A blocked Ohio State field goal attempt with five seconds remaining in the game spoiled a come-from-behind upset bid by the No. 7 Buckeyes and left them with a 13-13 tie at No. 4 LSU.
In the first meeting between the two programs, Tigers’ defensive tackle Karl Dunbar deflected Matt Frantz’s last-ditch 47-yard attempt that would have Ohio State back on tape after an early 10-3 deficit.

A quick LSU team drove 61 yards to a touchdown on its opening drive, and would eventually account for 348 yards of total offense.

For the rest of this game recap Click Here!

Popularity: 23% [?]

There are currently forty-eight former Ohio State football players on rosters in the National Football League. Each week BuckeyeLegends.com will provide updates about how these former Buckeyes performed in the previous week’s action with the help of OhioStateBuckeyes.com

Baltmore Ravens - 6, at Seattle Seahawks - 27
Smith, Troy (QB): 16 of 33 for 199 yds and 1 TD, 6 rush for 25 yds

Buffalo Bills - 21, vs. New York Giants - 38
Whitner, Donte (S): 6 tkl
Youboty, Ashton (CB): Substitute CB

Cincinnati Bengals - 19, vs. Cleveland Browns - 14
Schlegel, Anthony (LB): Not Active
Stepanovich, Alex (C): Substitute C

Cleveland Browns - 14, at Cincinnati Bengals - 19
Bentley, LeCharles (C): Physically Unable to Perform
Fraser, Simon (DE): Substitute DL

Indianapolis Colts - 38, vs. Houston Texans - 15
Gonzalez, Anthony (WR): 2 rec for 22 yds
Hall, Roy (WR): Injured Reserve
Pitcock, Quinn (DT): 3 tkl

Miami Dolphins - 7, at New England Patriots - 28
Ginn, Jr., Ted (WR): 4 rec for 27 yds, 1 Punt Ret for 2 yds and 4 KO Ret for 79 yds

New England Patriots - 28, vs. Miami Dolphins - 7
Vrabel, Mike (LB): 4 tkl, 1 ast and 2 sacks

New York Jets - 6, at Tennessee Titans - 10
Clarke, Adrien (G): Not Active
Mangold, Nick (C): Starting C
Nugent, Mike (PK): 0-1 PAT, 0-1 FG

Oakland Raiders - 11, at Jacksonville Jaguars - 49
Richardson, Jay (DE): 2 tkl

Pittsburgh Steelers - 41, at St. Louis Rams - 24
Holmes, Santonio (WR): 4 rec for 133 yds

San Diego Chargers - 23, vs. Denver Broncos - 3
Olivea, Shane (OT): Substitute OT
Wilhelm, Matt (LB): 7 tkl and 1 ast

Tennessee Titans - 10, vs. New York Jets - 6
Hartsock, Ben (TE): 1 rec for 27 yds
Nickey, Donnie (DB): Substitute S

Arizona Cardinals - 30, vs. Atlanta Falcons - 27
Bailey, Rodney (DE): Substitute DE

Atlanta Falcons - 27, at Arizona Cardinals - 30
Anderson, Tim (DT): Not Active
Datish, Doug (C): Injured Reserve
Jenkins, Michael (WR): 1 rec for 15 yds

Carolina Panthers - 13, vs. Dallas Cowboys - 20
Carter, Drew (WR): 1 rec for 10 yds
Diggs, Na’il (LB): 5 tkl and 1 PD
Gamble, Chris (CB): 1 tkl and 1 PD
Salley, Nate (S): Injured Reserve
Goings, Nick (RB): Injured Reserve

Dallas Cowboys - 20, at Carolina Panthers - 13
Carpenter, Bobby (LB): Substitute LB
Glenn, Terry (WR): Not Active

Detroit Lions - 25, vs. Kansas City Chiefs - 20
Furrey, Mike (WR):

Green Bay Packers - 7, at Chicago Bears - 35
Hawk, A.J. (LB): 5 tkl and 3 ast
Pickett, Ryan (DT): Not Active
Walter, Tyson (OL): Injured Reserve

Minnesota Vikings - 21, vs. Washington Redskins - 32
Doss, Mike (DB): Not Active
Scott, Darrion (DE): Injured Reserve
Winfield, Antoine (CB): Not Active

New Orleans Saints - 23, vs. Philadelphia Eagles - 38
Houser, Kevin (FB): Long Snapper
Smith, Will (DE): 3 tkl, 2 ast, 1 sack and 1 Fumble Rec.

