Monday, Jan. 28 - No. 15 women’s basketball welcomes Penn State to Value City Arena at 7 p.m. The game will be televised live on Big Ten Network.

Tuesday, Jan. 29 – Men’s basketball continues conference play at Penn State at 7 p.m. ESPN will air the game live.

Wednesday, Jan. 30 – 2008 Football National Signing Day is just a week away!

Thursday, Jan. 31 – Women’s basketball is at Illinois at 8 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 1 – No. 3 ranked men’s tennis takes on the Miami Hurricanes at the new Varsity Tennis Center at 6 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 2 – Synchronized Swimming plays host to the Jessica Beck Memorial at McCorkle Aquatics Pavilion.

Sunday, Feb. 3 – Women’s basketball has a rematch with Minnesota at 4 p.m. at Value City Arena. The Golden Gophers handed the Buckeyes a 79-70 loss in Minneapolis Jan. 24. Big Ten Network will air the game live. Also cheer on the only Buckeye in the Super Bowl, Mike Vrabel.

Popularity: 38% [?]

Monday, Jan. 21 – Men’s basketball freshman Evan Turner was featured on Big Ten Network. Release

Tuesday, Jan. 22 – Jody Heywood of women’s hockey team was named one of 22 nominees for the 2008 Hockey Humanitarian Award, presented by BNY Mellon Wealth Management. Release

Wednesday, Jan. 23 – No. 3 men’s tennis downed Butler and Xavier to open the 2008 dual season at the new Varsity Tennis Center. Recap

Thursday, Jan. 24 – Men’s soccer player Xavier Balc was the second pick in the 2008 MLS Supplemental Draft. Balc will play for Toronto next season. Release

Friday, Jan. 25 – Down by as many as nine points, No. 7 wrestling rallied to beat No. 8 Penn State, 22-19, in St. John Arena. Recap

Saturday, Jan. 26 – Men’s Soccer celebrated its record-setting 2007 season at its postseason awards banquet.Senior All-Americans Xavier Balc and Eric Brunner shared the team’s most valuable player honor. Release

Sunday, Jan. 27 – Women’s Swimming and Diving dropped a road meet at Northwestern. Recap

Popularity: 30% [?]

It’s that time of year when we start to look at the future of Ohio State football by surveying the next recruiting class. As much as I always say that it is very premature to plot out the way that these young men are going to develop, it’s always interesting to look at them today and try to prognosticate a few things like: Which of these guys is going to live up to the hype? Which of these guys is going to surprise us by overachieving? Are there going to be any “total busts”? Who is going to make an immediate impact? And so on.

Having been around this process for 25 years, you think you have seen everything but you just never know. Who would have said that a guy who was recruited as an athlete would win the Heisman as a QB? Can anybody remember the guys that came in as “all-world” but never really made an impact? How about the guys that kind of hung around for three years and then came on strong their last two years and went on to the NFL? So let me just reiterate; it is just too soon to predict how these guys are going to develop both mentally and physically over the next few years and how they are going to “get it”.

Let’s take a look at the list as it stands today by position:

Starting with the O line which is where I think the strength of this class lies.
Mike Adams (6’8” 305) Michael Brewster (6’6” 305) J.B. Shugarts (6’7” 299) are obviously very big boys but having had a chance to meet them and see a little film I was impressed that they aren’t just hefty guys, they look like athletes and it’s my bet that they can all run. I think OSU has pretty decent depth on the line but with these three they will have more options. I think at least one of them will make an impact as a Frosh.

The Bucks picked up three solid WRs. DeVier Posey (6’3” 190) Jake Stoneburner (6’6” 223) Lamaar Thomas (5’11” 175) Again more size in the line up on offense and hopefully some more speed. Posey has the best credentials but the transition to college from high school at the WR position is not easy. The Bucks had some solid depth but has lost some in the last 2 years so these guys will need to step up. I like Stoneburner as a possession receiver maybe as an h-back where he can get matched up with a LB or safety and help in improving 3rd down conversions. Tight end Nic DiLillo (6’5” 225) will join the already stout tight end corps in the hopes to use the TEs a lot more in the passing game.

