) a 6-0 lead. The Buckeyes snapped a
28-inning scoreless streak in the sixth as Kuhn,
Ciamacco and Pellant all singled and scored,
but Carroll struck out with the bases loaded
in the eighth to end OSU’s last threat. Tyler
Giannonatti dropped to 0-3 by giving up four
runs in two innings.
• Ohio State dropped three close games
to No. 6 Oregon at Bill Davis Stadium over
two days. Because of rain, the teams played a
doubleheader May 11, with the Ducks winning
the two games by scores of 3-1 in 11 innings
and 4-0.
The Buckeyes let the opener get away,
stranding 13 runners and making two critical
errors. Goldberg was dominant, allowing a
run in seven innings while striking out six, but
his throwing error in the fourth allowed the
Ducks to take a 1-0 lead. Pellant doubled and
scored in the sixth on a single by Bosiokovic,
but another throwing error on McKinney (4-4)
allowed Oregon to plate two runs in the 11th.
“We beat them other than on the scoreboard,” Beals said. “We just couldn’t get a
hit when we needed to get a hit. Give their
pitching some credit, but we were set up with
opportunities many times and the fact of the
matter is we didn’t execute.”
Oregon posted a 4-0 win in the nightcap.
Cole Irvin twirled a complete-game four-hitter
for the visitors, while King gave up four runs
in six innings. A botched squeeze play in the
third that turned into a double play thwarted
OSU’s best chance to score.
The bats couldn’t get anything going in the
May 12 series finale, as Oregon (40-11) left
Columbus with a 1-0 win. Long gave up seven
hits in seven innings, but he allowed two singles and uncorked a pair of wild pitches to give
UO the only run in the fourth. The Buckeyes
finished with just three hits and got only one
runner to third base.
• Ohio State started its season-ending
gantlet by splitting two games with Georgia
Tech, which came to Columbus for the May
7-8 set ranked 25th in RPI.
The Yellow Jackets lived up to their billing
in the first game, slugging their way to a 9-2
victory. The Ramblin’ Wreck took a 6-0 lead
by the fourth inning off OSU freshman starter
Jake Post (2-1), with the big blow a bases-loaded triple by Daniel Palka. Bosiokovic homered
in the seventh to lead OSU’s offensive attack.
Riga was handed the ball for his first collegiate start in the second game and was fantastic, giving up just one run in seven innings
as Ohio State earned a 3-2 triumph. Wetzel had
the winning hit, a two-run single in the seventh that broke a 1-all tie. Cypret also tripled
Hallberg home in the sixth, while Dempsey
got save No. 16.
“It’s a big win for us,” Beals said. “To invite
this kind of opponent to Ohio State and represent well means a lot.”
• When it came to capturing a win in a key
series May 4-6 at Northwestern, the Buckeyes
stuck to a familiar script. For the third time in
four weeks, Ohio State dropped the opening
contest of a three-game Big Ten set only to
come back to win the last two. OSU moved into
third place in the Big Ten with the results.
Northwestern had an easy go of things
in the first game, riding Luke Farrell on the
way to an 8-0 win. The son of Boston Red Sox
manager John Farrell, the NU starter gave up
just two hits, while Goldberg was tagged for
six runs in the second.
Ohio State rebounded to take a dramatic
5-3 victory in the middle game. Gretz’s hard-hit
infield single broke a 3-all tie in the ninth, while
Porter had an RBI double and a solo homer to
pace the offense. King gave up five hits and
three runs in seven innings, while McKinney
got the win and Dempsey the save.
The Buckeyes also won things late on
getaway day, taking a 6-2 game over the
Wildcats (20-20, 8-13). Pellant was the offen-
sive hero, giving OSU the lead with a threerun homer in the eighth and an RBI single
in the ninth. Long went seven strong innings
before McKinney and Dempsey closed the
door again.
• The Buckeyes left conference play for
a May 1 doubleheader with visiting Northern
Kentucky, downing the struggling Norse (837) by scores of 9-8 and 6-5.
Ciamacco and Gretz each had three hits
and two RBI to lead the offensive attack in
game one with Gretz singling to start the winning rally in the seventh. He was replaced by
pinch runner Jake Brobst, who came around
to score on a botched pickoff to break the 8-8
deadlock.
The Buckeyes captured a walkoff victory in
the series finale, as Cypret walked and came
home on a misplayed chopper off the bat of
Hallberg. Hallberg also had a grand slam in
the win, while Greve got his second win of
the day, becoming the first Buckeye to do so
since Ron Nelson did so vs. Northwestern on
May 7, 1995.
Season Superlatives
• Pellant and Porter were the team’s top
two hitters all year and the final stats showed it,
as each tied for the team lead with 17 multihit
games. Pellant had a team-high .301 batting
average, but Porter hit .296, tied for the team
lead with four homers and 33 RBI, and led the
team in on-base percentage (.376) and slugging (.472).
• Porter was tied for the team lead in homers by Bosiokovic and Cypret, while Bosiokovic
also drove in 33 runs.
• Ciamacco finished with 21 stolen bases
in 24 tries to pace the squad. Ohio State finished with 78 steals, tied with the 1963 team
for sixth in program history.
• Ohio State’s fielding percentage of .976
was its best in recorded annals, topping the
mark of .972 posted in 1996 and ’98.
• King had seven wins and a startersbest 2.68 ERA to lead OSU’s pitching charge.
Dempsey had a 1.02 ERA and saved 17 games,
second in school history behind the total of 18
set by Jake Hale in 2009.
• The team ERA of 3.24 was its best since
a mark of 2.57 in 1970.
• Hallberg was the only player to start all
58 games, earning the nod every time at first
base.
• Dempsey was chosen a unanimous firstteam All-Big Ten honoree, while Pellant also
was chosen as the league’s best shortstop.
BIG TEN NOTES
Trouble Continues To Plague New Big Ten School
The month of May went a long way
toward proving that Rutgers’ beleaguered
athletic department has a hard time getting
out of its own way.
The department – which will join the
Big Ten in 2014 after agreeing to do so last
fall – was sent reeling in early April when
videos of men’s basketball coach Mike
Rice abusing his players surfaced, spurring
national outrage.
The scandal cost both Rice and athletic
director Tim Pernetti their jobs, and the
school tried to move forward May 15 when
it announced the hiring of Louisville senior
associate AD Julie Hermann to replace
Pernetti.
BIG TEN NOTES
Jeff Svoboda
The move was praised at first by college
athletics observers, but that all changed
May 25 when the Star-Ledger out of
Newark, N.J., reported that Hermann herself had been accused of being an abusive
coach when she led Tennessee’s women’s
volleyball team in the mid-1990s.
According to the newspaper’s research,
Hermann’s players at Tennessee requested
a meeting with the school’s administration
at the conclusion of her final season, at
which they presented a letter in which
team members described “mental cruelty”
inflicted by Hermann that included calling
them “whores, alcoholics and learning
disabled.”
The letter also essentially demanded
Hermann’s dismissal, as it stated, “It has
been unanimously decided that this is an
irreconcilable issue.”
Hermann chose to step down after the
meeting, moving into administration. She
served at UT shortly before moving to
Louisville for 15 years, where she oversaw
20 sports including the women’s basketball
team that made the NCAA championship
game in 2013.
However, the revelations from her past
have turned the whole thing into a firestorm, with Hermann forced to release a
statement about the allegations May 27.
“Throughout my career, I have worked
with an unwavering commitment to the
interests of student-athletes,” she said. “I
have worked to demonstrate that women
deserve places of leadership in university
athletics and to ensure that student-athletes are treated with respect and dignity.
That is what makes the allegations made
by some of my former student-athletes at
the University of Tennessee so heartbreaking.
“I know the recently published story has
caused distress. I was never notified
of the reported letter outlining
the concerns of some former athletes. However,
I am truly sorry that
some were disappointed during my tenure
as coach. For sure, I
was an intense coach,
but there is a vast difference between high
intensity and abusive
behavior.”
She also staged a conference call with
reporters, denying some of the allegations
and confirming that she has no plans to
resign from her post, which she was scheduled to take June 17.
Rutgers also has looked bad throughout the whole thing, as the research the
university performed on Hermann did not
appear to unearth any sign of trouble from
her tenure at Tennessee.
The school also was left with egg on
its face in early May when Deadspin.com
reported that newly hired men’s basketball
coach Eddie Jordan was not a Rutgers
grad, as the school had claimed in its
hiring release. Jordan won four letters
for the Scarlet Knights in the mid-1970s
but did not finish his degree according
to the school’s registrar, though he ironically is a member of the school’s Hall of
Distinguished Alumni.
Big Ten Adds Lacrosse
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hockey for the 2013-14 season, the Big Ten
announced June 3 that it will form men’s
and women’s lacrosse conferences for the
2014-15 season. They will be the 27th and
28th Big Ten sports.
The decision comes after the autumn
additions of Maryland and Rutgers, both
of which sponsor both men’s and women’s
lacrosse. Ohio State, Michigan and Penn
State sponsor teams in both genders, while
Northwestern is a power in the women’s
game but does not have a men’s team.
In order to get to the requisite six teams
that are necessary for the league to sponsor a sport, the Big Ten needed another
member on the men’s side, which
it found when longtime independent Johns Hopkins
– essentially the Notre
Dame football of the
sport – decided it was
time to affiliate itself
with a conference.
Hopkins will bring
44 national titles to
the league, most of
any Division I school.
“Johns Hopkins is an outstanding
institution with a legacy of success in
men’s lacrosse that is simply unmatched
in intercollegiate athletics,” Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany said. “Lacrosse is an
emerging sport among our current schools
and is a long-held passion among our East
Coast institutions.
“With the addition of Maryland and
Rutgers in all sports and Johns Hopkins
for men’s lacrosse, we will have the requisite number of institutions to make men’s
and women’s lacrosse official conference
sports, building upon our tradition of
broad-based sports competition.”
