Some Ohio State fans...

[Doc]

Don't deserve the teams they have the good fortune of rooting for right now because nothing is good enough for them. Under Jim Tressel, the football team has won five of the last 6 against Michigan, is 4-2 in bowl games, has finished in the top 5 of the country 4 of the last 5 years, had a Heisman Trophy winnier this year but to some, the program is going to hell in a hand basket due to the NC game blowout and a #15 ranking in recruiting.

In basketball the team is ranked #1 in the country. They are 25-3 and 13-1 in Big Ten play. They start 2 freshmen (including a fresman point guard) and 3 other first year players are the first three reserves off the bench. They currently have a 13 game winning streak and with a win over Wisconsin on Sunday, they'll sew up the Big Ten regular season championship and the #1 seed in the tournament. That will most likely translate into a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament. You would think fans would be ecstatic given the pathetic state of OSU basketball just 3 years ago. But nothing's good enough. Certainly not an 8 point home win over Penn State which led to the following outburst by Buckeye head coach, Thad Matta when asked if it was an issue that Greg Oden only took nine shots in the game...

"It's a pretty good issue," Matta said, before spitting out an expletive. "We're 25-3. We're doing a couple of things well here. Yeah, I'd like to get it in to him every time down the floor. But we're 13-1 in the Big Ten and 25-3and I'm sitting up here like I don't know what the hell I'm doing tonight."

Good for you coach. Unfortunately, to some of the moron fans out there, 25-3 isn't good enough.

[EvilVodka]

Don't deserve the teams they have the good fortune of rooting for right now because nothing is good enough for them. Under Jim Tressel, the football team has won five of the last 6 against Michigan, is 4-2 in bowl games, has finished in the top 5 of the country 4 of the last 5 years, had a Heisman Trophy winnier this year but to some, the program is going to hell in a hand basket due to the NC game blowout and a #15 ranking in recruiting.


who?
I haven't seen anyone saying the buckeye ship is sinking...

[Doc]

I doubt you spend much time checking out the Ohio State football forum at the-ozone.net. It's calmed down a bit since signing day but you would have thought the Buckeyes were destined for a last place finish the next 4 years leading into LOI day. Thank goodness Ironhead Heywards' son signed or some of the 'fans' may have stepped off the ledge!

[buckeyejim]

Most Ohio State fans on the O-Zone (I'm there quite often) and other Ohio State message forums are very pleased with Jim Tressel and Thad Matta and the status of both the football program and the basketball program.

[Doc]

you check out the board following a gamre and you have a hard time believing Ohio State is doing as well as they are. And the mood on the board around LOI day was quite somber...there are a lot of fans from other schools who would love to be in our shoes. I just think you ought to sit back and enjoy the ride because its not going to last forever. If you have a problem (and I'm not saying you specifically) when your #1 ranked team only wins by 8 points, then it might not be possible to make you happy.

[jeff4bucks]

I pretty much agree with Doc on this.
Back in 2004, after OSU opened the Big 10 0-3, "fans" were calling for Tressel's head. This, two yrs removed from a MNC and an 11-2 season in 2003 capped off by a nice BCS win. OSU ain't the only place where this happens. I bet when UF losses two or 3 games next yr, fans are going to be griping...
Matta is doing great things at OSU. Recruiting very well (2008 looks very good) and his team is where they should be. When i was at OSU, no one even bothered to go to basketball games, now they sell out.

I've come to the conclusion that coaching is a thankless job. You're only as good as your last game.

[Rupturedduck]

shame on you for trying to inject the truth on this board,agree totally,but to be perfectly honest because of the youth i don't think they will reach the 'elite 8'does not detract from the fact that this team is 'special'all 'bucknuts' should be proud of them for what they have done.
Sunday should be an awesome matchup.Hope you post more on here along with coach 3,good luck Sunday. "GO BUCKS"

[jeff4bucks]

Final Four may be a push, but this should be an elite 8 team. Sundays game will tell more...

[MUGRBG]

I do not want to get into an argument over football right now, i feel it is still to early and starter's really have not been solidified for either football team on either side of the ball.

BUT in terms of the Ohio ST. basketball program. why is it do you think that they had a hard time beating Penn State.... TWICE!!

I do not pretend to know as much about basketball, but to be the #1 team and barely win on two different occasions to a team that I believe has only won 1 OR 2 games against big ten competition is quite puzzling to me. I will watch college hoops and the nba, and will watch the majority of march madness, for the life of me i just cannot figure it out. Ed Dechelis has failed to put together anything resembling a basketball team - even though the players are without question of high caliber. geary claxton/milos bogetic/jamelle cornley are without question quality players. and mike walker and ben luber can shoot lights out from beyond the arc.

[jeff4bucks]

Mugrbg-

you sort of answered your own question...PSU has some talent, just lousy coaching. Thats why they gave OSU a run both times. Florida lost to South Carolina twice last year! OSU is a fairly weak #1 team. They're #1 by default. There is no '92/'93 Duke or UNLV circa 1990 in the field- no team has really stepped up. Every other team thats hovered in the top 10 other than OSU has lost to unranked teams.
The point being that every team has off nights. Fortunately, OSU came out with wins both times.

[Lincoln Tower]

Not that I am a big tOSU basketball fan, but Matta and Tressel are a combined 10-1 against Michigan. Nice!!!

[Nittany Lions 1996]

The fact that OSU struggled twice against PSU in basketball this season should have more more then enough to get their coach fired...

You're talking about a Penn State team that lost to mighty SE Louisiana this year.

[Doc]

They can play with one of the best teams in the country if they apply themselves but they can't beat SW La? That coach isn't doing his job. As for OSU, PSU was lucky to catch the Buckeyes a game before their showdown against Wisconsin...probably were looking a head a bit in that one. At PSU, OSU had a 20+ lead and quit playing...hope they learned from both those experiences.

[Nittany Lions 1996]

Doc, honestly I think Ed is in a tough position. The AD simply is not committed to building a great men's b-ball program. I think that is a shame because one of the reasons we were told why PSU joined the B10 was to build-up the b-ball program. They have had some nice moments like beating UNC and advancing to the Sweet 16 a few years back, but those moments have been few and far between. They were even ranked as high as #9 in 1995. I wished they would commit to getting a good b-ball team. This way after football season I can look forward to something other then the annual Blue-White scrimmage game.

I forgot to mention they also lost to athletic powerhouse Stony Brook this year. Yep, this is what the biggest university in the State of Pennsylvania produces on the b-ball court.

[jeff4bucks]

Nittany- Newsflash-PSU didn't win a national championship in 1994. They SHOULD have had a share of the title though. They were great that year.

[Nittany Lions 1996]

I hear you, Jeff. However, they did win it in 1994 in six or seven of those off brand polls. So I did the Alabama thing and counted it as a NC.

Speaking of NCs, I still can't believe John Cooper left that school without one. However, I think you were hosed in 1996 (OSU & Florida should have split it) and if you were selected over FSU in 1998, it would have been a great game between OSU and Tennessee. Then again, FSU would have had a legitamate gripe if OSU was selected over them.

The joys of college football.

[jeff4bucks]

the 1994 PSU/OSU game was horrible to watch (probably not for you though). They were a powerhouse. Collins, Carter, Jurivicius, Bobby Engram, Kyle Brady, Hartings...

Don't tell Gatorgrad that UF and OSU should have split in '96. Both teams were great that year. In '98, OSU lost too late in the season. Had they lost early like FSU did, they probably would've played Tennessee.