Look, I know that today’s SBP is the girl that you’re dancing with while you’re looking around the club for that special someone else.  I can live with that, and assure you that the news you’re refreshing your computer for will be here around… say… 10:00 or so. In the meantime this is stuck in my head (thanks Jason), so let it wash over you until you find your next dance partner.

Oooo! Shiny!!!

Buckeye 411

• Hoops News- Well, after getting shut out in the NBA Draft, it’s great to hear that Craft and Ross have found great landing spots. Senor Swoon will start the summer playing for the 76er franchise in Orlando’s Summer league, and will have pretty good company. “Q” is headed my direction to play with the Lakers during the summer season, and we’ve even heard that DeShaun will be getting another look with the Spurs program during this evaluation time.
• Recruiting News- Later today we’ll find out the futures of Justin Hilliard and Jashon Cornell, with Benedictine’s Jerome Baker to announce next week.  If that weren’t big enough, the Buckeyes could grab a verbal of the shooty hoops variety as well… stay tuned.
• Boys Will Be Boys- Wherever Cornell and Hilliard end up, they’ll probably spend a lot of time talking about where they are now.  Because… sure.
• Women’s News- The B1G will be kicking off it’s first women’s lacross season this coming year, and the Buckeyes are expected to be in the thick of things from day one.
• Ticket News- Ohio State actually has some extra seats this year, and will be selling them starting next week.  If you’d like to gift those to any of your favorite tBBC writers, you know, with airfare and so forth…. that might be awesome. You know where they won’t be selling? Groupon.
• B1G Air- With the newbies a part of the conference now, the mascots have taken over the DC Area and the Big Apple.  While it will be a minute or two until the basketball tournament will make it to Madison Square Garden, Brutus decided to show the rest of the folks what to eventually expect:

Read More

Tags: Aaron Craft, Big Ten Network, Deshaun Thomas, LaQuinton Ross, Maryland, NCAA, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rutgers, Stephen Collier, Tickets, Uniforms, Women's Lacrosse
Categories: Humor, Ohio State Basketball, Ohio State Football

Welp, there’s only so much Midwest my family can handle.  Wait… that’s not right. There’s only so much of my family that the Midwest can handle. That’s more accurate.  Since I’m flying back to LaLa land as we speak, here’s some traveling music for your morning interlude.

If Only They Went To LAX

Buckeye 411

• We’ve Got A New Shiny Hoopster! After some concern about grades and qualifying scores, the jewel of the Ohio State basketball recruiting class has finally been admitted into the University.  I’ll withhold my thoughts regarding academic readiness at premier institutions for later; like most Buckeye fans, I’m also excited about all of the hoops being shooty-ed.
• Crafty Drafty? The big day is coming up for LaQuinton and Aaron, and there is some speculation that Monsieur Swoon may actually end up taking the DeShaun/Diebler path and playing in Europe rather than hearing his name called. Personally, I’d love to have him end up in Toronto, if only for the continual trolling that would commence.
• Band Together- I’m sure that Charles will have more on this on Friday, but while you’re waiting for tBBC Radio Hour to return to your Apple device you should check out the awesome new app from The Best Damn Band In the Land.
• Steele Yourselves- Monday was Phil Steele day, and the guru of college football predictions has Ohio State winning the B1g and making the first College Football Championship Playoff; although the Seminoles are predicted to repeat. As a part of the festivities, he names Miller, Heuerman, and Bosa to his All-American teams, a designation they also received from Athlon.
• At Your Service- Congrats to Buckeye Blaz Rola, who won his first match at Wimbledon and now will face the defending champion.  We believe in Blaz!
• Buncha’ Sellouts- Ohio State is expanding it’s stadium this summer, adding 13% more seating to the south end zone.  They also announced this week that they’ve completely sold out of the student seating allotment for this area… just one more area where Ohio State destroys that school up north.