It is an historic partnership, as this is
the first time ever that the Big Ten has
added an affiliate member for a single
sport. Hopkins, meanwhile, for the first
time joins a conference, which will provide
another avenue into the NCAA tournament
for the Blue Jays while adding stability for
the program in the quickly growing and
changing landscape in the sport.
Both leagues should be among the best
in the country right off the bat. In addition
to JHU’s men’s success, Maryland has won
11 crowns, and the Terrapins joined the
Buckeyes and Nittany Lions in the 2013
NCAA tournament. On the women’s side,
Northwestern and Maryland have combined to win 15 of the last 19 NCAA titles.
Ohio State’s men’s team will have one
more season in the ECAC while the women’s team will compete in the American
Lacrosse Conference, of which it is a founding member, for the last time in 2014.
Big Ten Note-worthy
• The family of former Penn State head
coach Joe Paterno along with a number of
members of the school’s board of trustees
and former players filed a lawsuit against
the NCAA on May 30 in an attempt to overturn the punitive sanctions levied against
the school, including a $60 million fine,
in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky sexual
abuse scandal. The lawsuit alleges that the
Freeh Report, used by the NCAA to justify
the sanctions, is “wrong, incomplete and
inaccurate.” The lawsuit also seeks compensatory and punitive damages from the
NCAA.
• The Big Ten was well-represented
when the College Football Hall of Fame
made its 2013 inductees known in early
May. In addition to Ohio State offensive
tackle Orlando Pace, both Michigan State
linebacker Percy Snow (1986-89) and
Wisconsin running back Ron Dayne (199699) were chosen for inclusion. The list also
includes Nebraska quarterback Tommie
Frazier, but the Huskers were members of
the Big Eight when he played from 199295.
• The University of Minnesota and the
Minnesota Vikings made a long-reported
agreement official May 9 when the two
announced the NFL’s Vikings will play
their home games at TCF Bank Stadium on
the Golden Gophers’ campus in 2014 and
’15 while a new stadium for the pro team
is built. The Vikings will pay the university
$300,000 per game.
• The Big Ten and the Pinstripe Bowl
in New York City announced an affiliation agreement June 3. The Big Ten will
replace the Big 12 in the bowl that is
staged in Yankee Stadium. The agreement
runs from 2014-21, and the other conference tie-in has yet to be determined.
• Michigan announced in early May
that punter Will Hagerup will be suspended for the
entire 2013 season
following
an undisclosed
violation of team
rules. Hagerup
can return for his
fifth season of eligibility in 2014.
He averaged 45.0
yards per punt as
a junior a season
ago while earning
Will Hagerup
first-team All-Big
Ten status.
• Michigan State lost a member of its
2013 recruiting class when wideout Jay
Harris of Downingtown (Pa.) East decided
to pursue a rap career instead. The threestar prospect, who performs under the
name Jay DatBull, parted ways with the
Spartans based on what was described as
a mutual decision by the school’s athletic
department.
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OHIO STATE MEN’S HOCKEY
Rohlik Ready For Challenge Big Ten Will Bring
By CRAIG MERZ
Steve Rohlik had one of those “I can’t
believe it’s happening” moments as he gathered for the first time in late April with the
other coaches in the Big Ten’s new hockey
conference.
Of course Rohlik, elevated from an Ohio
State associate head coach to the ninth head
coach in program history April 24 after the
firing of Mark Osiecki nine days earlier,
wouldn’t consider himself an equal at least
in terms of experience with his coaching
brethren.
“It was pretty surreal,” he told BSB of the
meeting of the minds.
As he stood for a group photo with the
other five coaches at Big Ten headquarters in
Park Ridge, Ill., on April 26, he couldn’t help
but feel like the new kid on the block.
Standing next to him was legendary
Michigan boss Red Berenson, owner of two
national titles (1996 and ’98) in 29 years and a
record 22 straight NCAA hockey tournament
appearances before the streak was snapped
this past season.
Then there was Don Lucia, who guided
Minnesota to back-to-back Frozen Four titles
in 2002 and ’03 and has a winning percentage
better than .630 in a quarter century of college
coaching.
Mike Eaves of Wisconsin also has a national title to his credit in 2006 and a runner-up
finish in 2010.
Penn State’s Guy Gadowsky is without a
Frozen Four championship, but the former
Princeton and Alaska coach led the Nittany
Lions to a 13-14-0 record as an independent in
the 2012-13 season, their first at the Division I
level, with wins against future conference foes
Ohio State, Wisconsin and Michigan State.
Speaking of the Spartans, Tom Anastos
doesn’t have the coaching pedigree in two seasons behind the bench, but the ex-MSU player was the commissioner of the now defunct
Central Collegiate Hockey Association before
taking over in East Lansing.
Knowing the company Rohlik was keeping, it’s easy to understand why he felt privileged to be among them.
“You probably would have had a lot of people lining up to pay money to sit down to listen
to the other five coaches and the experiences
they have,” he said. “It was amazing to sit
down and watch how they handle themselves,
how they handled the meeting. Everything
was for the betterment of the game. That’s a
credit to those coaches.”
Ohio State will begin its inaugural 20game Big Ten schedule Nov. 29 with a road
trip to take on Michigan the night before
the annual football game in Ann Arbor, and
Rohlik knows by then the competitive nature
of all league coaches will kick in. However, for
a moment this offseason, his soon-to-be-rivals
were more than happy to share their thoughts those who might be wavering on the merits
of Ohio State. Four players signed letters of
with him.
“The biggest thing they said was stay intent for the 2013-14 season, according to
focused and work hard,” he said. “There’s Ohio State, in the spring signing period:
• Drew Brevig is a 6-2, 200-pound defengoing to be bumps along the road. They said
you can’t get too high or get too low because seman from the Brookings (S.D.) Blizzard
you’re going to fall down and skin your knees of the North American Hockey League. The
Lakeville, Minn., native had 10
more than a few times. The key is
goals and 24 assists in 53 games
getting back up.”
last season.
That could be said of the Ohio
• Goalie Logan Davis is
State program after a turbulent
from the Columbus suburb of
offseason.
Upper Arlington and played the
Everything seemed headed in
past two seasons for the Under-18
the right direction when Osiecki
AAA Ohio Blue Jackets Midget
in his third season guided the
Major team. He is the son of
Buckeyes (16-17-7) to a fourthmeteorologist Mike Davis of
place finish in the league and,
WBNS-TV in Columbus.
after a quarterfinal series win vs.
• Dave Gust is a forward (5Ferris State, a trip to the CCHA
9, 168) who played for the Fargo
semifinals in Detroit – both firsts
Steve Rohlik
(N.D.) Force of the USHL and
for the team since 2005.
But Osiecki was dismissed because of dif- had 30 points, including 14 goals, in 43 games.
ferences in the way the program was being He is from Orland Park, Ill.
• Josh Healey (6-0, 185) is a native of
managed according to a statement by OSU
Edmonton, Alberta, who was named the most
director of athletics Gene Smith.
Enter Rohlik for his first collegiate head outstanding defenseman of the Alberta Junior
coaching job, although he had been Osiecki’s Hockey League last season while playing for
Sherwood Park. He had 10 goals, 13 assists
right-hand man for three seasons.
“It hasn’t slowed down much in the past and 126 penalty minutes.
Of Ohio State’s fall signees, both forfew weeks,” Rohlik said. “You’re trying to get
organized as much as possible. It’s a good ward Nicholas Schilkey of the USHL’s
Green Bay Gamblers and goaltender
thing, I guess.”
His top priority was finding a new associate Matt Tomkins, a teammate of Healey’s in
head coach (check) and securing the recruits Sherwood Park and a Chicago Blackhawks
draft pick, appear set to still arrive in
Osiecki had procured (question mark).
Brett Larson joined the staff May 15 after Columbus for the fall.
However, the class took a significant hit
spending the prior two seasons as the head
coach and general manager of the Sioux City May 30 when forward Zach Stepan, who had
Musketeers of the United States Hockey signed in the fall, made it known he had
League, a premier junior league that has received his release from OSU and would
been fertile recruiting ground for OSU over instead play at Minnesota State. Stepan was
a fourth-round pick of the NHL’s Nashville
the years.
The former Minnesota Duluth player was Predators in the 2012 draft and finished
an assistant on his alma mater’s staff along third in the USHL in scoring last year,
with Rohlik in 2009 and ’10 under head coach putting up 78 points in 56 games with
Scott Sandelin. Rohlik was then hired by Waterloo.
The Buckeyes have had one other player
Osiecki, but Larson stayed and was part of
the staff as the Bulldogs won the 2011 NCAA decommit because of the Osiecki’s departure – Nolan Valleau, a defenseman who
championship.
“The biggest thing with Brett is his pas- spent time last season in the USHL with Des
sion and work ethic,” Rohlik said. “He loves Moines and Chicago.
“You see that in every program,” Rohlik
the game and is a great teacher of the game.
He brings great experience as recruiting and said. “No matter when a coach leaves you’re
going to have some things happen. Ohio
college hockey goes.
“He has been a head coach and a general State is Ohio State and now it’s our job to
manager in the USHL so he brings a lot of continue to go out there, do the best we can
experience that way. He’s already won a and bring in the kids who want to be part of
national title as an assistant coach at Duluth this program.”
Rohlik, who like all coaches in the NCAA
so he knows what it takes.”
Larson is familiar with about half of the can’t comment specifically on a recruit until
roster because 11 returning players for the he signs a letter of intent, expects the final
Buckeyes have roots in the USHL, including number of recruits to be “six or seven” for the
junior forward Max McCormick, who played 2013-14 season.
“There’s been some things out there.
for Sioux City in 2010-11.
Rohlik and Larson have been busy reas- That’s the nature of the beast,” Rohlik said.
suring the prospects who have signed and “Could something happen? I don’t know that.