St. Louis Rams - 24, vs. Pittsburgh Steelers - 41
Pace, Orlando (T): Injured Reserve
Pittman, Antonio (RB): 2 rush for 5 yds

San Francisco 49ers - 21, vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 19
Clements, Nate (CB/PR): 3 tkl, 4 ast, 1 INT and 1 PD

Seattle Seahawks - 27, vs. Baltimore Ravens - 6
Sims, Rob (OL): Starting LG

Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 19, at San Francisco 49ers - 21
Allen, Will (S): 2 tkl on special teams
Galloway, Joey (WR): 1 rec for 29 yds

Washington Redskins - 32, at Minnesota Vikings - 21
Springs, Shawn (CB): 5 tkl, 1 INT and 3 PD

In Season Transactions:
Anderson, Tim (DT): Cut by the Buffalo Bills (10/20/2007)
Boston, David (WR): Released/injury settlement by Tampa Bay Buccaneers (09/12/2007)

Popularity: 27% [?]

By no means do I want to jump the gun on something so important, or make unfounded allegations of something as severe as this.

But the following sentence is a shocker:

According to Yahoo! Sports, an official covering the Illinois-Ohio State game, a game filled with controversial officiating, has a history of bankruptcy and gambling, as well as other criminal offenses.

You read that correctly.

There is no evidence that the official improperly influenced the outcome of the game, but after the recent NBA officiating scandal, this kind of report on a Big Ten official has to be a concern for the Conference and the schools.

Remember the officiating controversy following the Illini’s 28-21 shocker in Columbus on Nov. 10?

I had written previously that the Big Ten had reprimanded referee Stephen Pamon and his crew over their many mistakes during their Nov. 3 game — Penn State‘s 26-19 win over Purdue.

The Big Ten as much as said Pamon and as many as three more of his crew members would be either “fired or suspended” following the regular season. Then the Big Ten, due to an officiating shortage and schedules that are made a month in advance, sent Pamon’s crew to officiate No. 1-ranked Ohio State’s home game against Illinois the very next Saturday.

To recap: That was a game in which THREE penalties were called — one on Illinois, two on Ohio State. That was the game in which an Illinois running back clearly fumbled at Ohio State’s 3-yard line and a Buckeye defensive back recovered in the end zone. No fumble was called. The play was not reviewed and Illinois scored its first touchdown on the very next play. That was the game in which there was a clear “pick” play in which a Buckeye defensive back was knocked down by an Illini receiver, allowing another receiver to break wide open for their third touchdown. The back judge in charge of the play was looking directly at the would-be infraction, yet made no call. That was the game in which there were two — and could have been many more — clear would-be holding penalties on the offensive line in the final eight minutes of the game.

Remember, that was a possession in which the Illini consumed the final eight minutes of the game, while holding a seven-point lead.

Now that we are caught up, here’s what Yahoo.com — the website that broke news of Reggie Bush’s many improprieties at USC — reported Wednesday night:

“Yahoo has learned that Big Ten referee Stephen Pamon has a history of bankruptcy, casino gambling, child abuse and allegations of sexual harassment.

“The (Big Ten) conference said it conducted its last background check on Pamon in 2005 and knew of ‘certain civil and criminal records for Pamon,’ according to a conference statement, ‘Upon further third-party review, the conference was satisfied that the financial and criminal issues had been resolved at that time.’

“The conference said that based on the article, ‘the conference office intends to follow up on the veracity and accuracy of the new information and will also provide an opportunity for Pamon to respond as required by the Fair Credit Reporting Act.’

“Pamon, a Big Ten official since 1988, filed for bankruptcy along with his wife in 2002, listing two casinos among the creditors. Pamon also was charged with repeatedly beating three of his girlfriend’s four sons with an electrical cord in 1997, was fired from the Chicago Police Department in 1995, reportedly after two female officers accused him of sexual harassment according to published reports, and was accused by a former wife of striking her and assaulting a 19-year-old niece, according to court records.

