So…behold…the new footballs being used by the Wolverines.

This is the continuation of the ratcheting up the rivalry to ten-year war levels. Woody and Bo are no doubt smiling. Of course, there are still differences between the two eras. Woody and Bo were actually very, very, very good friends. Urbs and Hoke really don’t have any previous relationship to go on. They ate ribs together that one time, but I don’t think they regularly hang out. In fact, Urban has expressed his dislike towards the dirty, rotten traitors like Hoke. Growing up in Ohio and rooting for Michigan should be illegal, frankly, unless you have a darn good reason like a relative going there or a severe head injury that renders you completely unable to read a map.

As one of the commenters so eloquently stated; their footballs aren’t made in Ohio, but half of their team is. For that matter, so was your coach. Go home, Hoke, you’re drunk! Actually, don’t go home. Stay up in AA with the other scoundrels.

P.S. I like that this rivalry is fun again.

The Buckeye’s second Spring under Coach Urban Meyer is wrapping up, and it is doing so in a much different venue. The Ohio State football team is taking their talents to Paul Brown Stadium tomorrow at 1:00 EDT for the annual LiFE Spring Game.

The need for a change of venue was necessary as Ohio Stadium undergoes a few renovations. Of course, there is a much larger reason for this change, as well. Ohio State needs Cincinnati. Much of the State’s top talent resides in the Cincinnati area and it is far from being a Buckeye stronghold. This is the main reason why the game is being played there instead of Cleveland. OSU really doesn’t need a lot of help in Cleveland. They have pretty much established themselves as top dogs. Cincinnati is a different story.

In fact, sometimes it’s tough to tell if Cincinnati is even in Ohio. Many top recruits have headed elsewhere and it was never really a big shock. The loyalty to the Scarlet and Gray in the area isn’t nearly as strong as it is throughout the rest of the State. This isn’t even because of the Bearcats. There is a freakishly large number of Notre Dame, Louisville and Kentucky fans in the greater Cincinnati area. Meyer wants to change that. His ties to the area go a long way towards doing so, and he’s hoping bringing the Buckeyes to them will give yet another nudge.

The Spring Game also benefits a good cause. LiFE Sports, Learning and Fitness & Education through Sports, is a youth development initiative run by the Ohio State Department of Athletics and the Ohio State College of Social Work. The program offers economically disadvantaged children and teens, ages 9-17, sport and education instruction during the summer months. This keeps the kids out of trouble and in a safe environment.

If you can’t make it to Cincy for the game, it will be aired on tape delay at 7PM EDT on BTN. If you don’t want to wait, you can stream it live on BTN2Go. Radio coverage will be on WBNS 97.1 FM The Fan in Columbus and WDJO AM-1480 in Cincinnati.

Well, we can’t really say this is a huge shock, but Deshaun Thomas made it official today and announced that he would forgo his Senior year and make the jump to the NBA draft.

“My three years at Ohio State have been the best years of my life,” Thomas said. “I have grown tremendously as an individual and as a basketball player. I intend to return to finish my degree, but I believe that now is the best opportunity to pursue my dream and begin my career as a professional basketball player. I will always be a Buckeye and am blessed to be a part of the Ohio State University family.”

This is one of those things that happens when you have top-tier talent. It’s kind of the negative that goes along with success. Hopefully, the offensive development witnessed for the majority of the tournament will carry over into next year. Because, well, that’s a pretty darn huge hole to fill.

How huge? Well, here’s a list of Thomas’ accomplishments, including awards for the 2012-2013 season

2012-13 SEASON HONORS

• 2013 John R. Wooden Award All-America

• 2013 Associated Press Third Team All-America

• 2013 NCAA West Regional All-Tournament Team

• 2013 Big Ten All-Tournament Team

• 2013 Sporting News Second Team All-America

• 2013 USBWA All-District V Team

• 2013 First Team All-Big Ten, coaches/media

• 2013 Oscar Robertson Trophy finalist

• 2013 Naismith Award Midseason Top 30

• 2013 Oscar Robertson Trophy Midseason Watch List

• 2012-13 Big Ten Player of the Week (Nov. 19, Jan. 14)