Opponent
TORONTO*
MIAMI (OHIO)
at Miami
at Bowling Green
ROBERT MORRIS
at Robert Morris
BOWLING GREEN
MINN. DULUTH
MINN. DULUTH
NIAGARA
NIAGARA
CANISIUS
CANISIUS
at Michigan
MICHIGAN
MERCYHURST
MERCYHURST
MICH. STATE
MICH. STATE
at Minnesota
at Minnesota
at Wisconsin
at Wisconsin
PENN STATE
PENN STATE
at Mich. State
at Mich. State
WISCONSIN
WISCONSIN
at Michigan
MICHIGAN
MINNESOTA
MINNESOTA
at Penn State
at Penn State
Big Ten Tournament
(Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, Minn.)
Thurs., March 20 Quarterfinals
Fri., March 21
Semifinals
Sat., March 22
Championship
* – Exhibition
# – Or Mon., March 3 (TBD)
BOLD – Big Ten League Games
But right now we’re expecting all these guys
to come in. It’s never really over until August
comes, but we feel good about what’s coming
right now.”
Rohlik was asked if he has set out to make
visible changes to the program as Osiecki
did when he came aboard by redesigning the
locker room and adding a players’ lounge.
“We’ve got a lot of things in place,” he said.
“I don’t want to go around changing this and
changing that.
“Certainly when everybody gets here
they’ll understand there is a new head coach,
a new assistant coach but at the same time
there’s a lot of familiar faces. The mark will
be left as we go along.”
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2013 FOOTBALL
Aug. 31 BUFFALO, TBA.
Sept. 7 SAN DIEGO STATE, TBA; 14 at
California, 7 p.m.; 21 FLORIDA A&M, TBA;
28 WISCONSIN, 8 p.m.
Oct. 5 at Northwestern, 8 p.m.; 19
IOWA, 3:30 p.m.; 26 PENN STATE, 8 p.m.
Nov. 2 at Purdue, TBA; 16 at Illinois,
TBA; 23 INDIANA, TBA; 30 at Michigan,
TBA.
Dec. 7 Big Ten Championship Game at
Indianapolis, TBA.
2014 FOOTBALL
Aug. 30 vs. Navy at Baltimore.
Sept. 13 KENT STATE; 20 VIRGINIA
TECH; 27 CINCINNATI.
Oct. 4 at Maryland; 18 RUTGERS; 25 at
Penn State.
Nov. 1 ILLINOIS; 8 at Michigan State; 15
at Minnesota; 22 INDIANA; 29 MICHIGAN.
Indianapolis.
2015 FOOTBALL (BIG TEN SCHEDULE)
Oct. 3 at Indiana; 10 MARYLAND; 17
PENN STATE; 24 at Rutgers.
Nov. 7 MINNESOTA; 14 at Illinois; 21
MICHIGAN STATE; 28 at Michigan.
Indianapolis.
BASEBALL
(35-23, 15-9 Big Ten)
Feb. 15 Snowbird Classic at Sarasota,
Fla., vs. Mercer, L 6-5 (10 innings); 16
Snowbird Classic at Sarasota, Fla., vs. Notre
Dame, L 13-3; 17 Snowbird Classic at
Sarasota, Fla., vs. St. John’s, W 3-1; 22
at Port Charlotte, Fla., vs. South Dakota
State, W 10-2; 23 at Port Charlotte, Fla., vs.
South Dakota State, W 5-2; vs. Mount St.
Mary’s, W 13-2; 24 at Port Charlotte, Fla.,
vs. Mount St. Mary’s, W 13-4.
March 1 Brighthouse Invitational
Tournament at DeLand, Fla., vs.
Connecticut, L 5-2; 2 Brighthouse
Invitational Tournament at DeLand, Fla., vs.
Stetson, L 3-2 (12 innings); 3 Brighthouse
Invitational Tournament at DeLand, Fla.,
vs. Central Michigan, W 8-1; 8 Coastal
Carolina Invitational at Myrtle Beach, S.C.,
vs. Harvard, W 11-0; 9 Coastal Carolina
Invitational at Myrtle Beach, S.C., vs.
Ball State, W 5-3; 10 Coastal Carolina
Coastal Carolina, L 3-1; 11 Coastal Carolina
Coastal Carolina, W 3-2; 12 at Charleston
Southern, W 6-3; 15 BRYANT, W 4-1; 16
BRYANT, L 3-2; 17 BRYANT, W 6-4; 22 at
Purdue, W 10-1; 23 at Purdue (DH), W 8-3,
W 7-0; 26 TOLEDO, canceled; 27 at Ohio,
canceled; 29 MICHIGAN STATE, L 8-7; 30
MICHIGAN STATE, W 8-3; 31 MICHIGAN
STATE, L 7-2.
April 2 YOUNGSTOWN STATE, W 3-0;
3 MIAMI (OHIO), W 1-0; 5 at Minnesota,
postponed; 6 at Minnesota, L 7-0; 7 at
Minnesota (DH), W 5-2, L 1-0; 9 WEST
VIRGINIA, W 9-0; 10 MARSHALL, W 5-0; 12
at Nebraska, L 11-2; 13 at Nebraska, W 65; 14 at Nebraska, W 7-4; 16 AKRON, canceled; 17 at Cincinnati, L 5-3; 19 ILLINOIS,
L 9-2; 20 ILLINOIS, W 7-6 (11 innings); 21
ILLINOIS, W 7-3; 26 PENN STATE, W 3-1; 27
PENN STATE (DH), W 10-8, W 8-3.
May 1 NORTHERN KENTUCKY (DH), W
9-8, W 6-5; 4 at Northwestern, L 8-0; 5 at
Northwestern, W 5-3; 6 at Northwestern, W
6-2; 7 GEORGIA TECH, L 9-2; 8 GEORGIA
TECH, W 3-2; 10 (6) OREGON, postponed;
11 (6) OREGON (DH), L 3-1 (11 innings),
L 4-0; 12 (6) OREGON, L 1-0; 14 (10)
LOUISVILLE, L 6-3; 16 (21) INDIANA, W 2-1;
17 (21) INDIANA, L 7-2 (10 innings); 18 (21)
INDIANA, L 8-1; 23 Big Ten Tournament at
Minneapolis vs. (3) Nebraska, W 3-2; 24
Big Ten Tournament at Minneapolis vs. (1)
Indiana, L 11-3; 25 Big Ten Tournament at
Minneapolis vs. (3) Nebraska, L 5-0.
WOMEN’S GOLF
(0-1)
Feb. 3 Alumni Match at Naples, Fla.,
Scarlet wins 5½-½; 11-13 Northrop
Grumman Regional Challenge at Palos
Verdes Estates, Calif., 16th/16; 24-26
Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate at New
Orleans, 13th/18.
March 12-13 Dr. Donnis Thompson
Invitational at Kane’ohe, Hawaii, 2nd/16;
23 at Louisville, L 309-312.
April 5-7 Dallas Athletic Club/SMU
Invitational, 3rd/15; 20-21 LADY BUCKEYE
INVITATIONAL, 4th/12; 26-28 Big Ten
Championships at French Lick, Ind.,
7th/12.
May 9-11 NCAA Regional at Palo Alto,
Calif., T15th/24.
MEN’S LACROSSE
(13-4, 7-2 ECAC)
Jan. 20 TEAM CANADA (Exhibition), W
17-10; 26 at Johns Hopkins (Exhibition), No
score kept.
Feb. 2 (12) SYRACUSE (Exhibition), L 87; ROBERT MORRIS (Exhibition), W 17-9; 9
DETROIT, W 14-8; 17 Moe’s Southwest Grill
Classic at Jacksonville, Fla., vs. Jacksonville,
W 9-6; 23 MARQUETTE, W 18-8.
March 2 at (8) Penn State, W 10-9 (OT);
9 (7) DENVER, L 10-9; 16 at (9) Virginia, W
11-10; 20 at (3) Notre Dame, L 9-4; 23 at
Bellarmine, W 9-7; 30 (5) LOYOLA (MD.),
L 9-4.
April 6 HOBART, W 10-6; 13 at
Michigan, W 17-8; 20 at Air Force, W 109; 27 (20) FAIRFIELD, W 14-8.
May 2 ECAC Tournament Semifinal at
Geneva, N.Y., vs. (2) Loyola (Md.), W 1811; 4 ECAC Tournament Championship at
Geneva, N.Y., vs. (1) Denver, W 11-10; 12
NCAA TOURNAMENT FIRST ROUND (AT
OHIO STADIUM) VS. TOWSON, W 16-6; 18
NCAA Quarterfinal at College Park, Md.,
vs. Cornell, L 16-6.
WOMEN’S LACROSSE
(8-10, 1-4 ALC)
Feb. 16 at Louisville, L 12-11; 20 at
William & Mary, W 21-8; 23 (20) BOSTON
COLLEGE, W 15-8; 27 at (9) Notre Dame,
L 13-8.
March 2 STANFORD, L 12-10; 10
CANISIUS, W 16-5; 16 at Boston University,
L 16-11; 23 at (2) Florida, L 13-7; 27 at
(4) Northwestern, L 9-8; 30 HOFSTRA, W
11-10 (OT).
April 3 SAN DIEGO STATE, W 19-11; 7
VANDERBILT, W 19-4; 14 at (7) Penn State,
L 14-12; 20 at (9) Duke, L 15-9; 21 at High
Point, W 15-10; 28 (19) JOHNS HOPKINS,
L 11-10.
May 2 ALC Quarterfinal at Baltimore vs.
(4) Johns Hopkins, W 10-9; 3 ALC Semifinal
at Baltimore vs. (1) Florida, L 17-3.