“There is no evidence linking Pamon to gambling on games,” Yahoo! Sports reported.

No evidence as yet, and to be fair, perhaps no evidence exists that Pamon or any of his crew members bet on college football.

But in these situations, there’s always a fear that an official could tip off a bookie, whom he was indebted to for a large sum and thusly, the debt would be erased, to “take Illinois and the points this Saturday.” For the record, Ohio State entered the game as a 17-point favorite.

There certainly is a lot of smoke coming from this whole episode. And like the old saying goes, “where there’s smoke…”

Can you imagine the ramifications following a Big Ten investigation if Pamon and/or a crew member actually influenced the outcome of the game?

At the time, the Buckeyes’ loss appeared certain to prevent them from the BCS championship game and the $19 million payout the Big Ten would receive.

More than five weeks later, Ohio State is No. 1 again and headed to the title game. As for the rest, it is up to the Big Ten, and perhaps authorities with some real power, to determine if what happened Nov. 10 on the playing field was legitimate.

After all, following what the NBA discovered a few months ago regarding one of its referees and gambling, I will believe anything.

Popularity: 36% [?]

There are currently forty-seven former Ohio State football players on rosters in the National Football League. Each week BuckeyeLegends.com will provide updates about how these former Buckeyes performed in the previous week’s action.

Baltmore Ravens - 16, at Miami Dolphins - 22
Smith, Troy (QB): 5-11 pass for 49 yds

Buffalo Bills - 0, at Cleveland Browns - 8
Whitner, Donte (S): 5 tkl
Youboty, Ashton (CB): Substitute CB

Cincinnati Bengals - 13, at San Francisco 49ers - 20
Schlegel, Anthony (LB): 1 tkl on special teams
Stepanovich, Alex (C): Substitute C

Cleveland Browns - 8, vs. Buffalo Bills - 0
Bentley, LeCharles (C): Physically Unable to Perform
Fraser, Simon (DE): Substitute DL

Indianapolis Colts - 21, at Oakland Raiders - 14
Gonzalez, Anthony (WR): 7 rec for 86 yds and 1 TD
Hall, Roy (WR): Injured Reserve
Pitcock, Quinn (DT): 1 ast

Miami Dolphins - 22, vs. Baltimore Ravens - 16
Ginn, Jr., Ted (WR): 1 rec for 14 yds, 3 punt ret for 31 yds and 5 KO ret for 112 yds

New England Patriots - 20, vs. New York Jets - 10
Vrabel, Mike (LB): 3 tkl and 1 ast

New York Jets - 10, at New England Patriots - 20
Clarke, Adrien (G): Starting LG
Mangold, Nick (C): Starting C
Nugent, Mike (PK): 1-2 FG (33) and 1-1 PAT

Oakland Raiders - 14, vs. Indianapolis Colts - 21
Richardson, Jay (DE): 2 tkl

Pittsburgh Steelers - 22, vs. Jacksonville Jaguars - 29
Holmes, Santonio (WR): 4 rec for 34 yds and 1 two pt. conv. rec

San Diego Chargers - 51, vs. Detroit Lions - 14
Olivea, Shane (OT): Substitute OL
Wilhelm, Matt (LB): 4 tkl, 1 ast, 1 INT and 1 PD

Tennessee Titans - 26, at Kansas City Chiefs - 17
Hartsock, Ben (TE): Starting TE
Nickey, Donnie (DB): 3 tkl on special teams

Arizona Cardinals - 24, at New Orleans Saints - 31
Bailey, Rodney (DE): 1 ast

Atlanta Falcons - 3, at Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 37
Datish, Doug (C): Injured Reserve
Jenkins, Michael (WR): 1 rec for 5 yds

Carolina Panthers - 13, vs. Seattle Seahawks - 10
Carter, Drew (WR): 3 rec for 22 yds
Diggs, Na’il (LB): 2 tkl and 1 sack
Gamble, Chris (CB): Substitute CB
Salley, Nate (S): Injured Reserve
Goings, Nick (RB): Injured Reserve