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Tags: Aaron Craft, Academics, B1G Presidents, Blaz Rola, Braxton Miller, D'Angelo Russell, Finances, Jeff Heuerman, Joey Bosa, NCAA, Phil Steele, SBP, TBDBITL
Categories: Basketball Recruiting, College Football, Humor, Ohio State Basketball, Ohio State Football

Well, we’ve grown yet again. Not only did we add Mike to the team, but Joe and Scott are both newly christened fathers! Congrats, and we hope that you survive all of the smelly diapers and sleep deprivation.  That goes for you also, Scott and Joe.  Here’s today’s musical kickstart, dedicated to our new dads, even though Mother’s Day is right around the corner.

tBBC Breakroom

Buckeye 411

• Movin’ On Up- We talked about this last week, but Saturday’s graduation saw a number of Buckeye Idols receive their degrees and walking papers. Marcus Hartman hits the triumvirate of tBBC favorites in pointing out that Aaron Craft, John Simon, and Katie Smith are all now on the list of people the Alumni Office will hit up for donations.
• Step Off Of That Ledge- To build on Mike’s take from Tuesday morning, there’s no need to panic regarding Ohio State football recruiting thus far.  If you don’t believe me, trust Eleven Warriors’ Jeremy Birmingham, one of the best in the business. Plus, getting emotionally invested in high school kids’ decisions and actions is never a wise move.
• No More Pro Combat?- Carlos Hyde, adidas rep.  If only they’d stop making ridiculous uniforms, though…
• Getting Drafty- Believe it or not, there are people involved in Thursday’s draft who aren’t named “Clowney” or “Manziel” (as a side note, you realize that Johnny Football is the new Tim Tebow in the eyes of the Four Letter Network, right?). At any rate the University put out a great website resource for all of the draft junkies: The Buckeyes are second in terms of overall first round picks and third in terms of total players chosen. No wonder the Worldwide Leader has invited Urban Meyer to be a part of their draft day coverage.
• Or, For You Visual Learners- Sammy Silverman’s got you covered:

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Tags: Aaron Craft, B1G Tournament, B1G/Big East Challenge, Carlos Hyde, Devin Gardner, Eric LeGrand, Indiana, Jameis Winston, John Simon, Katie Smith, NCAA Reform, NFL Draft, Sammy Silverman, SBP, UConn, Urban Meyer
Categories: Humor, Michigan Football, Ohio State Football

Bruce came to visit Ohio last night… and at least one person had a great time at the event. UPDATE: Video Evidence. So, today’s soundtrack is one of my favorite songs from The Boss… even if it’s somewhat new, it’s still a classic.

Ohio State Quarter Back

Buckeye 411

• Representing In North Texas- Aaron Craft was involved in this weekend’s festivities, although not in the way that any of us would hope. Not only did he get his one shining moment, but he was honored as the National Defensive Player of the Year as a part of the Final Four events.  He was also a part of work that the honorees did with Special Olympics basketball players, who undoubtedly left the opportunity more scrappy and tenacious for their efforts.
• Taking One For The Team- Great article in Tuesday’s Dispatch about Joel Hale, a starter at nose guard last season and his decision to request a move to the offensive side of the ball for his senior season.
• Good Gig If You Can Get It- Ohio State will be paying Virginia Tech, Cincinnati, and Kent State to bring their talents to the ‘Shoe for 2014.  This isn’t really all that unusual, but the $2 million total is pretty significant. It should be noted, though, that the Hokies will more than likely return the favor next season when the Buckeyes travel to Blacksburg.  The Buckeyes will see $850k return to their coffers when they face Navy to open the season, given that it’s a “neutral site” game in Baltimore.
• Congrats, We Think- Dan Sanzenbacher has been re-signed as a professional athlete!  But it’s with the Bengals… so it’s hard to know whether or not to send flowers of celebration or condolences.
• Gear- While there are a lot of reasons to be concerned about the welfare and circumstances of “student athletes”, “lack of awesome apparel” should not be one of them, as the latest offering from Sammy Silverman shows: Read More

Tags: Aaron Craft, Brady Hoke, Dane Sanzenbacher, Joel Hale, John Calipari, Maryland, NCAA, Nike, Penn State, Sammy Silverman, SBP, Taylor Lewan, UConn, Unions
Categories: College Basketball, Humor, Michigan Football, Ohio State Basketball, Ohio State Football

After being away for a while experiencing my oldest daughter giving birth to my first grandchild, I have had plenty of time getting ready for a little bit of spring cleaning. So I am going to take this opportunity to kinda wrap up everything that is RSB overall from football and basketball. Let’s get rolling with the good of Buckeye sports.