SOFTBALL
(34-22, 10-13 Big Ten)
Feb. 8 Red and Black Showcase at
Athens, Ga., vs. Elon, W 10-2 (5 innings);
vs. (8) Georgia, L 6-1; 9 Red and Black
Showcase at Athens, Ga., vs. Winthrop,
W 17-5; vs. (8) Georgia, W 5-4 (8 innings);
10 Red and Black Showcase at Athens,
Ga., vs. Winthrop, W 4-3 (8 innings);
15 Jacksonville University Tournament at
Jacksonville, Fla., vs. Bethune Cookman,
W 11-0 (6 innings); vs. Jacksonville, L 4-2;
Jacksonville, Fla., vs. Bethune Cookman, L
4-3; vs. (16) Louisville, W 1-0 (8 innings);
Jacksonville, Fla., vs. Stony Brook, W 11-4;
22 Mary Nutter Classic at Palm Springs,
Calif., vs. (11) LSU, L 7-0; vs. (14) Arizona,
W 6-0; 23 Mary Nutter Classic at Palm
Springs, Calif., vs. Cal Poly, W 12-1 (6
innings); vs. San Diego State, L 5-0; 24
Mary Nutter Classic at Palm Springs, Calif.,
vs. Utah, L 5-4.
March 9 Miken Maryland Invitational
at College Park, Md., vs. Maryland, W
10-9; vs. Radford, W 5-2; 10 Miken
Maryland Invitational at College Park,
Md., vs. Iowa, L 8-0 (6 innings); vs. St.
John’s, W 4-0; 13 at George Washington,
L 8-4; 14 at Towson, W 8-6; 15 Cherry
Blossom Classic at Fairfax, Va., vs.
Pittsburgh, W 4-0; vs. George Mason,
W 10-0 (5 innings); 16 Cherry Blossom
Classic at Fairfax, Va., vs. Canisius, W
8-0 (6 innings); vs. George Mason, W 52; 17 Cherry Blossom Classic at Fairfax,
Va., vs. Pittsburgh, W 9-0 (5 innings); 22
INDIANA, W 9-5; 23 INDIANA (DH), L 6-4
(9 innings), W 8-2; 29 PURDUE, L 4-2; 30
PURDUE, L 8-7 (9 innings); 31 PURDUE,
W 5-3 (10 innings).
April 5 at (12) Michigan, L 5-1; 6 at
(12) Michigan, L 11-0 (5 innings); 7 at (12)
Michigan, L 17-5 (5 innings); 9 at Ohio
(DH), W 4-2, W 6-1; 12 PENN STATE, W
2-0; 13 PENN STATE, W 16-7 (5 innings);
14 PENN STATE, W 4-3 (8 innings); 17
BALL STATE, W 8-0 (5 innings); 19 at
Wisconsin, canceled; 20 at Wisconsin
(DH), L 7-6 (10 innings), L 3-1; 21 at
Wisconsin, L 4-2; 24 MICHIGAN STATE
(DH), W 4-1, W 6-3; 26 MINNESOTA, L 30; 27 MINNESOTA, L 7-2; 28 MINNESOTA,
W 14-6 (6 innings).
May 1 WRIGHT STATE (DH), W 4-0, W
4-0; 3 at Illinois, L 6-4; 5 at Illinois (DH),
W 3-0, L 1-0; 9 Big Ten Tournament First
Round at Lincoln, Neb., vs. (9) Iowa, W 84; 10 Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinal at
Lincoln, Neb., vs. (1) Michigan, L 3-2.
MEN’S TENNIS
(35-3, 11-0 Big Ten)
Jan. 16 BUTLER, W 7-0; XAVIER, W
6-1; 24 YOUNGSTOWN STATE, W 7-0;
CLEVELAND STATE, W 4-0; 26 ITA KICKOFF
WEEKEND VS. (72) EAST TENNESSEE
STATE, W 7-0; 27 ITA KICKOFF WEEKEND
VS. (64) MIAMI (FLA.), W 7-0; TOLEDO,
W 4-0.
Feb. 3 (6) GEORGIA, W 5-2; 10 at (15)
Texas A&M, L 4-3; 15 ITA National Team
Indoor Championship at Seattle vs. (13)
California, W 4-0; 16 ITA National Team
Pepperdine, W 4-0; 17 ITA National Team
Virginia, L 4-3; 23 (25) NOTRE DAME, W
7-0; 24 (24) LSU, W 7-0; 27 at (37) North
Carolina, W 4-1.
March 2 at Penn State, W 7-0; 12 at (12)
Pepperdine, W 4-1; 19 LOUISVILLE, W 6-1; 22
(63) PURDUE, W 7-0; 24 INDIANA, W 7-0; 29
at Nebraska, L 6-1; 31 at Iowa, W 7-0.
April 3 at (8) Kentucky, W 6-1; 5
WISCONSIN, W 7-0; 7 (37) MINNESOTA,
W 7-0; WRIGHT STATE, W 4-0; 12 at (29)
Illinois, W 4-3; 14 at (34) Northwestern,
W 6-1; 19 (45) MICHIGAN STATE, W 61; 21 at (26) Michigan, W 4-0; 26 BIG
TEN TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINAL VS. (9)
PURDUE, W 4-0; 27 BIG TEN TOURNAMENT
SEMIFINAL VS. (4) ILLINOIS, W 4-0; 28 BIG
TEN TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP VS. (3)
MICHIGAN, W 4-0.
May 10 NCAA TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS
FIRST ROUND VS. CLEVELAND STATE, W 4-0;
11 NCAA TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS SECOND
ROUND VS. (37) WASHINGTON, W 4-0;
16 NCAA Team Championships Round Of
16 at Champaign, Ill., vs. (12) Texas A&M,
W 4-0; 18 NCAA Team Championships
Quarterfinal at Champaign, Ill., vs. (4) USC,
W 4-3; 20 NCAA Team Championships
Semifinal at Champaign, Ill., vs. (1) UCLA,
L 4-3; 22-27 NCAA Singles and Doubles
Championships at Champaign, Ill., NTS.
MEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
March 22-23 Vanderbilt Black and
Gold Invitational at Nashville, Tenn., NTS;
29 Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays at Austin,
Texas, NTS.
April 6 Jim Click Shootout at Tucson,
Ariz., 1st/6; 12-13 Sea Ray Relays at
Knoxville, Tenn., NTS; 19-20 JESSE OWENS
TRACK CLASSIC, NTS; 27-28 Arkansas
Team Invitational at Fayetteville, Ark., NTS.;
29 Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational at
Palo Alto, Calif., NTS.
May 10-12 BIG TEN OUTDOOR
CHAMPIONSHIPS, 6th/11; 23-25 NCAA
East Regional at Greensboro, N.C., NTS.
June 5-8 NCAA Championships
at Eugene, Ore.; 19 USATF National
Championships at Des Moines, Iowa.
WOMEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
March 14-16 Shamrock Invitational
at Myrtle Beach, S.C., NTS; 22-23 UCF
Invitational at Orlando, Fla., NTS.
April 6 Jim Click Shootout at Tucson,
Ariz., 3rd/5; 12-13 All-Ohio Championships
at Athens, Ohio, 1st/13; 19-20 JESSE
OWENS TRACK CLASSIC, NTS; 25-27 Drake
Relays at Des Moines, Iowa, NTS.
May 3 Ohio Open at Athens, Ohio, NTS;
10-12 BIG TEN OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS,
3rd/11; 23-25 NCAA East Regional at
Greensboro, N.C., NTS.
June 5-8 NCAA Championships
at Eugene, Ore.; 19 USATF National
Championships at Des Moines, Iowa.
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BUCKEYE BRIEFS
Urban, Sara Handa, Chloe Meyer, Aina CidCentelles and coxswain Dara Schnoll crossed
For all of its accomplishments, the Ohio the line in 7:08.26, ahead of USC (7:11.02) and
State athletics department had never won an Washington (7:12.03).
Next up, the Second Varsity Eight comNCAA championship in a women’s sport until
pleted an unbeaten season by capturing OSU’s
June 2.
The No. 1 Ohio State rowing team rectified first-ever gold medal for an eight-person
that, winning two of three finals races at the boat. Daphne Socha, Katie Beletskaya, Silvia
NCAA championships at Eagle Creek Park in DeMatteis, Stephanie Johnson, Nicole Becks,
Indianapolis, enough to earn 126 points and Lauren Eckles, Samantha Fowle, Catherine
Shields and coxswain Amanda Poll closed
beat California by two.
“The main thought that I have is just how their 12-0 campaign with a time of 6:27.86.
excited I am for our athletes because of the The Buckeyes finished ahead of California
tremendous job that they did this year and (6:29.89) and Brown (6:30.14).
But everything still came down to the First
most especially the tremendous job they did
over the course of the weekend,” head coach Varsity Eight boat, which contributes the most
to the team point total. The Buckeyes – Katie
Andy Teitelbaum said.
The OSU synchronized swimming team King, Cori Meinert, Eelkje Miedema, Ashley
has won 28 collegiate championships and Bauer, Meghan Birkbeck, Allison Elber,
the women’s pistol team has won five, but Holly Norton, Claire-Louise Bode and coxneither of those sports is sanctioned by the swain Victoria Lazur – battled for third with
NCAA. One coed team, fencing, has won three Virginia for most of the race, finally edging the
national championships, but rowing becomes Cavaliers for that spot with a time of 6:23.19.
the first female-only OSU squad to win an
California (6:21.42) and Princeton (6:22.59)
NCAA crown.
finished first and second, respectively, in the
Of course, that wasn’t so much on final race, but the Buckeyes held off the
Teitelbaum’s mind as the fact that the 18th- Golden Bears for the title.
year coach was able to bring
“We were fortunate enough
his first title to Columbus. Ohio
to just stare at the screen, willState’s previous best team finish
ing them to hold on, and when
was third place in 2007.
the boat came across the finish
“They did an unbelievable
line, first of all I was like, ‘Holy
amount of work to prepare themmoly, they’re across the line,’ ”
selves for the entire spring but
Teitelbaum said. “I just turned to
especially for the conference and
my staff and we all looked at each
the national championships, and
other and we were like, ‘We did
that is impressive,” Teitelbaum
it!’ It’s a little bit of shock and you
said. “But the most impressive
go numb because you think about
part about them is how much this
it and you dream about it and you
team loves each other and how
imagine what it’s going to be like,
Claire-Louise Bode but when it actually happens, it’s a
much they supported each other.