• Hall of Fame Tipoff All-Tournament Team (MVP)

• 2012-13 Wooden Award Preseason Top 50

• 2012-13 Naismith Award Preseason Top 50

• 2012-13 Preseason All-America

Noting Deshaun Thomas’ Ohio State Career

62-Career NCAA tournament rebounds, 4th all-time

72-Made 3s, No. 10 all-time, season (2012-13)

83.4-FT pct. (.834/141-169), No. 6 all-time, season (2012-13)

94-Aaron Craft, Lenzelle Smith Jr., Deshaun Thomas career wins

143-Career made 3s, No. 8 all-time

205-Ohio State career NCAA tournament points, 2nd all-time

260-Thomas made FGs, No. 8 all-time, season (2012-13)

584-Thomas FGA, No. 2 all-time, season (2012-13)

733-Thomas season pts., No. 3 all-time, season (2012-13)

1,630-Career points for Deshaun Thomas, No. 9 all-time

Best of luck, Deshaun! Buckeye Nation will be rooting for you at the next level! Unless, of course, you go to some team someone hates. Then, it’s more like a “gosh, I hope you do fine and your team sucks” kind of support.

Deshaun Thomas has had a pretty successful run during his Ohio State career. That’s pretty apparent. What may not be apparent, however, are the accomplishments of the Buckeye student athletes in some of the sports that may not generate a ton of revenue or gain a lot of exposure.

Thomas wanted to make sure they received their due props and penned a nice little letter to the editor that was published in The Lantern.

Letter to the editor:
As a basketball player at Ohio State, I am both proud and honored that our university follows our sport the way they do. It is a privilege to play for Ohio State, to be a part of winning the Big Ten Tournament this year, and to have made it to the Elite Eight.

I know that athletes in other sports that do not get much press coverage are also winning championships. Just two weekends ago, Logan Stieber won his second-consecutive national championship in his weight class in wrestling, and senior Marco Canevari marked the Scarlet and Gray’s single individual champion title in fencing by securing the gold medal in men’s epee on March 22. A day later, gymnasts Sarah Miller and Aly Marohn captured the Big Ten championship on the balance beam.

Last Tuesday, The Lantern featured an article in which athletic director Gene Smith talked about how Ohio State isn’t just a football school. He talked about the success of our basketball team. It would be good to remember that in the other sports, there is a lot of success too.

All athletes at Ohio State work very hard at being the best they can be at their sport. I wish that all athletes could receive the attention that our football and basketball teams get. They all deserve to be celebrated.

Deshaun Thomas
Third-year in sports management
thomas.2366@osu.edu

You’re a class act, Deshaun! Now, can you maybe come back just one more year?

Well, Buckeye Nation, it was a fun ride. OK, it was a fun ride at the end. There were periods of the ride that were pretty crappy and other periods where you just wanted to get off of it and vomit. But, yeah, at the end it was pretty fun.

I know it took me a while to put my thoughts down about the 70-66 loss to Wichita State that bounced the Buckeyes out of the Tourney within sight of the Final Four. Really, though, what could I say? The Buckeyes simply dug themselves into a hole they couldn’t get out of. At the end, there were flashes of hope. It looked as if the magic that had worked against Iowa State and Arizona was going to take out the Shockers, too. Really, though, when you play as horrible of basketball as you possibly can for a half, eventually the luck is going to run out.

That’s basically what happened here.

This was a Buckeye team that had been written off by many, including most of Buckeye Nation, after the Feb 17th debacle against Wisconsin. At that point, if you had told me that Ohio State would be a two seed playing for a shot at Atlanta, I would have mocked you.

I mocked myself. They didn’t lose after that and went into the B1G tourney on a roll. It was a dream run, and one that gave everyone a glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, this was a team of destiny. They were playing their best ball of the season at the right time. They were peaking exactly when you want to see a team peak. They were playing as a team and doing it well. The leadership was evident. I took what I had seen and filled out a bracket where I put OSU in the Final Four with no hesitation.

