A great game on Monday night led to a great result- Michigan didn’t win.  I’m sure that was as exciting for you as it was for Rick Pitino, right?

Congratulations to the Louisville Cardinals on their season, and to Columbus’ Trey Burke on his college career. Thanks, too, for deciding to go pro so I can actually enjoy your talent without being sick to my stomach.

Closer to home, the BBC Bracket Challenge has a winner… artist extraordinaire, Kevin Dearth, whos “RIP Homer” entry won by one point over two other challengers. The neat thing about this entry- it’s named in honor of his step father, a Louisville fan who passed away earlier this year.

Kevin wins the prize package- a shirt from The Buckeye Room, an autographed copy of Maurice Clarett’s new book, some swag from our friend Mekka Don, and the chance to grace the pages of tBBC with a guest post.

For staff bragging rights, The Wonder From Down Under edged out yours truly by one point as well- I knew Charles had some of that Australian mojo going for him.

Thanks for participating in this year’s event… Go Bucks!

Tags: 2013 March Madness, Gambling? Us?, Kevin Dearth, Louisville, Maurice Clarett, Mekka Don, The Buckeye Room
Categories: Administrative Whatnot

Welcome to the calm before the storm… unless you’re an NIT junkie, then your Madness has already started.  In honor of Coach Calipari’s fantastic coaching job on Tuesday night, today’s soundtrack channels the thoughts of Wildcat fans as they get to watch the rest of the tournament. Hey… you think they’ll have time to join our Bracket Challenge?

It’s What We Do

Buckeye 411

• We Talkin’ About Practice? Tuesday was a return to the WHAC for the Buckeyes after Spring Break, and it sounds as if it was a bit of a “rusty day” for the Scarlet and Gray. No need to panic, though- this is typical for teams the first time they put the pads on in the spring or in the fall.
• Injury Update- Barrett, Shazier, Wood, and Bogard were in “orange” jerseys today, although JT was taking mental reps behind Braxton as the practice went along. Jordan Hall had a hamstring strain as well, but Coach Meyer said that there was nothing to be overly concerned about with his progress.
• TP Again- Tyvis Powell seems to, at least for now, locked in on the #1 Star position, with Roby and Doran Grant at corner.
• Committee- Rod Smith and Warren Ball ran the ball really well Tuesday, although Smith caught the ire of Coach Drayton with his nonchalant flip of the ball in the endzone.  Anything to help break the fumble-itis, right?
• Caffeinated- Apparently Kerry Coombs is in mid-season form, screaming at what he perceived to be a horrible call by an official helping monitor the scrimmages.
• los ‘Los- After practice, Carlos Hyde talked about his decision to return, and his desire to help Coach Meyer get his first 1K yard runner. He also was honest about the fact that he had some work to do in order to be NFL ready, a sentiment that his coach agreed with. Read More

Tags: Aaron Craft, B1G Conference, Carlos Hyde, Devin Smith, Dontre Wilson, Frank Epitropoulos, Jack Mewhort, Jim Delany, Jim Foster, Jordan Hall, Kerry Coombs, Mekka Don, Men's Hockey, Rod Smith, SBP, Spring Practice, Tyvis Powell, Warren Ball
Categories: College Football, Ohio State Basketball, Ohio State Football

It’s championship week here at tBBC, and we’ll have all your B1G Tournament coverage coming up until the Buckeyes cut down the nets.  So, it only makes sense, then, to have our soundtrack for today be the latest from OSU alum and friend of the site Mekka Don, who’s scored an exclusive deal to provide music for their coverage. From the press release:

The intersection of music and sports is prominently on display during high profile sporting events.  Almost every sports arena has a DJ; players submit playlists to be played during warmups; and networks license music to help create excitement for their broadcasting.  Mekka Don, an independent hip-hop artist and former NCAA athlete (Ohio State football), has inked a multi-song licensing deal with the Big Ten Network to provide music for the upcoming Big Ten Tournament games and coverage.  The Big Ten Tournament begins on March 14^th on the Big Ten Network.

And here, in an exclusive for tBBC readers, is the the title track for tournament time:

You can support Mekka Don and download this at his site on iTunes… just in time for March’s Madness.

Buckeye 411

• That Happened- And we’ll talk about it in today’s commentary. But first, some better updates.
• 

  Heacock is going WHERE?

  Welcome Back? Rumors have been swirling all week that former Buckeye Defensive Coordinator Jim Heacock would be returning to the WHAC in a “quality control” capacity; huge tip, it seems, to Nevadabuck from the Scout site for dropping the knowledge first.  The position would be similar to what a number of schools (most specifically Alabama) are doing in expanding their staff, and you’ve got to think that it will not only strengthen the Silver Bullets but also maintain the relationships that Heacock had with area high school coaches. In addition, it provides a fallback of sorts should the defensive staff lose a member to another opportunity.

• The Ping Of The Bat- What are you doing Friday, before the Buckeyes tip off in the B1G Tourney? Might as well head over to Bill Davis Stadium for the Scarlet and Gray’s Home Opener.  Ah, spring…
• Once A Buckeye, Part One- Ramzy at 11W is a must read every Tuesday, but today’s article knocked it out of the park. It’s a continuation of his conversation with Maurice Clarett, who several of us have had the privilege to connect with over the past year or so. Ramzy talks deeper about MoC’s story outside of Ohio State, particularly his passion for impacting the lives of young adults and his new project… do yourself a favor and go read it now.  I’ll wait. When you’re done, head over to Maurice’s site and pick up a copy of his book… incredible stuff. Read More

Tags: Aaron Craft, ACC, Antoine Winfield, B1G Basketball Awards, Baseball, Beanie Wells, Bo Ryan, BTN, Chris Gamble, Denard Robinson, Deshaun Thomas, Eleven Warriors, Jim Heacock, March Madness, Maurice Clarett, Mekka Don, Mike Nugent, North Carolina Tar Heels, Notre Dame, Santonio Holmes, SBP, Shaggy Bevo, tBBC Playlist, Texas, Will Smith
Categories: College Basketball, College Football, Ohio State Basketball, Ohio State Football