Should we even show up?

[pup]

According to CBSSPORTSLINE blowhart Greg Doyle, no.

http://cbs.sportsline.com/collegebasket ... y/10100760

[furls]

I guess not.

remember, that game was 40-40 before the Buckeyes showed their relative lack of experience and started taking retarded shots. If I remember right, Oden actually looked DOMINANT in stretches of that game, and I really don't think that Noah can do anything against him with two hands (provided the refs let them play).

[swerb]

Our only hope is if Furls picks Florida.

The first game. Was tied at 38. Oden went to the pine with his third foul with 16 min left. Gators outscored us 47-22 the rest of the way.

Oden had a couple stretches where he looked good in that game ... including one sequence we're sure to see on ESPN the next couple days, where he rejected back to back shots from Horford and Noah (IIRC).

Down the stretch though, we got absolutely mauled on the boards with Oden out, and then even with him back in ... where he was in one of those really uncomfortable stretches we saw right after he returned. And Green and Brewer just stuck us with dagger after dagger.

Going to be a tough game to win, but clearly the Buckeyes can if they find a way to keep Oden on the court for 30-32 minutes and he can play at that 2H level most of the time.

Bucks are +4.5 right now.

[FUDU]

The Buckeyes are such a different team from that day.

These kids have learned how to play with and without Oden.

Yesterdays' game against GTown really proved just how good the Buckeyes are seeing as they had control of the game with Oden down for 17 minutes early.

I love this lack of respect and attention though.

Even though I'd much rather own a National Championship trophy from football an NCAA March madness crown would go a long way in easing the pain from January.

Win or lose I just cannot see anything but a good game.

[Guest]

Everybody is picking the Gators.
It's the exact opposite of the football game.
Buckeyes get it done.

[consigliere]

I'll be rooting like hell for the Bucks to win this one.

But, right now I can't disagree with Florida being the heavy favorite. They destroyed us the last time they faced us, and they are the reigning champs and are just freaking loaded. I think there is a chance the Bucks could upset them, as amazingly things are really setup for the Bucks to come out and do what the under-rated Florida football team did to OSU.

But man is that going to be a tough task. Meyer had 6 weeks to gameplan for Tressel and co whie OSU sat around and got fat on their laurels. Matta only has 48 hours to come up with something, and Florida's hunger has not subsided like the Bucks football team's did.

I will be pleasantly surprised if we can pull this out.....maybe we are Duke vs. UNLV 1990 and get pasted......or we are Duke vs. UNLV 1991 and shock the world.

[mswerb]

This is why they play the game. Anyone can win at any given time. F**k the Gators.
BUCKEYES!!!

[consigliere]

This is why they play the game. Anyone can win at any given time. F**k the Gators.
BUCKEYES!!!

You got it! Go Bucks!

[yargs7]

I'm not worried about Noah. It's Al Freaking Horford that is going to be the problem. Do we have an answer for that beast?

[jdrake10]

Brewer is so under-rated. He plays defense, makes big shots, scraps for loose balls and rebounds. He worries me just as much as Horford. They both will be tough match-ups for the Buckeyes.

I see OSU in a zone early to try to protect Oden from foul trouble.

[consigliere]

The Florida front-line of Hortford, Noah and Brewer scare the living shit out of me. I like Conley vs. Green, but Humphrey is deadly as the off-guard and better than Butler.

What scares me about this game is second half chances, since Florida's frontline is so much bigger. If we can control that, Oden can stay out of foul trouble, Conley continues his impressive play, and we shoot well from the floor, I like our chances. Just limit the second chance points for the Gators, and be efficient on offense....

[leadpipe]

Humphrey is a better SHOOTER than Butler, not player. In my opinion the Bucks are going to have to shoot well from 3, keep playing the best guard defense in the country and they will be there at the end. The front line is a problem, and nobody has mentioned their big banger who does a real nice job under the basket.

The huge issue is whether Oden can stay in the game. They are going to get MAULED in the paint when he's out. Florida should win, but the Bucks can win.

[consigliere]

The huge issue is whether Oden can stay in the game. They are going to get MAULED in the paint when he's out. Florida should win, but the Bucks can win.

100% agreed. On both counts.

[furls]

Brewer is so under-rated. He plays defense, makes big shots, scraps for loose balls and rebounds. He worries me just as much as Horford. They both will be tough match-ups for the Buckeyes

Brewer is a turnover machine that makes a lot of Drew Gooden style mistakes.

Humphrey is a good shooter, not much of a passer.


Ohio State is playing the BEST TEAM basketball in the tourney right now, and if it continues they will win tonight. I LOVE the fact that the BUckeyes are coming in as a big underdog. I think it will affect them greatly.

[FUDU]

Humphrey is a good shooter, not much of a passer.

That is really all Humphrey brings to the table, and that is if he is left to have wide open looks.

He worries me very little b/c I have confidence Thad will make it a priority to not leave him.

I like our chances.

We can play any style of ball.

Getting off to a good start early to gain some confidence is essential, once they get that it could get interesting.

[swerb]

Non Conley/Oden star tonight?

I got Jamar.

Been lost in Conley's shadow all season, he shines tonight. Oden plays 31 minutes tonight and gets 18 and 14.

[furls]

Ron Lewis puts 20+ he will want it tonight and will go to the rim hard. I like Lewis on 8-15 from the floor for 24 points. Leiws is unstoppable when he gets HYPER AGGRESSIVE (remember the UNC game?). Othello Hunter and David Lighty come up huge on the defensive side.