Then, it happened. One by one the monsters of the West Regional fell. Ohio State fans everywhere were filled with hope and started talking about “it” again. Was this the year? They had been so close so many times in the past few years. They have certainly had the talent that would, in theory, eventually propel them to the first basketball National Title since 1960.

In the end, however, it was more of the same. The team that failed everyone in February returned for one last half, and lingered just a bit too long. Buckeye Nation was deflated and another tourney of hope ended with a resounding thud.

But, really, the fan base needs to look at this for what it really is and that is a heck of a run. This team exceeded expectations. I don’t think there are many out there that thought the Elite Eight was probable after that gloomy February day. What the team accomplished from that day on is what they should be remembered for. It was a run that everyone would come out of with their heads held high prior to the Matta years.

Now, it feels like just another year where they were so close, yet so far away.

What’s next? Deshaun Thomas will likely leave and take a bunch of points with him, but Craft will be back to lead the team next year. The late season emergence of LaQuinton Ross gives a little hope that the offense can find itself between now and then. The B1G will be tough, though, and expecting too much is ill advised. Expecting what they did this year is likely expecting a bit too much.

Thanks for the memories, Bucks. Now, onto Spring Football and a team that will have the weight of the World on its shoulders. They will be under the microscope of a fan base with high expectations. Anything less than a B1G Championship will feel like a failure. A trip to any city but Pasadena for the post-season will be deemed unacceptable to a hungry fan base. No pressure.

Makes the Basketball team’s accomplishments seem a little better, right?

In an effort to boost the sales of heart condition related pharmaceuticals in the Ohio market, The Buckeyes took it to the wire against Arizona. This time, LaQuinton Ross did the honors courtesy of a three point shot with 2.1 seconds remaining.

For a moment, it looked like it may be Aaron Craft doing Crafty things again. He then dished the assist of his life to Ross, who hit nothing but net and touched off yet another celebration on one side and spread dismay on the other. Ross had just committed an ill-timed foul that led to the tie, so it was also a case of instant redemption. The Wildcats threw up a pass in an attempt to get into position for a three of their own, but it was tipped and ended up in the hands of Aaron Craft, who tossed it up to run out the clock.

As a side note, I was watching the game at a friend’s house. My celebration frightened their dog. That means that the Buckeyes have now caused me to frighten two dogs in two houses within the past week. This is the kind of collateral damage that one does not hear about in the media.

Ross scored 14 of his 17 points in the second half and continues to develop into the player that Buckeye Nation expected him to be. Deshaun Thomas led the Buckeyes with 20 and Craft scored 13. The fact that three players are in double digits is a sight for sore eyes to a fanbase that watched this team struggle offensively for a large part of the year. Of course, saving it up for March is just fine with everyone, thank you.

Ohio State will take on the Wichita State Shockers at 7:05 PM EDT Saturday. Since the Sweet Sixteen win took place in front of a hugely pro-Wildcat crowd, I have a feeling there will be plenty of tickets available. There were many OSU fans there, but it was almost like an away game and not a neutral site. This was a concern for a few as OSU had the benefit of playing in front of hugely pro-Buckeye crowds in Dayton in the first two rounds. Stepping up big, across the country, in front of a largely hostile crowd should bode well for them, going forward.

Is the Final Four actually going to be a thing for this team that many had ruled out? It’s possible, but it would be nice if they could make it a little more comfortable the next time.

Aaron Craft had possibly the worst five or six minutes in the history of his career during the second half of their contest against Iowa State. It was pretty brutal and a bit frustrating to watch the implosion occurring before our very eyes as The Buckeyes saw their 13 point lead vanish against a hot shooting, quick Cyclone team. In the end, however, Craft manage to erase 5 minutes of absolutely horrible play with one shot.

And what a shot it was…

Craft took matters into his own hands on the final possession of the game. I, admittedly, was a little concerned about that decision and hoped he would dish it to Deshaun Thomas. In retrospect, I’m thrilled that he didn’t. He knew he had struggled a bit, too.