With depth at the RB position the Bucks look to fill some need by getting Glenville product Jermil Martin (5’11” 225). He is going to need to be a solid run/pass blocker but hopefully he has some hands to help with the pass. Devoe Torrence (6’2” 210) is a bigger back with some good speed and again for him to make any impact early, he is going to have to learn to pass block or he will struggle to see the field.

On defense the Buckeyes are obviously stack with only Gholston leaving for the NFL. Recruiting LBs is always a good idea even when you have solid depth. These guys are athletes and may be moved to a down position depending on how the develop and are always great to have on coverage teams. Etienne Sabino (6’3” 225) from Miami can probably run but can he stuff the run. Andrew Sweat (6’2” 225) Nathan Williams (6’4” 245) round out the crew and they are going to have a great opportunity to learn from a very good group of upper classmen. LB is also a tough transition and learning is going to be critical. Don’t expect these guys to make a big impression for a year or two.

Only two DBs in Travis Howard (6’1” 185) and the late addition of Zack Domicone (6’3” 215) must have something the coaches liked. This is the hardest transition but again with Jenkins returning and the rest of the crew they won’t have to make an impact early but can contribute on special teams. It’s been a little while since we’ve seen a safety (Domicone) of that size like Roger Harper that may make receivers think twice when the go across the middle and help in run support. You never know who may make an early showing but watch for Domicone.

With Gholston gone the Bucks lose a serious pass rusher but with some others (Heywood) stepping up, they are still going at least 7 deep. Although the learning curb is shorter for the D line, the physical part is much more demanding and it is very hard to predict how these young guys are going to develop. Another Glenville product Shawntel Rowell (6’4” 325) highly recruited Willie Mobley (6’3” 262) and Garrett Goebel (6’5” 270) are going to want to get to work immediately if they want to see the field but there is room. Rowell’s size may give him an edge at the nose.

Kicking and Punting are always interesting but I’ve heard nothing but good things about Ben Buchanan (5’10” 190). He has distance having made a kick from almost 60. Word has it that the ball explodes off his foot much like Tupa and he is a great kid. Don’t be surprised if he gets some chances early to over take the current kicking duties and then inherits the punting duties from AJ.

Then if they can pull it off adding Pryor to this list would make it a very good class. Again, as much as he is listed as a can’t miss, the transition is very difficult. Not only is the mental aspect incredibly demanding, he will also have to adjust to the speed. It took Vince Young some time to realize that he could always out run the D and he learn to pick his spots and that made him look so incredible. I would love to see him choose OSU because I think of all of his choices, Tress would probably give him the best shot at getting to the next level. If he comes, give him a year to watch under Boeckman and get some reps in pressure games, then compete with Henton for the job in ’09.

Would like to hear what everybody else thinks!

Popularity: 33% [?]

Monday, Jan. 21 - Check out how former football Buckeyes fared in the NFL’s conference championship weekend. Former Buckeye Mike Vrabel reached his fourth Super Bowl with the New England Patriots. Release

Tuesday, Jan. 22 – Men’s basketball returns home after a three-game road swing. The Buckeyes tip off vs. Illinois at 9 p.m. in Value City Arena. Release

Wednesday, Jan. 23 – Men’s tennis welcomes Butler and Xavier to the brand new Varsity Tennis Center.

Thursday, Jan. 24 – Women’s basketball looks for its seventh win in a row at Minnesota at 8 p.m. The game is live on the Big Ten Network.

Friday, Jan. 25 – Wrestling has a rematch against Penn State at 7 p.m. in St. John Arena on Alumni Night. The Buckeyes knocked off the then-No. 1 rated Nittany Lions in the 2008 NWCA National Duals earlier this month.

Saturday, Jan. 26 – Men’s and women’s gymnastics have home meets at 7 p.m. in St. John Arena vs. Illinois and N.C. State, respectively. Men’s basketball also is home vs. Minnesota at 8 p.m. in VCA. That game is live on the Big Ten Network and can be followed at OhioStateBuckeyes.com.

Popularity: 27% [?]