Dallas Cowboys - 6, vs. Philadelphia Eagles - 10
Carpenter, Bobby (LB): 3 tkl and 1 ast on special teams
Glenn, Terry (WR): Not Active

Detroit Lions - 14 vs. San Diego Chargers - 51
Furrey, Mike (WR): 7 rec for 80 yds

Green Bay Packers - 33, at St. Louis Rams - 14
Hawk, A.J. (LB): 7 tkl and 1 sack
Pickett, Ryan (DT): 1 ast
Walter, Tyson (OL): Injured Reserve

Minnesota Vikings - 20, vs. Chicago Bears - 13
Doss, Mike (DB): Substitute S
Scott, Darrion (DE): Injured Reserve
Winfield, Antoine (CB): 6 tkl and 2 PD

New Orleans Saints - 31, vs. Arizona Cardinals - 24
Houser, Kevin (FB): Long Snapper
Smith, Will (DE): 4 tkl and 1 ast

St. Louis Rams - 14, vs. Green Bay Packers - 33
Pace, Orlando (T): Injured Reserve
Pittman, Antonio (RB): 6 rush for 31 yds

San Francisco 49ers - 20, vs. Cincinnati Bengals - 13
Clements, Nate (CB/PR): 2 tkl and 2 ast

Seattle Seahawks - 10, at Carolina Panthers - 13
Sims, Rob (OL): Starting LG

Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 37, vs. Atlanta Falcons - 3
Allen, Will (S): 3 tkl on special teams
Galloway, Joey (WR): 1 rec for 7 yds

Washington Redskins - 22, at New York Giants - 10
Springs, Shawn (CB): 4 tkl and 2 PD

In Season Transactions:
Anderson, Tim (DT): Cut by the Buffalo Bills (10/20/2007)
Boston, David (WR): Released/injury settlement by Tampa Bay Buccaneers (09/12/2007)

Popularity: 34% [?]

Monday, Dec. 17 - The men’s soccer team returned to campus late Sunday evening after playing in the 2007 National Championship game.

Tuesday, Dec. 18 – Men’s basketball heads north to face Cleveland State at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland.

Wednesday, Dec. 19 – No. 19 women’s basketball welcomes intrastate rival Youngstown State at Value City Arena.

Saturday, Dec. 22 – The men’s and women’s basketball teams host a doubleheader at Value City Arena. The women tip off against Nebraska at noon and the men take on Florida at 4 p.m. in a 2007 National Championship game rematch.

Popularity: 32% [?]

Monday, Dec. 10 – Heavyweight J.D. Bergman sealed the No. 13 wrestling team’s 23-13 win over No. 10 Wisconsin in St. John Arena. (Recap)

Tuesday, Dec. 11 – Daniel Mathews and Robbie Klein of men’s volleyball were named to the 2008 MIVA Preseason All-Conference Team. (Release)

Wednesday, Dec. 12 – 10 women’s soccer players were named Academic All-Big Ten. (Release)

Thursday, Dec. 13 – Football held its media day to preview the BCS national title game vs. LSU. Visit OhioStateBuckeyes.com for audio and video highlights, photos and quotes. (Release)

Friday, Dec. 14 – Men’s soccer shutout UMass, 1-0, in the national semifinal for bid into the 2007 College Cup Final in Cary, N.C. Eric Edwards netted the game-winning goal in the second half. (Recap)

Saturday, Dec. 15 – Men’s soccer seniors Xavier Balc and Eric Brunner were named First-Team All-Americans by NSCAA. (Release)

Sunday, Dec. 16 – Men’s soccer dropped a 2-1 decision in the 2007 NCAA College Cup Championship game in Cary, N.C. Roger Espinoza netted a goal for the Buckeyes. (Recap)

Popularity: 30% [?]

Dr. John Becker has combined careers in education, wildlife conservation, writing, and speaking. While an undergraduate, he played ice hockey, and was an alternate captain on Ohio State’s first varsity hockey team. He received his Bachelor’s degree in 1964 from The Ohio State University in the field of physical education, and taught in the elementary schools of Pontiac, Michigan. After returning to Ohio State and receiving his Master’s and Ph.D. degrees, he taught at Macalester College, where he also served as head coach of the ice hockey team. In 1971 he became an assistant professor at the University of Florida in the teacher education program.