“I tried to stay as poised as possible,” Craft said. “Missed a lot of shots I normally make, layups and free throws. Got a mismatch, took the ball, and it went in.”

Oh, Craft was also involved in chargegate, which no one really found to be that big of a deal until Charles Barkley decided to whine about it for hours on end. In reality, Craft missed the front end of a one-and-one, Iowa State turned the ball over with :58 seconds left, allowed OSU to grab a huge offensive rebound, and hold on for the last shot and win. But, yes, the charge that may or may not have ever been was clearly the reason Iowa State lost. It’s a lot like the National Championship over Miami, really. Miami couldn’t get the ball across the goal line after multiple shots from the 2, but yes, the penalty that was actually a penalty (albeit a slowly called one) was totally it.

But I digress…

Deshaun Thomas led Ohio State with 22 points. Craft chipped in 18 and LaQuinton Ross had 17, including 10 straight during the second half. The team was firing on all cylinders for the majority of the game, even though they made a valiant effort at attempting to lose it at one point.

Ohio State heads to L.A. for their fourth consecutive Sweet Sixteen which, by the way, is the longest active streak in NCAA Division I. They managed to avoid being yet another casualty in the upset heavy West Region. It’s very possible that Iowa State posed the biggest threat to The Buckeyes. Of course, now Ohio State goes from the cozy confines of Ohio to face an Arizona team that may very well dominate attendance. Yes, there are numerous OSU alums out in L.A., but Arizona feels like this could be like a home game for them.

The Bucks are back on the court Thursday, time is still TBA.

Location:
Ames, IA

Driving Distance from OSU Campus:
674 mi -  10 hours, 14 mins per Google Maps

Founded:
1858 – Iowa State established the first state Veterinarian Medical school in the country in 1879. ISU was formerly known as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm.

Number of students:
25,553 Undergrad
5,487 Post-grad
(Per Wikipedia)

Nickname:
Cyclones. Their mascot is Cy, which is some kind of red bird that looks a bit like a cardinal. Because when people think of violent storms, they think of birds.

Things to do in Ames:
Reiman Gardens – 14 acre garden with an inside butterfly exhibit.
Olde Main Brewery – For the fans of some decent craft brews.
Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad & Museum – A short drive away. Take a ride or browse the museum.

Notable ISU Alumni:
George Washington Carver – One of the greatest innovators in agriculture in the history of the World.
Dan Gable – Olympic Gold Medalist in wrestling in 1972 and former Iowa Hawkeye wrestling coach legend.
Cael Sanderson – Olympic Gold Medalist in wrestling in 2004 and current Penn State wrestling coach. He is also the only wrestler in NCAA Division I history to go undefeated in official matches with more than 100 wins (159-0).

Conference:
B1G XII

Record Vs. OSU:
0-5

Current Line:
OSU -7

Outlook:
Iowa State is coming off of an impressive win over eight seeded Notre Dame. They were down 18-14 and took control with a 19-3 run in the first half. They never looked back.

Iowa State scores points in bunches. They are ranked 4th in the Nation in average points per game. They are also ranked 21st in rebounds per game, which isn’t really a great thing for OSU, who is ranked 135th in that stat. Oh, yeah, and OSU is also ranked 110th in points per game.

Ohio State’s defense will be key in this match-up. If this game stays in the 60s, OSU should be sitting nicely. If this turns into a shootout with scores creeping into the high 70′s, the advantage begins to swing to the Cyclones. Of course, Ohio State will have the advantage of a quasi-home court atmosphere as the game is just down the road from Columbus in Dayton. That is a definite perk for The Buckeyes.

Tip is at 12:15 EDT.

Sam Thompson had quite a night last night. He had 10 rebounds and a career high 20 points. Ohio State also tallied their season high point total in the 95-70 beatdown of the Gaels. All in all, it was a pretty solid showing that made them appear very worthy of a two seed.

For those of you going “oh, please, it was a two/fifteen game, they should smack them down,” allow me to point you to the Georgetown/Florida Gulf Coast game. Two seed Georgetown lost that one 78-68. Let me also point you to the one/sixteen nailbiters that were the Gonzaga/Southern and Kansas/WKU games. The one seeds came out on top, but they were by no means the cakewalks we used to see in these match-ups.