“We sensed pretty early on that we had the little bit surreal.”
potential for something special in just sort of
Teitelbaum was named Big Ten Coach of
watching the way the kids treated each other the Year, Bode was named Athlete of the Year
on the team. I think that really enabled them and Catherine Shields earned Co-Freshman of
to take the championship home.”
the Year honors after OSU captured the Big
It wasn’t a surprise that Ohio State was in Ten title May 19 at Eagle Creek Park. Ohio
the running for the title, as the Buckeyes were State’s 160 points set a Big Ten meet record.
one of just two teams along with USC to put all
Ohio State won five of seven races, clinchthree boats in finals.
ing its title when the 1V8 blew away the comThe Buckeyes then got off to a great petition with a time of 6:29.46, 10.3 seconds
start when the First Varsity Four repeated as ahead of Michigan. The 2V8 posted a time of
national champions, as the crew of Taylore 6:31.41 to best Wisconsin (6:42.78), while the
1V4 won with a time of 7:25.74.
Bode, Elber and Miedema were named
first-team All-Big Ten choices, while Meinert
and Norton were picked for the second team.
Rowing Team Makes History
By Winning NCAA Title
Rola Captures NCAA Singles
Crown; OSU Makes Team Semis
Blaz Rola became Ohio State’s first-ever
NCAA singles champion when the men’s tennis star captured the national title May 27 in
Champaign, Ill.
The junior clinched the crown with a 7-6
(8), 6-4 victory against No. 3 Jarmere Jenkins
of Virginia in the championship match.
“It’s unbelievable,” he said. “The past
champions who have won this tournament
– John McEnroe, the Bryan brothers – for my
name to be up there, it’s just overwhelming.
It’s unbelievable and I’m really happy.”
The junior from Ptuj, Slovenia, finished the
season with a 32-1 mark and earned his third
consecutive All-America honor in singles. He
also paired with Chase Buchanan to win the
NCAA doubles title last year.
Rola, seeded between ninth and 16th,
swept his way through the 64-person field
without much trouble, losing only one set in
his six matches.
He opened with three straight-sets wins
over Cal’s Ben McLachlan, Mississippi State’s
Malte Stropp and South Carolina’s Tsvetan
Mihov before perhaps his toughest match.
Rola took on No. 8 Henrique Cunha of Duke
in the quarterfinals and lost the first set, 6-4,
before capturing the final two by scores of 6-4
and 6-1.
Rola beat Tulsa’s Japie De Klerk by a 6-2,
6-3 score in the semifinals before the matchup
with Jenkins. The two went to a tiebreaker in
the first set before the Buckeye won his sixth
set point when Jenkins double-faulted.
“I kept my mind relaxed and thankfully I
came through in the first set,” Rola said after
losing a 6-2 lead in the tiebreaker. “It was a
crucial point in the match.”
In the second set, Rola won a break point to
make it 4-3, and he cruised home from there.
On match point, Rola blasted an ace to make
Buckeye history.
Teammate Peter Kobelt also made the
round of 16. The No. 7 seed, Kobelt opened
with victories against Fred Saba of Duke and
Dennis Novikov of UCLA before falling to
Sebastian Fanselow of Pepperdine.
In doubles, Kobelt paired with senior
Connor Smith, but the two lost in the opening
round May 23 by a 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 score to Duke’s
Cunha and Raphael Hemmeler.
For the eighth straight season, it was close
but no cigar when it came to capturing the biggest of prizes for the Ohio State team.
The No. 5 Buckeyes made it to the NCAA
semifinals, ending four-time defending champion USC’s reign along the way, before a
gut-wrenching 4-3 loss May 20 to top-seeded
UCLA.
The match came down to No. 2 singles,
where No. 25 Marcos Giron of UCLA bested
the eighth-ranked Kobelt by a score of 46, 7-6 (4), 6-4. OSU dropped the doubles
points before singles wins from No. 73 Devin
McCarthy, No. 71 Smith and No. 12 Rola, but
it was not enough.
Still, Ohio State – the Big Ten regularseason and tournament champion – advanced
to the semifinals for the third time in school
history, joining the 2009 national runner-up
squad and the ’11 team that also lost in the
round of four.
The Buckeyes (35-3) earned a special kind
of revenge, too, with their quarterfinal win
vs. No. 4 USC. The Trojans’ four-year run as
champions began with their victory over OSU
in the ’09 final, and the Buckeyes ended the
streak with a 4-3 win May 18.
“The guys wanted this,” head coach Ty
Tucker said. “We don’t get a ton of respect for
where we play tennis all the time. It’s good for
our guys. We always thought we could compete with the best in the country, and being
able to beat USC certainly proves it.”
OSU pulled ahead in doubles before singles wins by McCarthy, Rola and Kobelt.
The Buckeyes opened the tournament with
wins over Cleveland State and Washington
in Columbus before downing No. 12 Texas
A&M, 4-0, in the round of 16 in Champaign.
Men’s Lacrosse Wins League,
Reaches NCAA Quarterfinals
With a surprising run to the ECAC
Lacrosse League title and just the second
NCAA tournament victory in program history,
the Ohio State men’s lacrosse team captured
the attention of Columbus, a city in which the
sport continues to explode.
With that in mind, head coach Nick Myers
had a bit of perspective when his team’s postseason run came to a close in the NCAA quarterfinals May 18 with a 16-6 loss to Cornell in
College Park, Md.
“I couldn’t be prouder of our family,”
Myers said. “These young men have worked
their tails off. They stepped up to every challenge we put in front of them. We’re going to
celebrate this year.”
The No. 3 Buckeyes couldn’t get much
going vs. the Big Red, falling into a 6-1 hole
in the first quarter and watching Steve Mock
score seven times in the first half.
Jesse King tallied twice for Ohio State,
while Logan Schuss had a goal and two assists
and fellow senior Dominique Alexander had
two assists. Despite the loss, Schuss was
excited about what the team was able to
accomplish in his final campaign.
“I’m definitely proud to call myself a captain and a senior on this team,” said Schuss,
who finished his career with school-record
146 goals. “We had a team that not many
thought was a contender a couple of months
ago. We really came through adversity and got
to one of the top stages.”
Ohio State advanced out of the first round
of the 16-team NCAA tournament for the first
time since 2008 on May 12 with a 16-6 victory against Towson in Ohio Stadium in the
first postseason game the program has ever
hosted.
“It means a lot to be able to play a home
game in the ’Shoe,” Alexander said. “Anytime
you play in the ’Shoe, it’s a historic stadium
and you’re honored to play there. We didn’t
want to go out with a loss at home, so the
whole team bought into that mentality and
we really wanted to have a win for our fans to
leave on.”
King posted a team-best four goals including a first-half hat trick, Schuss had three
goals and three assists, and Carter Brown
added a hat trick. The squad was boosted by
a dominant day on the faceoff spot by Trey
Wilkes, who won 18 of 23 draws, while goaltender Greg Dutton made eight saves.
Ohio State also won the first postseason
tournament in school history when it captured
the ECAC title May 2-4 in Geneva, N.Y. The
third-seeded Buckeyes defeated top-seeded
and fourth-ranked Denver by an 11-10 score
in the final thanks to a tiebreaking goal by
Turner Evans with 24 seconds left. Evans
scored four times and Dutton had nine saves.
The Buckeyes opened the tournament
with an 18-11 victory in the semifinals over
second-seeded Loyola (Md.), the defending
national champion. OSU scored the last nine
goals, with Schuss notching five tallies in the
game and King four.
OSU finished the season with a 13-4
record.
Buckeyes Advance To Track
And Field Championships
The Ohio State men’s and women’s track
and field teams performed well at the NCAA
East Regional, held May 23-25 in Greensboro,
N.C.
The No. 23 men’s team got off to a good
start on the opening night as both Michael
Hartfield and Korbin Smith advanced to the
NCAA meet, to be held June 5-8 in Eugene,
Ore., in the long jump. The next day, Billy
Stanley and Antonio Blanks joined the party
with qualifying marks in the javelin and the
400 hurdles, respectively.
Three individuals and two relay teams
punched their tickets on the final day. The
Buckeye 4x100m relay team – Devin Smith
of the football squad, Timothy Faust, Nick
Batcha and Demoye Bogle – moved on, as did
Chris Fallon in the 1,500 meters, Bogle in the
110 hurdles and Faust in the 200 meters.
The 4x400 relay squad finished things in
style as Champ Page, Korbin Smith, Marvel
Brooks and Blanks moved on.
On the women’s side, six Buckeyes will
BUCKEYE BRIEFS
Nearly 200 Buckeyes Earn Academic All-Big Ten Honors
Ohio State placed 191 student-athletes on the spring and
at-large Academic All-Big Ten list, again leading the league
with 327 honorees for the entire year, third most in department history.
To be eligible for selection, student-athletes must be letter winners who are in at least their second academic year
and carry a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0.
For the spring and at-large sports, the rowing team
led the way for Ohio State with 20 honorees. The men’s
lacrosse team was second with 18, followed by women’s
track and field with 17.
Fencer Maxwell Sterns finished his career as one of 24
Big Ten athletes to maintain a perfect 4.0 cumulative gradepoint average.
A full list of OSU’s honorees along with their majors
follows.