In 1978, Dr. Becker became an administrator of the Columbus, Ohio, Zoo and worked at the zoo for nine years. In 1986, he was named Director of Program Development for Coastal American Field Studies. He then became a consultant with The Wilds, a 9000 acre endangered wildlife preserve in Ohio. In 1988, he was a founder, and Executive Director, of the International Society for Endangered Cats (ISEC). He served in that capacity for seven years.

Since 1978, Dr. Becker has given over 2,500 presentations across the United States and Canada. The majority of the presentations have been at elementary schools, but he has also spoken at 45 zoos and nature centers, given papers at 15 zoological conferences, spoken at over 30 colleges and universities, and has been a presenter at several writer’s conferences.

Dr. Becker published a fictional picture book, Mugambi’s Journey, with Gingham Dog Press in 2005. He has also written a series of nonfiction books for children entitled “Returning Wildlife” for KidHaven Press. Books in the series include; North American River Otters, North American Beavers, Bats, Bald Eagles, Wild Turkeys, The North American Bison, Manatees, Florida Panthers, Grizzly Bears, Gray Wolves, American Alligators, Green Sea Turtles, California Condors, Gray Whales, and Northern Elephant Seals. He has also written a series of nonfiction children’s books for Seedling Publications including; Cheetahs, Hawks, Snow Leopards, Camels, Kangaroos, Giraffes, Owls, and Scarlet Macaws. He also co-authored a college textbook, Perceptual-Motor Learning - Theory and Practice, for Peek Publications. He has written for Highlights For Children, Hopscotch For Girls, Wild Outdoor World, Chickadee, Animals, Boys’ Life, Georgia Wildlife, ZooLife, and Wildlife Conservation magazines.

Dr. Becker is now a full-time freelance writer. He teaches writing at the Thurber Writing Academy. He is also an artist with the Greater Columbus Arts Council’s “Artist-in-Schools” program, and a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

Popularity: 16% [?]

Watching the OSU men’s hockey team this past weekend, as they split two games with the St. Lawrence Saints, I was reminded of just how far the team has come from its early season doldrums, and how far the team still has to go to reach the lofty expectations of previous seasons. Having already endured an agonizing eleven-game winless streak, the team seemingly had nowhere to go but up when it recorded a 3-0 victory in the second of two games at Western Michigan on November 24th. When they topped the nationally ranked # 1 Wolverines in Ann Arbor the following weekend, things definitely started looking brighter for the Buckeye icers. Heading into the two-game home series with nonconference foe St. Lawrence, therefore, I was curious to see if the recent upturn in play would continue, especially in light of OSU’s abysmal 0-6 home record, and the double-whammy of coming off finals week with a roster top heavy with freshmen.

Coming out sluggish in the opening stanza Friday night was not the way to start the weekend. The uninspired play quickly put OSU in a 2-0 hole, after back to back rebound goals by the Saints’ Mike McKenzie, on a power-play at 4:40, and an even-strength goal at 8:57 by Jordan Hack. It certainly must have appeared to the smattering of fans in attendance that they were in for the same old, same old at that point. But unlike earlier in the season, when a first period deficit would have doomed the young Buckeyes to most certain defeat, this night would see another important step in the right direction in terms of maturity and resolve for this team. Picking up their pace a bit in the second period, the Buckeyes cut the lead in half when Tommy Goebel converted a slick pass from Tom Fritsche just 4:10 into the period. The goal demonstrated that the team still has some dynamic senior leadership as the duo from Parma, Ohio, with another assist from Solon, Ohio freshman Chris Reed, gave the Buckeyes a much needed jolt of energy. Although they were still outshot 11-5, the Buckeyes were able to keep the Saints at bay thanks to some excellent goaltending from Joseph Palmer who did a much better job of limiting the Saints rebound opportunities throughout the period. Going into the second intermission the Buckeyes had good reason for optimism, as they were only down by a goal, and had yet to play their best hockey.