What I am saying is that parity is very real and it is becoming more and more common. Take a look at your bracket. Go on, do it. It may be a painful experience for you with all of the upsets that have taken place. Most of you probably didn’t pick 14 seed Harvard like I did (Alford loves losing those 3/14 games). Probably even fewer went with 13 seed LaSalle.

Ohio State won and won easily in a season where they had some close shaves against some opponents they should have put away with no effort. This should give some hope to Buckeye Nation. This team came to play and they came out hot. They are continuing the pattern that began after a disappointing, not to mention embarrassing, loss to Wisconsin. They are peaking when they need to.

Of course, they face a much stiffer test against Iowa State. ISU is 23-11 and finished in a tie for fourth in the Big XII. They just took out a Notre Dame team that finished their season ranked 23rd and reached the Big East semis. They do share common opponents in Iowa (OSU won, ISU lost) and Kansas (neither of them won, ISU lost three times, twice in OT). It should be a solid test for OSU in a bracket that has seen a lot of upsets.

If OSU gets past this…well…I’ll be feeling good about their path to Atlanta.

Location:
New Rochelle, NY

Driving Distance from OSU Campus:
576 mi -  8 hours, 50 mins per Google Maps

Founded:
1940 – Iona was founded by the Congregation of Christian Brothers. It is named after the island monastery of St. Columba located off the west coast of Scotland.

Number of students:
3,189 Undergrad
415 Post-grad
(Per USN)

Nickname:
Gaels. Their mascot is a whimsical little Leprechaun-like dude named Killian.

Things to do in New Rochelle:

New Rock City – An entertainment complex with a glow-in-the-dark bowling alley, billiards hall, go-kart race track and movie theater with an IMAX screen.

Thomas Paine Cottage Museum – The home of writer and Revolutionary War hero Thomas Paine.

The Museum of Arts and Culture – A museum located on the campus of New Rochelle High School.

Notable Iona Alumni:
Terry Finn – Best known as Gussie Carnegie in the original Broadway cast of “Merrily We Roll Along.” However, she was also the Heavenly Greeter in Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey.
Bud Cort – Harold in “Harold and Maude.”
John Gilchrist – Mikey in the Life Cereal ads.

Honorable Mention:
Don McLean – Singer/Songwriter of only one of the most iconic songs, ever, “American Pie.” He attended Iona Prep, however, and did not continue on at Iona College.

Conference:
MAAC

Record Vs. OSU:
1-1

Current Line:
OSU -14 1/2

Outlook:
Iona, the school that has caused much confusion over the years. There have been many times I had tried to figure out why Iowa was playing Marist or Rider in the middle of the season. Iona, however, is no stranger to the NCAA Tourney. In fact, Iona became the first MAAC team to receive an at-large bid since 1995. They lost in the first round to BYU after losing a 24 point lead. After that successful run, they would enter this season with nine newcomers to the bench.

Iona, however, played with very heavy hearts this year. Forward Michael Haynes was at his home on the South Side of Chicago when he was attempting to break up a fight over a stolen necklace. He was killed after being shot in the wrist, chest and back.

Iona would go on to earn the fourth seed in the MAAC tournament after losing 7 conference games, all by 5 or fewer points, three in OT and two of those went into double OT. They would win the tourney, including one win over regular season champ Niagara, and earned the auto-bid and the 15th seed in the NCAA tourney.

Iona plays an up and down style of basketball, so they have a tendency to score a lot of points. Obviously, that’s not how The Buckeyes roll. If the game becomes a fast-paced shootout, it could be a bit more exciting than any Buckeye fan would like. 15s have knocked out 2s before, after all.

Having said that, I trust Craft to stay dreamy on D and Deshaun Thomas to light them up. It may be close early, but I suspect the Buckeyes will pull away and have this one in hand by the 5 minute mark in the second half. Before that, however, don’t be shocked to get a little nervous.

Tip is at 7:15 PM EDT.