Baseball: Mike Carroll, Sr., marketing; Greg Greve, Jr.,
finance; Jaron Long, Jr., communication; Tito Nava, Jr., economics; Matt Panek, So., finance; Tim Wetzel, Jr., nutrition;
Ryan Wonders, So., finance.
Fencing (At-Large): Katarzyna Dabrowa, Sr., psychology; Samuel Hardwicke-Brown, Jr., textiles and clothing;
Andrew McDonald, Jr., logistics; Alison Miller, Sr., psychology; Eric Philippou, Jr., communication; Caroline Piasecka,
Jr., international business; Mona Shaito, So., sociology;
Maxwell Stearns, Sr., political science; Daniel Tafoya, Sr.,
international studies.
Men’s Golf: Logan Jones, Jr., marketing; Boo Timko,
So., sport industry; Matthew Turner, Sr., international business; Grant Weaver, So.; accounting.
Women’s Golf: Jan Chanpalangsri, So., operations
management; Claudia Lim, So., sport industry; Amy Meier,
Sr., human nutrition.
Men’s Hockey (At-Large): Alex Carlson, Sr., actuarial
science; Chris Crane, Jr., sport industry; Justin DaSilva,
So.; sport industry; Tanner Fritz, So., sport industry; Brady
Hjelle, Sr., economics; Devon Krogh, Sr., finance; Alex
Lippincott, Jr., communication; Brandon Martell, Sr., biology; Max McCormick, So., finance; Al McLean, So., finance;
Jeff Michael, Sr., accounting; Travis Statchuk, Jr., marketing; Alex Szczechura, Jr., family resource management.
Women’s Hockey (At-Large): Becky Allis, Jr., exercise science; Stacy Danczak, So., communication; Kara
Gust, Jr., communication; Tina Hollowell, Sr., consumer
and family financial services; Taylor Kuehl, So., communication; Madison Marcotte, Jr., social work; Kari Schmitt, So.,
business administration; Sara Schmitt, So., information systems; Paige Semenza, Sr., human development and family
science; Lisa Steffes, Jr. communication; Kayla Sullivan, So.,
finance; Annie Svedin, Jr., psychology; Minttu Tuominen,
Sr., human nutrition.
Men’s Lacrosse (At-Large): Dominique Alexander, Sr.,
physical education teacher education; Ryan Borcherding,
take part in the NCAA championships, including the 4x100 relay of Ashlee Abraham, Aisha
Cavin, Christienne Linton and Adenike Pedro.
Abraham will also compete in the 200 meters,
while Katie Borchers will run the 800 meters
and Alexis Thomas will compete in the hammer throw.
Before that, Ohio State hosted the Big
Ten outdoor championships in Jesse Owens
Memorial Stadium from May 11-13. The women’s team placed third while the men’s squad
finished sixth.
Three Buckeye women’s entrants emerged
with championships as Ohio State earned
86 points, 47 points behind champion Penn
State.
Thomas was the first Buckeye to reach
the top of the podium, as her throw of 64.19
meters allowed her to win the event for the
second consecutive Big Ten meet.
The 4x100-meter relay team of Abraham,
Cavin, Linton and Pedro crossed the line in
44.76 seconds, allowing the Buckeyes to win
the event for the third straight Big Ten meet.
The third title went to Alexis Franklin in the
400-meter long hurdles, as she bested the field
with a time of 58.31 before being named Big
Ten Freshman of the Year.
On the men’s side, the Buckeyes earned
So., logistics management; Eric Chadderdon, So., communication; Mark Crawford, Sr., special education; Nick
Diegel, Jr., physical education teacher education; Turner
Evans, So., psychology; Rick Lewis, Jr., communication;
Nick Liddil, Sr., communication; Kevin Mack, Sr., physical
education teacher education; Joe Meurer, Jr., finance; Evan
Mulchrone, So., marketing; Patrick Riffee, Sr., physical education teacher education; Logan Schuss, Sr., physical education teacher education; Cameron Stephens, So., sustainable
plant systems; Patrick Toohey, Sr., English; Dan Wertz, Sr.,
sport and leisure studies; Trey Wilkes, Sr., communication.
Women’s Lacrosse (At-Large): Kelsea Ayers, So., sport
industry; Rachel Blue, Sr., molecular genetics; Katie Chase,
Jr., sport and leisure studies/family science; Alli Dawson,
So., marketing; Tori DeScenza, So., human nutrition; Taylor
Donahue, So., geography; Cara Facchina, Jr., industrial
systems engineering; Mary Kate Facchina, So., early childhood development; Kaila Gottlick, Jr., human nutrition;
Heather Gravinese, Jr., criminology; Hallie Keselman, So.,
sport industry; Tayler Kuzma, Jr., sport and leisure studies;
Jennifer Porretto, So., sport industry; Emily Valli, So., animal sciences; Rachel Wiederkehr, Sr., nursing.
Pistol: Clay Beckholt, So., biology; Nicolas Fujimura,
Sr., industrial engineering; Rachael Mullaney, So., environmental engineering; Mariah Skiles, Jr., animal science;
Aaron Tourigny, Jr., political science; Alexandra Troester,
Jr., biology.
Rifle: Jane Lankes, So., sociology; Amanda Luoma, Jr.,
animal science; Megan Polonsky, So., medical technology;
Maxwell Snyderman, Grad., integrated mathematics/teaching.
Rowing: Ann Ayers, So., human resources; Ashley
Bauer, So., animal science; Nicole Becks, So., early childhood education; Julie Dick, Sr., political science; Lauren
Eckles, Jr., communication; Allison Elber, Sr., psychology; Samantha Fowle, Sr., operations management; Sara
Handa, Sr., economics; Sarah Kessler, Sr., exercise science;
Victoria Lazur, So., public affairs; Cori Meinert, Sr., environmental science; Chloe Meyer, So., neuroscience; Eelkje
Miedema, Jr., animal science; Sarah Milota, Jr., biology;
Amanda Poll, So., human development and family science;
Claire Sasowsky, Jr., accounting; Dara Schnoll, So., finance;
Katherine Tylinski, Sr., international studies; Taylore Urban,
Jr., human nutrition; Julie Walsh, Jr., English.
Softball: Alex DiDomenico, So., early childhood education; Kasie Kelly, Jr., communication/marketing; Danielle
LeBeau, Sr., psychology; Maddy McIntyre, So., marketing; Brittany Mills, Sr., economics; Alyson Mott, Sr., interior design; Olivia Reilly, So., biology; Shelby Pickett, So.,
finance; Audrey Plant, Jr. communication; Melissa Rennie,
Jr., finance.
Synchronized Swimming (At-Large): Chelsea Aton,
Jr., actuarial science; Julia Gaylard, Jr., human nutrition;
84 points to finish behind three ranked teams
– including No. 13 Nebraska, which won with
131½ – and two others, but the star of the
meet was certainly Hartfield, who was named
Athlete of the Championships.
The senior captured a pair of gold medals,
including earning a third consecutive long
jump crown to become the first Buckeye to
ever earn that honor. Hartfield cleared 7.69
meters to capture the long jump then added a
second title by winning the triple jump with a
distance of 15.62 meters.
Stanley continued his dominant season
by capturing first place in the javelin with
a Big Ten meet-and school-record throw of
75.23 meters, allowing him to earn Big Ten
Freshman of the Year honors.
Women’s Lacrosse Falls
In Tourney Semifinals
The Ohio State women’s lacrosse team
saw its season end in early May at the
American Lacrosse Conference tournament
in Baltimore.
The fifth-seeded Buckeyes reached the
ALC semis for the third straight season with
a comeback, 10-9 victory May 2 over No. 20
Johns Hopkins.
Hallie Keselman scored the winning
Samantha Golomb, So., microbiology; Tori Hawes, Jr., history; Kristine Irwin, So., marketing; Heidi Liou, So., fashion
and retail studies; Yuliya Maryanko, Jr., hospitality management; Lauren Nicholson, Jr., exercise science education;
Katie Spada, So., human nutrition/dietetics; Paige Wells,
So., fashion merchandising; Khadija Zanotto, So., hospitality and business management.
Men’s Tennis: Hunter Callahan, Jr., marketing; Chris
Diaz, So., neuroscience; Peter Kobelt, Jr., family resource
management; Devin McCarthy, Sr., history; Kevin Metka,
Jr., mechanical engineering.
Women’s Tennis: Kelsey Becker, Jr., marketing; Kara
Cecil, Sr., sport and leisure studies; Kelsey Dieters, So.,
pharmacy; Tiffany Dittmer, Jr., marketing; Nicole Flower,
Jr., sport industry; Noelle Malley, Jr., psychology; Fidan
Manashirova, Sr., communication; Gabby Steele, Sr., communication.
Men’s Track & Field: Nick Batcha, So., business
administration; Derek Blevins, Sr., sport and leisure studies; Christopher Fallon, Sr., history; Timothy Faust, So.,
special education; Billy Gehring, Grad., accounting; Kurt
Grove, Jr., finance; Scott Kinkley, Jr., history; Cody Miller,
Jr., human nutrition; J.C. Murasky, So., communication;
Jackson Neff, So., marketing; Luke Norris, So., economics;
Brant Reardon, So., sport industry; Donny Roys, Sr., sport
and leisure studies; Korbin Smith, Sr., health sciences program; Kenny Stephens, Jr., consumer and family financial
services; Blake Taneff, So., biochemistry.
Women’s Track & Field: Katie Betts, So., psychology; Katie Borchers, So., exercise science; Tori Brink, Sr.,
English; Aisha Cavin, So., health professions exploration;
Sarah Chilson, So., speech and hearing science; Abie
Ehinwenman, So., construction systems; Nicole Hilton,
So., exercise science; Alexandria Johnson, So., science;
Mallory Kreider, Jr., human development and family science; Andrea McArdle, So., evolution and ecology; Jordan
Moxley, So., art education; Janel Olberding, So., nursing;
Emily Taylor, Jr., health sciences program; Michelle
Thomas, So., human development and family science;
Bianca Walton, Jr. human development and family science; Ashley Woodruff, Sr., communication; Stephanie
Zimmerman, Jr., finance.