Monday, Jan. 14 – James Laurinaitis announced he will join fellow juniors Alex Boone, Marcus Freeman and Malcolm Jenkins in returning for their seniors seasons with the football team in 2008. Release

Tuesday, Jan. 15 – Football announced a home-and-home series with Oklahoma in 2016 and 2017. The Buckeyes will travel to Norman, Okla., in ‘16 and the Sooners will come to Columbus the following year. Release

Wednesday, Jan. 16 – Check out Matt McIlvane from men’s hockey featured on CCHA.com video story “In Play” and read former Buckeye Rod Pelley’s views on the season, also at CCHA.com Release

Thursday, Jan. 17 – Maria Moeller’s 3-pointer in the final seconds completed a game-winning rally by women’s basketball for a 43-42 victory over Illinois at Value City Arena. Recap

Friday, Jan. 18 – Roger Espinoza and Eric Brunner from men’s soccer were selected in the first and second rounds, respectively, in the 2008 MLS SuperDraft. Espinoza was taken in the first round by Kansas City and Brunner in second round by New York. They are the highest drafted Buckeyes in program history. Release

Saturday, Jan. 19 – The men’s and women’s swimming teams each extended win streaks at McCorkle Aquatics Pavilion. With victories over Eastern Michigan and Michigan State, the men now are 8-0 on the season. The women upped their win streak to five with wins over EMU and MSU as well. Men’s Recap, Women’s Recap

Sunday, Jan. 20 – Marscilla Packer’s 32 points led No. 16 women’s basketball to its sixth-straight win at Value City Arena. The Buckeyes downed Wisconsin, 79-74. Recap

Popularity: 26% [?]

There were six former Ohio State football players on rosters of teams still alive in the playoffs in the National Football League. Each week BuckeyeLegends.com will provide updates about how these former Buckeyes performed in the previous week’s action.

New England Patriots - 21, vs. San Diego Chargers - 12
Vrabel, Mike (LB): 1 tkl and 2 ast

San Diego Chargers - 12, at New England Patriots - 21
Olivea, Shane (OT): Substitute OT
Wilhelm, Matt (LB): 1 tkl and 1 ast

Green Bay Packers - 20, vs. New York Giants - 23 (OT)
Hawk, A.J. (LB): 4 tkl, 3 ast and 1 sack
Pickett, Ryan (DT): 2 tkl and 1 ast
Walter, Tyson (OL): Injured Reserve

Popularity: 31% [?]

The Ohio State men’s hockey team continued its season-long trend of losing hockey games at home this weekend when they were swept by the defending national champion Michigan State Spartans 4-1 and 4-0. The freshman-dominated Buckeyes came out a step slow Friday night and quickly found themselves behind in the contest when the Spartans scored a power play goal just 2:06 into the game. The score stood 2-0 when former Spartan Tommie Gobel scored the Buckeyes only goal of the weekend. It was Gobel’s 12th goal of the season, which leads the team, with assists going to Jason DeSantis and Kyle Reed. Despite a season high crowd of 9,195, the Buckeyes only controlled the puck for brief periods of time, and when they did have opportunities to score, they could not manage to get the puck into the Spartans’ net, even when the net seemed to be open. Overall, the game primarily consisted of the Michigan State players cycling the puck in the Buckeyes’ zone, as the Buckeye players chased the Spartans for long stretches of time. It was an impressive performance for the Spartans, ranked 6/7th nationally, but a disappointing effort by the Buckeyes.

Those Buckeye fans sturdy enough to brave the freezing temperatures (a crowd of 6,780) Saturday night were rewarded in the first period with the best hockey the Buckeyes played on the weekend. Ohio State came out with a passionate and energetic game that kept Michigan State pinned in its own end for much of the first period. Unfortunately for the Buckeyes, the Spartans escaped the period with a 1-0 lead that set the tone for the home team’s futility on this night. Over the next two periods, the Buckeyes only matched their first period energy level occasionally, and their inability to get anything going offensively, especially on their power play chances (including a number of power play advantages without a single shot on goal), made it a relatively easy day at the office for the Spartans. To be fair, the Spartans goalie, Jeff Lerg, appeared to be at the top of his game, and the Spartans are a veteran bunch compared to the young Buckeyes. But turnovers, and missed opportunities to score, can only be attributed to inexperience for so long as the team moves into the later stages of their schedule. One has to wonder if the light will go on for enough of these kids in time to salvage something of the season, or if it’ll be another “Wait till next year” cry ringing in the ears of the Buckeye faithful.