The Buckeyes came onto the ice for the third period with the mindset of attacking the Saints goal, but despite the added pressure, had nothing to show for it as the clock ticked away the final minutes of the game. Once again, Palmer stifled the Saints attempts to stretch the lead, while giving his team a chance to battle for the tying score. Finally, at 17:34 of the period, freshman Kyle Reed netted his own rebound, off assists from freshman Patrick Schafer and Chris Reed, to knot the score at 2. The partisan fans in the crowd roared their approval as time expired, and well they should have with the Buckeyes heading into the sudden-death overtime period with momentum on their side.

The Buckeyes came out buzzing in overtime. With less than a minute gone by, and the referee signaling a delayed penalty on the Saints, yet another freshman, Peter Boyd, converted a rebound off a shot from the point by lifting the puck into the net for the game winner. Freshman Sergio Somma, and senior Matt McIlvane assisted on the play. For the game, Joseph Palmer had 22 saves, none in overtime.

Once the Buckeyes had recorded a breakthrough home win, in comeback fashion no less, the next hurdle would be to see if they could win back-to-back games on home ice. The second game of the brief home stand would provide the answer on Saturday night.

Unfortunately for the Buckeyes, the magic the team generated Friday evening, quickly dissolved into another home loss 5-4 on Saturday dropping the buckeyes to 1-7 in Value City Arena, and 5-12-1 overall. The Saints benefitted from the Buckeyes’ porous defense in the second and third periods after trailing at the end of first period 2-1. In that period, the Buckeyes took an early lead on a goal by junior Corey Elkins at 1:07, as he redirected a shot by defenseman Corey Toy. Defenseman Jason DeSantis was also credited with an assist on the goal. The Buckeyes were able to maintain the lead until the Saints Aaron Bogosian connected at 12:46 of the period. His shot was not initially ruled a goal, because it entered and exited the net so quickly that play continued for several seconds before a stoppage in play gave the referees an opportunity to review the play. Video replay confirmed that the puck had indeed hit the net and the Saints were credited with equaling the score at 1-1. The Buckeyes again took the lead, as the period drew to a close, when Hilliard, Ohio freshman Patrick Schafer found the back of the net off a rebound of a shot from the point by freshman Shane Sims at 18:20. When the horn sounded to signal the end of the period, the Buckeyes skated to the dressing room with a lead, which in hindsight may have given them a false sense of security based on the low scoring, defensive struggle the night before.

In any event, the Saints’ players came out to start play in the second period with an added jump in their step, and quickly tied the score with a goal by Jordan Hack at 2:30. The score remained tied until the Saints took the lead with another tally at the 15:36 mark by Jared Ross. With no further scoring, the period ended with the Saints holding a 3-2 lead. The Buckeyes managed only 8 shots on goal for a two period total of 15, while the Saints put 11 shots on goal, for a two period total of 21. Clearly the momentum of the game had swung in the Saints favor, so it would be up to the Buckeyes to see if they could mount another third period comeback to give themselves a chance to sweep the series.

The Saints, on the other hand, were just as determined to head home with a split, and they upped their lead to 4-2 on a shorthanded goal by Zack Miskovic at 2:15 of the third period. Senior John Dingle answered for the Buckeyes at 6:10 netting his own rebound off of assists from Peter Boyd and Shane Sims. But a power-play goal by the Saints Casey Parenteau at 10:28 once again pushed the lead to 2 goals, and put the Buckeyes into desperation mode for the remainder of the period. When Tommy Goebel found the back of the net with a laser shot on a Buckeye power-play at the 12:39, with an assist by goalie Joseph Palmer, the Buckeyes were once again within one at 5-4. But despite increased pressure throughout the remainder of the game, and pulling Palmer with 1:18 left in the period, the Buckeyes couldn’t tally the equalizer. The Buckeyes outshot the Saints 17-7 in final stanza, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the team from suffering its seventh defeat in eight home games this season.