Rumblin’

It’s time to start the argument. My favorite all-time basketball buckeye on the men’s side has been Jay Burson for a very long time obviously. So here is the dilemma for you to ponder. Has there been a better point guard in Ohio State history than Aaron Craft? Let’s do a quick comparison of their career numbers, and then I will give you my two-cents as to why there never has been a player like AC, and probably never will be.

                    JB          AC

Scorer, through and through

GP            122         148

FG%         50%      46%

3P%         41%       33%

FT%        81%        74%

APG        2.77        4.7

SPG         1.67        2.3

RPG         3.3         3.3

The big difference between the two basically comes down to their area of expertise and what was asked of them by their head coaches and the era’s in which they played. Jay Burson was always a scorer and told me in an interview a couple years ago about the adjustments he had to make to college and how he realized he had a lot to learn after his freshman year. Jay was a pure scorer first and foremost and worked hard to become a better defender. He will go down as the second best at the position in my book now. Read More

Tags: Aaron Craft, Civil and Criminal charges for cyber bullying, Coach Urban Meyer, Jay Burson, Ohio State Football, Stop Cyber Bullying
Categories: Ohio State Basketball, Ohio State Football

In town for one of eleven stops on his Patriot Tour, retired Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell was a guest of Urban Meyer this past Saturday as a guest speaker to talk to the team after practice. As a lot of you know, Luttrell wrote the book Lone Survivor based on his account of the events surrounding “Operation Redwing” in 2005 in Afghanistan. The book was made into a major motion picture aptly titled “Lone Survivor”.

If you haven’t read the book or seen the movie, I strongly recommend reading the book first. Having done both, I can attest that the book is much better, though the movie does do it justice.

As some of you may recall, Jim Tressel required the Ohio State football team to read Lone Survivor over the summer of 2009. This of course aroused my curiosity and made me want to read the book. So, one hapless day while bumming around Barnes and Noble I came across it in the best sellers section and took it home.

The title leaves nothing to the imagination: The story has one survivor and it is obviously Luttrell. Knowing that, I wondered how good of a book/story it could be if you already know that only one of the four SEAL’s on the mission are going to be coming home? After reading it, “how good” was not the question. The question I was left with was “what am I doing with my life and how can I make it better?” And yes, the book is an amazing. Early on you realize that knowing that he is the only one who makes it out is secondary to how it happens. It will take your breath away and that is no exaggeration. Read More

Tags: Aaron Craft, culture change, Lone Survivor, Marcus Luttrell, Ohio State Football, Scarlet and Grey Game, spring football, Urban Meyer
Categories: Analysis, College Basketball, College Football, Football Analysis, Michigan Football, Ohio State Basketball, Ohio State Football, Ohio State Football History

Life is full of decisions. Sometime soon (Friday?) we’ll get the official word that LaQuinton Ross has decided to head to greener pastures… but until then, here’s the soundtrack for our midweek musings.