Men’s Volleyball (At-Large): Danny Baker, Jr., psychology; Nick Gibson, Sr., health info management and systems; Peter Heinen, Jr., actuarial science; Michael Henchy,
So., consumer and family financial services; Shawn Herron,
Jr., neuroscience; Derek Kues, Sr., exercise science; Chen
Levitan, Sr., sport and leisure studies; Jonathan Newton,
Jr., sport and leisure studies; Grayson Overman, Sr., communication; Michael Piechowski, Jr., English; Mike Stefani,
Sr., sport and leisure studies; John Tholen, Sr., mechanical
engineering.
– Jeff Svoboda
goal for the Buckeyes off a pass from Jackie
Cifarelli with 4:03 to play for her eighth tally of
the season. Katie Chase – who tied the game
at 9 with 7:41 to play – and Cara Facchina each
had two goals in the game, and Cifarelli had a
trio of assists.
The Buckeyes couldn’t keep it going in the
semifinals, though, as No. 2 Florida posted a
17-3 victory May 3. Cifarelli, Chase and Alli
Dawson tallied for OSU, which trailed 13-0 at
the half. Ohio State finished the year at 8-10.
Softball Loses In Big
Ten Tournament
Ohio State won its first game to move on to
the quarterfinals of the Big Ten softball tournament before dropping a nail-biter to Michigan
in the event hosted May 9-12 by Nebraska,
ending its season with a 34-22 record.
The eighth-seeded Buckeyes opened
the event by facing ninth-seeded Iowa, with
Shelby Pickett’s fifth-inning grand slam propelling OSU to an 8-4 victory. Iowa held a 4-1
lead before Ohio State had a six-run outburst
in the frame. Melanie Nichols got the win for
the Buckeyes, throwing three scoreless relief
innings to improve to 6-2.
That earned OSU top-seeded and sixthranked Michigan in the quarterfinals, but a
late rally came up short as the Wolverines
held on for a 3-2 win. Maddy McIntyre and
Leesa Gresham had run-scoring singles in the
seventh, but Michigan prevailed.
Freshman outfielder Cammi Prantl was
named a second-team All-Big Ten choice
thanks to a .355 average, 31 RBI and nine
steals. Evelyn Carrillo was also chosen as the
first baseman on the Big Ten’s All-Defensive
Team.
Women’s Golf Falls
Short At Regional
The No. 37 Ohio State women’s golf team
fell shy of moving on from the NCAA West
Regional, held May 9-11 at the par-71 Stanford
Golf Course in Palo Alto, Calif.
The Buckeyes shot a three-round team
score of 47-over 899, tying for 15th at the 24team regional. Top-ranked USC won the tournament with a score of 7-over 859, while the
top eight teams advanced to the NCAA final.
Senior Amy Meier led OSU for the eighth
time in as many spring tournaments with a
score of 7-over 220 to tie for 26th. Fellow senior
Susana Benavides was next for the Buckeyes,
shooting 225 to tie for 55th. Jan Chanpalangsri
and Allison Harper each finished with a 15over score of 228 to tie for 72nd.
OPINION
Gee Finds Himself In Center Of Attention Again
Did you see those headlines in May
about Ohio State University President Dr.
E. Gordon Gee?
In case you missed it, a widely reported
summary published last month by the
Chronicle of Higher Education showed
that Gee was the nation’s third-highest
paid university president in 2011-12.
His take: $1.9 million.
THE EXNER POINT
Rich Exner
Now that’s a sum of money that shows
education is important at Ohio State. In
fact, it’s more than double that of the
sixth-ranked person on the list. Michigan’s
Mary Sue Coleman checked in there at
$919,000.
Chalk up another one for Ohio State
over Michigan.
And No. 1 is within reach for the
Buckeye leader.
Graham B. Spanier, the now deposed
head at Penn State, led the way in the most
recent rankings at $2.9 million in 2011-12.
With Spanier out of the way, one would
have to think Gee would have a shot of
someday overtaking second-ranked Jay
Gogue ($2.5 million).
Gogue is the head of Auburn. Auburn
is in the Southeastern Conference. And I
seem to remember reading recently where (Athletic director) Barry Alvarez thought
a certain Ohio State leader was quoted as he was a thug. And he left just ahead of the
sheriff.” (Alvarez denied any such statesaying the SEC couldn’t read or write.
More precisely, according to The ment.)
Questionable statements to be sure by
Associated Press, the quote was, “You tell
the SEC when they can learn to read and the head of The Ohio State University,
write, then they can figure out what we’re but you have to give Ohio State credit for
making it clear such comments
doing.” That comment came in
would not be tolerated.
response to a question about
The trustees told Gee so in
SEC fans joking that the Big
a formal letter and ordered up
Ten can’t count because it now
a series of corrective actions.
has 14 teams.
The trustees may be willing to
Unless you’ve been out of
make Gee one of the highesttouch on Buckeye news recentpaid presidents in the land, but
ly, you’ll recognize that quote
Gee’s one-liners aren’t apprecias one of many comments Gee
ated.
fired off during a candid meetHighlights of the letter
ing with Ohio State’s Athletic
included ordering Gee to apoloCouncil back in December.
gize, making a “more targeted
Other gems included:
E. Gordon Gee
selection of the most appropri• On Notre Dame: “The
fathers are holy on Sunday, and they’re ate speaking engagements” and “using
holy hell the rest of the week. … You your voice to set the standards for civility,
just can’t trust those damn Catholics on inclusion and collective aspiration to bring
a Thursday or a Friday, and so, literally, I people together.”
Maybe the trustees were so ready to
can say that.”
• On the academic integrity of the Big bring the hammer down because this was
Ten: The top goal of Big Ten presidents is hardly the first time Gee’s words made
to “make certain that we have institutions headlines.
In fact, he told the Lantern student
of like-minded academic integrity. … So
newspaper back in 2011 that “I sometimes
you won’t see us adding Louisville.”
• On former Wisconsin coach Bret need to extricate my foot from my mouth.
Bielema and his departure to Arkansas: … I admit that. But I have been that way
“That was a blessing for Wisconsin and for 30 years.”
Gee made that statement to the
they knew it because he was under tremendous pressure. They didn’t like him. Lantern’s editorial board not long after a
questionable comment Gee made early
in the Jim Tressel scandal. “I hope he
doesn’t fire me,” Gee said in March 2011,
an apparent attempt to show that Tressel’s
job was safe. Several weeks later, Tressel
was forced out.
Some people, rightly or wrongly, viewed
that statement by Gee as a statement that
football (Tressel, as its leader) was bigger
than the university (Gee, as its leader).
Well aware of this past – and probably
understanding that with Gee this is part
of the package, outweighed by his positives – trustees took action. Here’s the
timetable.
In December, Gee made his comments
to the Athletic Council, with athletics director Gene Smith present.
In March, trustees issued their letter to
Gee, outlining the corrective action.
In May, the details became public with
an Associated Press report, based on a
recording of the December comments
the AP obtained under a public records
request. It was after this report that the
university released the March letter.
A university spokesman said that Gee
was on a family vacation and would not
be available for comment, but the school
did release a statement of apology from
Gee.
Such was the case for May headlines
from Ohio State, and its leader.
Just filling the void between basketball
and football season.
Oh, by the way, did you see the new set
of odds from online betting service Bovada?
Ohio State is 13-2 to win the national championship. That ties the Buckeyes for second, behind only Alabama at 3-1.
The Ohio State University
Alumni Club of Delaware County Golf Outing
Bent Tree Golf Club
Date: Sunday, June 23, 2013
Time: 1 p.m. shotgun start
Format: Four-person scramble
Includes: Green fee, cart fee, range balls, two
drink tickets, box lunch and a tailgate buffet
following golf
$89 per person
Dinner only – $18 per person
Door Prizes! Raffle! Silent Auction!
Register by foursome online
www.BentTreeGC.com (under online store)
Mail check/money order to Maurine Strom to register as a single
4999 Hawthorne Valley Dr. • Westerville, Ohio 43082
Questions regarding the golf outing?
Contact Maurine Strom, Program Event/Chair
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Questions regarding online registration?
Contact Jackie Packer at Bent Tree
(740) 965-5140 Ext. 3
Proceeds benefit the OSU Alumni Club of Delaware County Scholarship Fund
OPINION
Publishing Business Continues Never-Ending Evolution
I recently attended the annual College
Sports Publishers Association convention in
Las Vegas. Each year, as regular readers of
this column know, there seems to be an overriding topic, and this year it was improved
delivery of our online products to tablets and
mobile devices.
While it has been a given for some time
now that people are garnering more and more
of their news and information online, the
way people access that information is rapidly
changing. People are no longer solely sitting
in front of a computer in their home or office.
They now have the ability and the desire to
access their news sources while on the go,
and publications such as BSB need to format
their information in such a way that it is easily
accessible.
Look for changes in the delivery of the
electronic version of Buckeye Sports Bulletin
as well as our additional electronic issues,
known as BSB Quickly, in the coming months.
Other college publications within CSPA have
already started this reformatting with positive
response from their subscribers.
Readers of Buckeye Sports Bulletin should
enjoy the fact that we remain one of the few
publications that still publishes print issues
weekly during football season. Publications
at such schools as Michigan, Penn State and
Florida now put out print publications on only
a monthly basis. At Purdue, Gold & Black
Illustrated is printed only six times a year, and
at Miami (Fla.), printed editions of CaneSport
have been eliminated altogether. These publishers are now using electronic issues as their
main source of distribution.