Some observations:
Taking in the weekend series with the Saints left me some vivid impressions of this year’s Buckeye hockey team, and some thoughts about where this team might end up. First of all, despite the presence of seniors such as Tom Fritsche and Tommy Goebel the Buckeyes are a very young team with 14 freshmen on the roster, and as many as 10 or 11 of those starting on a given night. While they are prone to make typical freshmen mistakes, there is no mistaking that there are some talented kids in this group who can make spectacular plays at times and should only improve as they learn to play the game at the collegiate level.

Are they worth watching right now? By all means, this team is quite entertaining, and with wins already this season over nationally ranked # 1 Michigan and a win over perennial power Wisconsin earlier in the season, the team has shown flashes of what it is capable of doing. As a former Buckeye hockey player, the most distressing part of watching the current team play was to sit in an almost empty building to take in the fast-paced action of top quality college hockey. There is no question but that Value City Arena is the premier hockey venue in all of college hockey.

For those of us who labored in the “old ice rink” this facility alone is worth the price of admission, and having been in the arena when it has been packed (usually against U of M of course), there is no doubt that the atmosphere is unmatched by any other on-campus facility in North America. During this past weekend, 2,686 fans attended the game against the Saints on Friday night, and 2,479 attended Saturday evening. When you consider that the arena can accommodate 17,500 for a college hockey game, the disparity becomes obvious. Given the fact that on Saturday night the Blue Jackets were in town, and they drew over 15,000 fans, it is understandable that some of the fan base for the Buckeyes might have opted for the NHL that night. But I have been at an OSU hockey game in Value City Arena when the Blue Jackets were playing downtown, and both facilities had good crowds, so it is possible for the central Ohio community to support both teams.

To me, and I admit to being biased, OSU hockey is one of the best entertainment values in Columbus. If you haven’t been to a game yet, give it a try. The games are exciting with the end-to-end action typical of good hockey, you can take your family for a fraction of the cost of going to most other entertainment attractions in town (you can even park for free), and you get to support OSU athletics all at the same time. Just maybe, if attendance picked up, Value City Arena might actually become a tough place for opposing teams to play, and the home team might benefit from the “home ice” advantage once again. A great time to become acquainted with this year’s OSU hockey team would be during the upcoming Ohio Hockey Classic, which is being held in Value City Arena this year rather than Nationwide Arena, on the weekend of December 29-30. The Buckeyes will play Harvard on the 29th, and could play CCHA Conference foe and nationally #2 ranked Miami, on Saturday if both squads win on Friday. I will be there - I hope you will be, too!

Popularity: 44% [?]

With only one quarter of classes to complete before becoming eligible for graduation, Mike McCormick, former Ohio State men’s hockey forward, was offered and jumped at the chance to play professional in Germany.

The opportunity, presented to a select few collegiate athletes, allowed McCormick to follow his career aspirations. Yet, the native of Peterborough, Ontario, still regretted not having time to finish his undergraduate degree.

That is why when McCormick walked across the stage in St. John Arena at commencement Sunday, a weight was lifted off his shoulders as he finally closed a chapter of his life.

“Coming back to Ohio State was important to me because I wanted to finish up,” McCormick said. “When I was offered a chance to play in the German league a few years ago, I only had one quarter of classes to finish. It hung over my head the whole time, knowing that I was so close – but I had to go.”

For the rest of this article, please click here!

Popularity: 44% [?]

There are currently forty-seven former Ohio State football players on rosters in the National Football League. Each week BuckeyeLegends.com will provide updates about how these former Buckeyes performed in the previous week’s action with the help of OhioStateBuckeyes.com

Baltmore Ravens - 20, vs. Indianapolis Colts - 44
Smith, Troy (QB): 5-3 for 33 yds

Buffalo Bills - 38, vs. Miami Dolphins - 17
Whitner, Donte (S): 4 tkl, 2 ast, 1 INT and 1 PD
Youboty, Ashton (CB): 3 tkl

Cincinnati Bengals - 19, vs. St. Louis Rams - 10
Schlegel, Anthony (LB): 1 tkl on special teams
Stepanovich, Alex (C): Did Not Play

Cleveland Browns - 24, at New York Jets - 18
Bentley, LeCharles (C): Physically Unable to Perform
Fraser, Simon (DE): Substitute DL