Popularity: 35% [?]

Former men’s hockey forward Rod Pelley, a letterwinner from 2003-06 and second team All-CCHA choice in 2005, is now a member of the NHL’s New Jersey Devils. Inside the CCHA, the league’s radio show, caught up with Pelley earlier this week. After earning a roster spot with the Devils coming out of training camp, Pelley has played in 44 games this season, posting five points.

Click here to listen to interview

Popularity: 36% [?]

This week’s poll question is sponsored by: ClearSaleing

A Special Thanks to James Ramsey for submitting this Poll Question!!

Contact Us if you have an idea for a poll question.

Popularity: 35% [?]

I know I didn’t comment on the Championship game and have been listening to everyone complaining about the loss. But other than a handful of critical mistakes and penalties, the Bucks hung in with a very good LSU team. If anyone would have told me that the Bucks would have been in their second consecutive BCS Championship game, I would have responded that they were a year or two away. They were suppose to finish third or fourth in the Big Ten. So I feel pretty good about the results and with the recent developments, I am really looking forward to the 08 season.

Speaking of those recent developments, I have been asked many times about the guys leaving early for the NFL and most people thought that Gholston, Jenkins and Laurinaitis were gone for sure.

My philosophy on leaving early is that if you are not a “sure” first round selection you should come back and improve your game to a first round level. I hear the injury argument but injuries can happen anytime. It’s part of the game and the risk can be reduced with preparation, conditioning and technique. The money issue is always a consideration that many of these young guys must consider. I know they need to consider their families but if they are not a first round selection and fall further than they expect the dollar amount could be considerable even though it is still more than they would make coming out of college as a student. The problem is that although the league tries to give them an idea of where they may get drafted, there are so many variables, it is never a sure bet. They could do poorly in the combines, there are hundreds of smaller school guys that are scouted into the mix, they could have off-season injury, others at position test better, he may have trouble with mental acuity part, teams may not have need in that position at the draft spot or any other number of things that could cause them to fall in the ranks.

My thoughts were that Gholston is absolutely ready to move on. He has the size, speed and strength to compete at that level and will definitely be a first round pick.

I was surprised at Malcolm Jenkins decision because I thought his first round selection was going to be close but that he had a good chance based on the past OSU DB’s performance in the league. I think he had some things to work on but overall he could make a team and contribute. I’m also thinking there may have been a glut of DBs coming out and that could make his selection a little cloudy so I think it was a good choice and great to have him back.

I actually wasn’t surprised at Laurinaitis’ decision. I think he really likes it at Ohio State and don’t think money was a big consideration. They have him slated as high as the 7th pick overall and thee first linebacker but definitely a first rounder. Don’t know what his other personal decisions were but I think he has more to prove and wants that championship. With him back, the Bucks are a shoe-in for pre-season top ten ranking.

I know they made a big deal about Alex Boone and I think Alex will be a good NFL lineman some day but he has plenty to work on. I’ll leave the analysis to Lachey but I think it was a great decision and he will anchor what will be a very good line and with the incoming frosh, could be very deep as well.

I think the guy that people underestimated was Brian Robiski. I think he already has all of the tools to be a very good possession receiver in the Pros as well as being a deceiving deep threat. He runs very good routes, has great hands and understands the passing game thanks to Dad. But with all of the other talent and the lack of a passing game the last part of the season, he didn’t get the accolades and ink he probably deserved. His return gives the Bucks a very experienced receiving corp. with new blood on the way.

In my estimation they all made good choices but I especially like the comments about the recruiting class staying together and the fact that they liked their teammates. They have more to prove and want to take the risk to help their friends achieve the ultimate goals. I know in today’s world they need to look out for themselves and make a decision based on their needs, goals and dreams.

It is a real refreshing twist that these guys were also thinking about their teammates, coaches and the fans. Nice job guys. Good luck Vernon. Looking forward to 2008. Go Bucks!

Popularity: 32% [?]