Decisions, Decisions…

Practice Notes

• Receiving Praise- Coach Meyer talked on Tuesday about the need for the receiving corps to be a strength of the team, and highlighted Devin Smith,  Corey Smith, Michael Thomas, and Johnnie Dixon as players who were standing out.  Jeff Greene is working hard as well, but has some catching up to do. Dontre Wilson is in the “H” position full time now, and has put on the weight necessary to be successful this season.
• We Are The Champions- After Saturday’s scrimmage, Tyvis Powell and Nick Vannett joined Pat Elflien as those who graded out with a “champion” mark. Elflien has also earned the starting right guard spot, according to Meyer. The center position is a “toss up” between Jacoby Boren and Billy Price, according to coach Tom Herman
• Getting Defensive- The defense “won” the scrimmage this past weekend, and Meyer said that the Fickell/Ash process is going well.
• Those Who Can’t, Teach- Braxton is being used to help groom the younger quarterbacks, including breaking down and grading their practice footage. Cardale still is taking the majority of reps at the position, but the others are coming along, according to Tom Herman.
• Running On Empty? Not a chance, with the backfield being a source of strength for Ohio State this season.  That being said, the coaches spoke about how the offense will look different- losing four starting linemen and El Guapo will do that to you. Rod Smith had a good Tuesday practice, and EzE is still showing some “freshman moments”. Read More

Tags: 2014 Spring Practice, Aaron Craft, Amadeo Della Valle, Buckeye Room, Cardale Jones, DRIVEN Foundation, Gene Smith, Kentucky Basketball, Mike Brewster, North Carolina, Northwestern, Pat Elflein, SBP, Terrelle Pryor, Tom Herman, Union, Urban Meyer, Wide Receivers
Categories: Humor, Ohio State Basketball, Ohio State Football

Well, not really- it’s still sunny and eighty degrees here in California. But our Ohio (and TSUN and Buffalo) readers certainly could use a break from all of the snow and ice, and might enjoy a trip to some warmer climes. So, perhaps we can celebrate Ohio State’s break with a soundtrack that will encourage and enlighten your Winter Wednesday.

Sun, Surf, Scarlet And Gray

Buckeye 411

• Meaningful Awards- For the first time in a long time, no Buckeyes were named to either the coaches’ or media’s All B1G Team for men’s shootyhoops this year, which pretty much sums up what most of us have observed this season. Even All-Swoon leader Aaron Craft was second team with the press and third team with the coaches, where he joined LaQuinton Ross as well. Lenzelle was on the “sportsmanship” list, so that’s nice.
• Getting Defensive- Senior Craft, though, was awarded his second “B1G Defensive Player of the Year” accolades on Monday… perhaps that’s why the coaches didn’t have him on the first or second teams, as he spent much of the year making their players struggle to bring the ball upcourt.
• Welcome Home- Donte wHitner, who signed with the Cleveland Browns as a part of Tuesday’s “NFL Free Agent Frenzy”. A Glenville graduate, it will be great to see another Buckeye defending the home turf…
• Getting Paid- Whitner wasn’t the only former Buck on the move, as safety Malcolm Jenkins signed a deal to play with Philadelphia next season as well. Jake Ballard also inked a one year deal with the Arizona Cardinals, who hope to find a quarterback to throw him the damn ball.
• It May Be Winter- But the Buckeyes are out on the links… rough life.
• Pay It Forward- Our favorite Buckeye from the St. Louis Area spent some time following Woody’s mantra this past week, with a visit to the Children’s Hospital to say “hello” to some young fans.  Great kid, that EzE…
• Never EVER Too Young- You’ve got to raise your kids well, so having them understand The Rivalry from an up-close and personal perspective is crucial. Today was a step in the right direction, as the rosters for the Ohio-TSUN all star showdown was released… and the mitten state doesn’t stand a chance.
• Fly On The Wall- That’s what I’d have loved to have been at last week’s meeting of the offensive minds in Columbus, involving Tom Hermann, Chad Morris, and Jake Spavital from aTm. That’s a lot of firepower…
• Well, Duh- Archie Griffin, greatest Buckeye football player ever.
• Laying The Foundation- If there was any doubt that the NFL takes Ohio State’s program seriously, last week’s “Career Day” certainly put that to rest. Here’s a reminder from Sammy Silverman: Read More

Tags: Aaron Craft, Donte Whitner, Ezekiel Elliot, LaQuinton Ross, Malcolm Jenkins, NFL, SBP
Categories: Humor, Ohio State Basketball, Ohio State Football