Buckeye Hodgepodge

In light of Ohio State's seventh Heisman victory this past weekend, I originally thought that I would make this some sort of a long tribute post that gushes over the accomplishments of Troy Smith, but then I realized that it really wouldn't accomplish anything, and it would be possibly the most boring post I could make. We've known that this award was his to lose ever since Adrian Peterson's fateful dive into the endzone back in week 6. I could talk about how miraculous his journey has been ever since the day he was born, but let's face it: There's already been enough said about that, and if you somehow managed to miss out on all of the man-love he was getting from the mass media, then you must live under a rock.

On that same note, I think it's worth noting that ESPN has done more than enough to make amends with the University, the team, and the entire fanbase this past season. As most everyone remembers, there has been a tremendous rift between ESPN and the state of Ohio for the past four years ever since they first brought up the possibility Maurice Clarett going to the NFL after just one season in college. Then, when Clarett got into legal troubles that offseason, ESPN could not have put a more negative slant on the story, and really handled the whole issue incredibly irresponsibly. Myself, along with much of the rest of Buckeye nation tried our very hardest to disown ESPN up until this season. However, as the offense opened up and Maurice was put even further in the rear view mirrors, things began to change. Suddenly, the good press was everywhere to be seen from the very start of the preseason, up until this point. Whether it be magazine covers or those cliché, feel-good stories, the mainstream media has been Ohio State's best friend this season.

Switching gears for a moment, the Buckeye basketball team took the court again this Saturday against Cleveland State in a tune-up for next week's big game against Cincinnati. The outcome of the game was really never in question, as Ohio State cruised to an easy 21 point victory, and never trailed against the overmatched Vikings. In fact, Cleveland State doesn't have a single player on their entire roster over the height of 6'9'', and their only player that is 6'9'' only plays 4.5 minutes a game. So, as you could imagine, Greg Oden had an absolute field day as he continues to heal his wrist. The mammoth center went for 16 points, 4 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 1 steal in just 22 minutes of play last Saturday. When Oden was on the court, the Vikings only took three shots in the paint. All three shots were blocked. In case you were still skeptical, Oden is clearly all he is hyped up to be, and not only will he be the next David Robinson/Patrick Ewing, he will be the first Greg Oden: A physically dominating big man that will only get bigger as he grows, thinks defense first, and can run like a guard. In fact, foxsports.com seems to agree, as one of their bloggers points out one of the more obvious things out there: Greg Oden is better than Andrew Bynum. No, really!? Bynum was the #10 selection of the 2005 NBA Draft (a subpar draft as far as talent is concerned), and was the 4th big man taken. Greg Oden is going to be the #1 overall pick in what is projected to be a much more talented class. If that doesn't give you a clear enough picture, then I don't know what will.

What to watch for the rest of this week: I may finally get around to my post-season awards, and hopefully some Florida discussion.