I look for the Buckeyes to force it to Oden hard in the beginning, probably resulting in a couple of turnovers on passes that they probably should not have thrown, but the Bucks will recover.

[consigliere]

Oden in foul trouble again all night as the Florida bigs work on getting him into it. I hope to hell he can stay out of foul trouble.

Mind says Florida by 10 tonight....heart says we are a team of destiny and we scratch out a win.

Go Bucks!

[swerb]

I got this one coming down to FTs, turnovers, and a couple possessions late.

Instant classic. 75-74 Buckeyes in a thriller. Butler with the dagger.

[furls]

FLorida is 5-7 ffrom 3, they can t make them like this all night.

[FUDU]

Agreed, plus Oden is having his way quite easily.

A little help from the guards and we will be fine.

[swerb]

Just like the first game, Brewer and Green can't miss. Those talented bigs down low make it tough to get too grippy on em either.

Oden has been a mans man. Keeping the Buckeyes in this game singlehandedly. Had he been forced to leave this game with foul issues, wed be looking at a rout like the 2H of the 1st game.

Butler looks lost and lethargic. Shot is off, not making crisp decisions with the ball. Im expecting Thad to go quick trigger on him in the 2H and go to Lighty, who is can put the ball on the floor and get eaasy buckets or get fouled.

Lewis has been neutered by Brewer.

Bucks need to get to the FT line a little more, a la the position they were in vs Tenn at the half.

[consigliere]

Bucks just a step slow getting to loose balls. Some silly turnovers too.

3 pt shooting the difference in this game.

Bucks not out of this yet Oden playing up to the hype, and a monster.

[FUDU]

What a freak at swattin shots.

[swerb]

This little POS Humphrey ... dammit!

[FUDU]

We need some 3's, why is it this team will shoot themselves out of a game but not shoot themselves back into one?

[sandlot33]

looks like oden is the only one that is showing up

[FUDU]

We need a STOP and a big three to really cheat this lead.

[swerb]

We just can't hit a clutch jumper to save our lives. 2-17 from three. Man ... just a couple of these open looks from three go down, and we're right there.

Florida, on the other hand, has produced a big three every time the Bucks get this thing to 7 or 8.

Need some magic here.

Let the Buckeye jumpers fall basketball gods.

[FUDU]

What is the count at, 8 blocks for Oden and Florida has kept the ball 7 times?

[swerb]

Ballgame. Nice season Buckeyes.

Just a lid on the rim tonight. If just a 2-3 of those 10 straight missed threes go down, this is the tick for tack game we shouda had.

Oden, what a game. Give us one more year big fella.

GD Gators ... both sports. Amazing.

[consigliere]

Yeah, good season. They ran into a buzzsaw tonight. Florida just plays so well together, and they are loaded. One of the greatest teams ever.

Yeah, first back to back since the Dukies in the early 90s.

And they're likely to have 3 of the top 7-8 picks of the draft in Noah, Horford, Brewer. Four 1st rounders if Green leaves too.

[sandlot33]

FFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK

[FUDU]

Great season again for the Buckeyes.

I just don't understand why they passed up on so many open looks from 3 in the second half.

[leadpipe]

Ballgame. Nice season Buckeyes.

Just a lid on the rim tonight. If just a 2-3 of those 10 straight missed threes go down, this is the tick for tack game we shouda had.

Oden, what a game. Give us one more year big fella.GD Gators ... both sports. Amazing.

The other loser of the night was Kevin Durant, because any slim hope of him being drafted number one just flew out the window.

[swerb]

Ballgame. Nice season Buckeyes.

Just a lid on the rim tonight. If just a 2-3 of those 10 straight missed threes go down, this is the tick for tack game we shouda had.

Oden, what a game. Give us one more year big fella.GD Gators ... both sports. Amazing.

The other loser of the night was Kevin Durant, because any slim hope of him being drafted number one just flew out the window.

Yeah, so much for Oden not being impressive or NBA ready.

No one will be stupid enough to pass on thie kid.

[Mr. MacPhisto]

Ballgame. Nice season Buckeyes.

Just a lid on the rim tonight. If just a 2-3 of those 10 straight missed threes go down, this is the tick for tack game we shouda had.

Oden, what a game. Give us one more year big fella.

GD Gators ... both sports. Amazing.

I think the game would have been called differently if the Bucks had been draining threes; Oden's aggressiveness would have likely been whistled. I didn't think the game was called very evenly in the paint, but I think much of that has to do with Florida's stellar three point shooting and Ohio State's lackluster shooting. I do agree that if the Buckeyes had hit the threes that it would have been much closer, but the dynamic in the paint would have been much different. Oden kept Ohio State in the game and they let him play - and the guy definitely is NBA ready. Honestly, I think he's a better NBA prospect than he is a college stud, his game is more in tune with NBA basketball and I expect him to be the #1 selection if he comes out.

I spent my freshman year in college at UF in Gainesville. That was the first year Donovan was coaching for the Gators and I enjoyed watching games at the O-Dome. It was also the year that UF won their first football title, though I was less enthusiastic about that one. I've never been a Steve Spurrier fan. I and many others had a good feeling about Donovan at that time and he soon had the program going in the right direction.

An amazing year for the Gators - two NCAA basketball crowns and one football BCS title in 12 months. That's never happened before, though the BCS isn't exactly and old system.

Ohio State has nothing to be ashamed of in either sport. Both teams earned the right to fight for the title and both teams are better than just about anyone else out there. I think the football title had much to do with coaching, Meyer did a spectacular job in gameplanning and the Gators executed everything so well. The basketball title had a little to do with luck, coaching, and depth.