It has been our intent at Buckeye Sports
Bulletin to use the Internet to expand our publishing schedule with 36 additional electronic
issues rather than using electronic issues to
replace our printed product. We are committed to maintaining our print version of BSB as
long as that is what the majority of our readers
want and will support.
However, as mentioned, readers can look
forward to exciting changes to our electronic
offerings in the very near future.
Vegas Likes The Bucks
One of my traditions on my annual trek to
Vegas for the CSPA convention is to pick up
the odds sheet for the national football championship, which this season will be contested
Jan. 6, 2014, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena,
Calif.
The guys in Vegas make a living predicting
things like this, and they appear to see things
squarely coming down to Alabama and Ohio
State.
As of mid-May, the pickers at MGM
Resorts saw the odds for the Crimson Tide
winning the national championship at 3-1, with
Ohio State right behind at 4-1. Alabama had
opened in February at 7-2.
Following the Tide and Buckeyes were
Texas A&M (which opened at 15-1) at 5-1 and
Oregon at 7-1. Rounding out the top 10 were
Florida and Georgia at 10-1, LSU at 12-1 and
Clemson, Notre Dame, South Carolina and
Stanford all returning 18-1 should they win the
national crown.
Other Big Ten schools of note included Michigan (which opened at 20-1) at 25-1
and Nebraska (which opened 50-1) at 301. Wisconsin (which opened at 30-1) and
Northwestern (which opened at 35-1) were
both at 40-1, while Michigan State (which
opened at 40-1) was listed at 50-1.
On the hardwood, Vegas far and away
prefers Kentucky, which did not even make
the NCAA Tournament this past season, to
Passages
THE VIEW FROM 15TH & HIGH
Frank Moskowitz, Publisher
bring home the national championship trophy
with 4-1 odds.
In an example of the power of recruiting
in college basketball, the basketball odds
sheet I picked up at the beginning of my trip
had Kansas tied for 10th among the nation’s
college teams with 20-1 odds of winning the
national championship.
Then, May 14, they signed Andrew
Wiggins, the consensus No. 1 recruit in the
nation said by many to be the most coveted
high school player since LeBron James. In
a new sheet, dated May 16, the odds for the
Jayhawks had dropped to 8-1, presumably
based on the addition of the 6-8 Huntington
(W.Va.) Prep product.
Duke, Florida and Michigan State are next
at 10-1. Ohio State is in a perennial power cluster of schools with 12-1 odds, joining North
Carolina, defending champion Louisville and
Arizona. At 15-1, Memphis is the only other
school with odds posted at less than 20-1.
Other Big Ten schools listed among the
top 25 include Michigan at 20-1, Indiana at 301, Wisconsin at 50-1 and Iowa at 60-1.
If you are looking to win a lottery-sized
bet, the teams with the highest posted odds
in football are Iowa (which opened at 150-1),
Texas Tech and Pittsburgh, all at 200-1. In
basketball, your dollar bet on Utah State,
Iona, Nevada, Fresno State, Wyoming, 2013
NCAA Tournament darling Florida Gulf Coast
or scandal-plagued future Big Ten member
Rutgers will get you 500 if your team somehow wins the national championship in 2014.
Backing The Band
A group spearheaded by David DePrisco
and Jim Damschroder, and inspired by Toledoarea native Jonathan Waters, now the director
of the Ohio State University marching band,
has set out to support TBDBITL members
from the northwest Ohio area by creating
the Cheryl Jacobs Waters Scholarship. The
scholarship is named after Jonathan Waters’
mother, who passed away in 2004 at the young
age of 57.
Cheryl Jacobs Waters was a successful
and noted educator in the Toledo area. When
her son failed in his first audition for the OSU
band, she encouraged him to work even
harder and to try again. Waters eventually
made TBDBITL, became a sousaphone “i”
dotter, a band graduate assistant and the
assistant band director and now is regarded
as one of the most innovative band directors
in the country.
Waters was the featured speaker at the dinner following the first Cheryl Jacobs Waters
TBDBITL Golf Invitational, held May 20 at
the Stone Oak Country Club outside Toledo.
I have had the privilege of hearing Waters
speak several times, and his passion for Ohio
State and its band and his grasp of the history and traditions of the unit are obvious and
make him both an interesting speaker and
outstanding representative of the university.
Anytime someone takes over an organization of the size and importance of the OSU
marching band, he wants to make his mark.
But at the same time, you have to recognize the history and success of that same
organization. To make wholesale changes to
TBDBITL would have been a serious mistake.
Fortunately, as mentioned, Waters is a histo-
rian of the band, and few appreciate its storied
past more than he does.
Yet he has been able to freshen things up
a bit, and his video game-themed halftime
show for the 2012 Nebraska game became an
Internet sensation.
Waters summarized his approach at the
Toledo gathering with the catchphrase “tradition through innovation.” By that Waters
means that the band, under his leadership,
hopes to generate innovations that ultimately
become part of the unit’s storied tradition.
Waters is very quick to point out that the
experimental introduction of the popular rock
song “Hang on Sloopy” was innovative – perhaps even controversial – at the time, but the
song is now as much a part of the Ohio State
tradition as Brutus Buckeye.
Ohio State athletics director Gene Smith
seems to appreciate Waters’ efforts, as you
may have noticed in our comprehensive interview with the AD in this issue.
“This generation of kids is different, so
we have to respond to them,” Smith said in
the BSB interview, talking about the athletic
department as a whole trying to stay current.
“We go through this all the time. We do it
with our band. Jon Waters started that swag
song and that’s new for us, but he balances
it with not eliminating a tradition. He uses it
in the right times, and the kids love that. We
have 30,000 students in our stadium and the
ones on the field, so he’s recognizing that
diversity and came up with a pretty cool short
little deal, so there’s balance.”
The golf outing raised $15,000 to jumpstart the scholarship fund, and DePrisco
and Damschroder hope that is just the first
step toward what will eventually become an
endowed fund.
Those wishing to contribute and help support TBDBITL and its members from northwest Ohio can do so through Ohio State’s
College of Arts and Sciences. Request that
your donation go to Fund No. 314449.
Grading The Grads
With all the activity on the Ohio State
sports scene in the past year or two, I seem to
have briefly strayed from my traditional look
at the graduate list for name athletes. It should
be easy for me to get back into the swing of
things now that the switch from quarters to
semesters has decreased the number of commencements.
It was a small group of eight football players who walked across the stage on May 5.
The group was headlined by Zach Boren,
who solidified his reputation as a leader by
earning his sheepskin. Fellow defensive stalwarts Travis Howard and Orhian Johnson also
graduated. Fullback Adam Homan, a five-time
OSU Scholar-Athlete, sealed the academic
deal with his graduation.
And finally, I always like to mention the
football players who come back to complete
their studies through Ohio State’s Degree
Completion Program. As many of you who
have been through it know, each year that
passes makes it more and more difficult to
come back and earn a degree. However,
Mike Collins, a three-year starter on the
defensive line for the Buckeyes who lettered
from 1998-2001, was one of this year’s spring
graduates.
Ask the question who is the greatest Ohio
State running back, lineman, coach or the like,
and there will always be room for debate. But
if you ask who is the leading Ohio State football
historian, there is little argument. Virtually any
Buckeye football fan would tell you it’s Jack
Park. Jack is certainly whom we call on here at
BSB when we have a historical question.
I bring this up because the second most
knowledgeable person on Buckeye football
history might just have been Sue Park, Jack’s
wife, who passed away May 11 at the age of 67.
Sue was such an active part of Jack’s historical
pursuits that it would have been impossible for
her not to acquire an immense knowledge of
the Buckeyes.
Sue worked with Jack, to whom she was
married for nearly 43 years, on his books and
was a constant companion at his many speaking engagements throughout the years. Sue
was a low-key presence at these events, and
many of you may have come in contact with
her and not even realized that she was Jack’s
wife.
As Jack and I frequently are guests at the
same events on the rubber-chicken circuit, I
would bump into her many times each year
and will certainly miss seeing her friendly face
at the various banquets where sometimes she
and Jack were the only people I knew.
The thoughts of all of us at Buckeye Sports
Bulletin are with Jack and his family.
We also lost a member of our own BSB
family when longtime Columbus journalist
Felix Hoover passed away May 21. Felix was
63.
Felix had stints at the office of the Franklin
County Public Defender and the Columbus
Department of Parks and Recreation, but most
of his professional life was spent in the field of
journalism.
He worked in television at Columbus’
Channel 4 and had a lengthy newspaper
career at The Columbus Dispatch, as well as
the Columbus Call and Post. He was also a
regular contributor to Buckeye Sports Bulletin
in the late 1980s under editor Mark Rea.
Mark and I used to joke that Felix knew
everyone in Columbus – or at least they knew
him. When he would attend football games at
Ohio Stadium, it seemed like everyone who
passed by would say “hey” to him.
With so many acquaintances, many of you
must have known Felix, and I’m sure you will
miss this kind gentleman and dedicated journalist as much as we will.
Zip Code Begin With 448?
The Postal Service has mandated that we
sort the mailing of Buckeye Sports Bulletin a
different way, and it seems to have resulted in
extremely slow delivery to zip codes in Ohio
beginning with the numbers 448 in particular. This has led to abnormal mailing delays
of BSB in such cities as Ashland, Bucyrus,
Huron, Mansfield, Norwalk, Sandusky and
Tiffin.
I am going to ask Buckeye Sports Bulletin
readers to give us a hand as we try to identify
and correct this problem.
This issue of BSB was mailed on Tuesday,
June 4. If you live in a zip code that begins
with the numbers 448 (not just in the cities
mentioned), please email us at subscriptions@
buckeyesports.com and tell us your complete
zip code and what day you received your
paper. There’s no need to send an elaborate
message – just the zip and date will do.
Thank you in advance for your help.
Obviously, we would like to have this problem
solved before the start of football season.
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Game Time 2012
Season In Review
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AD Discusses Year That Was, More

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