The men's basketball will attempt to continue its improbable run to the 2016 NCAA Tournament tonight as it hosts No. 6 Michigan State at 9 p.m. on ESPN.
The Buckeyes will be underdogs, but it could be possible no such thing exists in the Matta–Izzo rivalry.
Just crazy how close Ohio State-Michigan State has been in the Matta-Izzo era. pic.twitter.com/TMVizAo1bh
— Tim Shoemaker (@TimShoemaker) February 22, 2016
Whoever keeps scheduling Michigan State late in the season: Stop. Playing Sparty is like fist-fighting a crackhead who stole something—dangerous and never worth it. Worse yet, it's the first of two meetings in the Buckeyes' next three games.
IZZO STONE COLD TROLLED. This story, like so many others like it, begins with a sarcastic tweet:
THINK ABOUT IT: Every Izzo Final Four team except 2001 lost in December. This team was too hot and Izzo knew it. Something had to be done.
— Mark Titus (@clubtrillion) December 30, 2015
Here's the thing about sarcasm online: No matter how over-the-top it is, there will always be swaths of people who miss it.
Tom Izzo is apparently one of those people:
Izzo talks Valentine conspiracy: "That is true. We didn't want that pressure. So I did fake that injury ... Think of how ridiculous that is"
— Joe Rexrode (@joerexrode) February 22, 2016
Indeed, Izzo, indeed. It does make you think about the ridiculousness of it all.
Hopefully Titus finishes Izzo in Mortal Kombat style later today:
Whoa, MSU plays at OSU tomorrow. I might have to show up at MSU practice in the morning and do some #journalism. SHOW US THE SCARS, DENZEL.
— Mark Titus (@clubtrillion) February 22, 2016
I try to avoid patronizing students, but if there's not a "SHOW US THE SCARS, DENZEL" sign in the Nuthouse tonight then I'm going to be disappointed. Hell, they should run wild with the meme. Tom Izzo's reaction would undoubtedly be worth it.
If they fail then I'm taking my anger out on 11W's intern, who may or may not already be dead:
Currently in a tent outside the Schott.
— Kevin Harrish (@Kevinish) February 23, 2016
In other news, we're hiring a summer marketing intern.
LET'S TALK COMBINE. Joey Bosa is routinely projected as a top-five pick, but the work isn't done yet. There are still questions about his physical ability, if you can believe that.
From cbssports.com:
Joey Bosa, DE, Ohio State
No, Bosa isn't that twitched-up speed rusher like Von Miller. But he doesn't need to be in order to disrupt and affect the offensive gameplan. His mechanics, leverage and power off the snap allow him to be effective, but he also has the explosive traits that stand out on film. Bosa should post positive numbers in the 10-yard split and vertical jump, securing his spot in the top-five picks.
Speaking on Mel Kiper's podcast, SEC Network's Booger McFarland dug deeper into criticism levied at the Big Bear, via collegespun.com:
“I start looking at a guy who’s probably gonna measure 6-3, 6-3 1/2, maybe 6-4 and about 265-270 pounds, I don’t know where you put him at. I don’t see the type of production and the type of athleticism that I think is gonna translate to the NFL. I think he’s a bit overrated by this Kiper guy.”
One of McFarland’s main criticisms is a potential lack of versatility, which could limit Bosa’s effectiveness at different spots in the NFL’s various defenses.
“[Bosa] had a lot of production at Ohio State, but when you look at how he’s gonna fit in the NFL, let’s talk about the positions that he can and cannot play,” he said. “Is he a right end and is he a guy that has elite speed that can turn the corner? I don’t think so. Can he play left end? I think left end in a 4-3 is a spot he could play.
McFarland not only questioned Bosa's versatility, but he also said he wasn't close to the best pass-rushing prospect in the draft.
”Noah Spence is the best edge rusher in this draft, and quite frankly, Mel, it’s not even close. You talk about elite athleticism, can turn the corner. The one thing Joey Bosa has is good technique, but technique with no athleticism I don’t think translates to the NFL. I think Noah Spence, whoever gets him is gonna get a guy that’s gonna be a Von Miller type. A guy that can be a 10, 12, 15 sack a year guy for a long time.”
Booger's take will either be 100% accurate or he'll get dragged for years over it.
ADOLPHUS WASHINGTON: NEVER CONVICTED. Say what you will about Adolphus Washington, but you can't say he's been convicted of solicitation.
From dispatch.com:
A misdemeanor solicitation charge against former Ohio State defensive tackle Adolphus Washington was dismissed on Monday.
Washington pleaded guilty to the charge on Jan. 19 in Franklin County Municipal Court under an agreement it would be dismissed if he completed a program known as "John school" before his sentencing hearing.
American justice has been served!
ASH TRUTHINESS. Consider me a Rutgers truther from here on out. College football is the sport where coaches have the most direct on-the-field impact, and it's clear Rutgers knocked its hire out of the park.
From nj.com:
This is Day 73 of the #AshEra — and it is impossible to write that as anything other than a Twitter hashtag — and a full 198 days before this football team in transition plays its next game under a coach who plans onchanging everything.
The Hale Center is already different. Maybe not in striking ways, but in subtle ones. The music in the lobby, for example, plays on a loop. The presentation of the entrance hallway into the coaches offices on the second floor, where Ash removed a "a desk with crap behind it" and replaced it with a row of video screens and bowl trophies.
Now, it is all streamlined and neat, and without question, more impressive. The gray paint on the walls, Ash said, made the place "feel like a prison," so that has all been replaced with a plain white. The walls will be redecorated soon, and the office where Ash works will be completely remodeled, and not because he needs a new desk. He couldn't care less about the desk.
I realize Ohio State has to travel to the opium den that is Beaver Stadium this year, but I remain convinced Chris Ash is a bigger threat to Ohio State than Plain James Franklin.
If Ohio State beats Oklahoma in Norman, it takes a week off before playing Rutgers. That could be such a blatant trap it might get raided by the DEA before it happens.
HARBAUGH! It's been awhile since Jim Harbaugh made headlines by doing a thing. He fixed that by showing up at WWE RAW during its stop in Detroit:
Jim Harbaugh could not be more excited about being at WWE Raw tonight. pic.twitter.com/qSyPECTSS1
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 23, 2016
He truly is a #teen trapped in a middle-aged man's well-marbled body.
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