Indianapolis Colts - 44, at Baltimore Ravens - 20
Gonzalez, Anthony (WR): 6 rec for 134 yds and 2 TD
Hall, Roy (WR): Injured Reserve
Pitcock, Quinn (DT): 2 tkl, 1 ast and 2 sacks

Miami Dolphins - 17, at Buffalo Bills - 38
Ginn, Jr., Ted (WR): 4 rec for 67 yds, 4 punt ret for 3 yds and 3 KO ret for 51 yds

New England Patriots - 34, vs. Pittsburgh Steelers - 13
Vrabel, Mike (LB): 3 tkl and 2 ast

New York Jets - 18, vs. Cleveland Browns - 24
Clarke, Adrien (G): Starting LG
Mangold, Nick (C): Starting C
Nugent, Mike (PK): 4-4 FG (35,41,38,35)

Oakland Raiders - 7, at Green Bay Packers - 38
Richardson, Jay (DE): Starting DE

Pittsburgh Steelers - 13, at New England Patriots - 34
Holmes, Santonio (WR): 1 rec for 13 yds

San Diego Chargers - 23, at Tennessee Titans - 17
Olivea, Shane (OT): Did Not Play
Wilhelm, Matt (LB): 7 tkl, 3 ast, 1 INT and 2 PD

Tennessee Titans - 17, vs. San Diego Chargers - 23
Hartsock, Ben (TE): 2 rec for 6 yds
Nickey, Donnie (DB): 1 tkl, 1 sack and 1 tkl on special teams

Arizona Cardinals - 21, at Seattle Seahawks - 42
Bailey, Rodney (DE): 1 tkl

Atlanta Falcons - 14, vs. New Orleans Saints - 34
Datish, Doug (C): Injured Reserve
Jenkins, Michael (WR): 9 rec for 83 yds and 1 TD

Carolina Panthers - 6, at Jacksonville Jaguars - 37
Carter, Drew (WR): 4 rec for 26 yds
Diggs, Na’il (LB): 2 tkl, 1 ast and 1 PD
Gamble, Chris (CB): 6 tkl and 1 PD
Salley, Nate (S): Injured Reserve
Goings, Nick (RB): Injured Reserve

Dallas Cowboys - 28, at Detroit Lions - 27
Carpenter, Bobby (LB): Substitute LB
Glenn, Terry (WR): Not Active

Detroit Lions -27, vs. Dallas Cowboys - 28
Furrey, Mike (WR): 2 rec for 15 yds

Green Bay Packers - 38, vs. Oakland Raiders - 7
Hawk, A.J. (LB): 6 tkl and 2 ast
Pickett, Ryan (DT): 1 tkl and 1 ast
Walter, Tyson (OL): Injured Reserve

Minnesota Vikings - 24, at San Francisco 49ers - 7
Doss, Mike (DB): Not Active
Scott, Darrion (DE): Injured Reserve
Winfield, Antoine (CB): 3 tkl and 3 ast

New Orleans Saints - 34, at Atlanta Falcons - 14
Houser, Kevin (FB): Long Snapper
Smith, Will (DE): 7 tkl, 1 ast, 1 sack and 1 forced fum

St. Louis Rams - 10, at Cincinnati Bengals - 19
Pace, Orlando (T): Injured Reserve
Pittman, Antonio (RB): 2 rush for 11 yds

San Francisco 49ers - 7, vs. Minnesota Vikings - 24
Clements, Nate (CB/PR): 6 tkl, 4 punt ret for 32 yds

Seattle Seahawks - 42, vs. Arizona Cardinals - 21
Sims, Rob (OL): Starting LG

Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 14, at Houston Texans - 28
Allen, Will (S): Substitue S
Galloway, Joey (WR): 6 rec for 87 yds

Washington Redskins - 24, vs. Chicago Bears - 16
Springs, Shawn (CB): 4 tkl, 2 INT and 2 PD

In Season Transactions:
Anderson, Tim (DT): Cut by the Buffalo Bills (10/20/2007)
Boston, David (WR): Released/injury settlement by Tampa Bay Buccaneers (09/12/2007)

Popularity: 38% [?]