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Women's Icers Stun No. 1

Jeff Rapp — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 03:38:57 GMT

The Ohio State women’s hockey team has been fighting to keep its head above water all season, but on Saturday afternoon the Buckeyes submerged the No. 1 team in the country.

Playing at that Kohl Center in Madison, Wisc., in the regular-season finale, Ohio State posted a stunning 4-2 win over top-ranked and homestanding Wisconsin. Junior Hokey Langan was instrumental in the victory, scoring a pairs of goals.

The female icers made their intentions known almost immediately as they scored three times in the first period. They held on for the program’s first-ever regular-season win over a No. 1 team.

OSU avoided dropping to a .500 record and improved to 16-14-4 overall. The Buckeyes own a mark of 13-14-1-1 in WCHA play. Wisconsin, who had already clinched the WCHA regular-season title, dropped to 29-3-2 and 23-3-2.

The win solidified a fifth-place finish in the WCHA standings with 41 points. The Buckeyes will travel to Minnesota-Duluth for a best-of-three series to begin the WCHA playoffs, Feb. 24-26. The first game is set for 4:07 p.m. Eastern from AMSOIL Arena.

Ohio State opened the scoring at the 8:03 mark of the first. Freshman Kari Schmitt capitalized on a Wisconsin turnover and sent a shot past Nikki Kaasa for the score. The unassisted goal was the second of the season for the defenseman.

The Buckeyes built on their lead with another even-strength goal in the first, scoring at 10:39. Senior Laura McIntosh took a shot from the faceoff circle and it slipped past Alex Rigsby for the two-goal lead.

A minute later, a Wisconsin interference call gave Ohio State its first power play of the game and the Buckeyes capitalized with a goal at 11:44. Langan notched her seventh goal of the year with assists to McIntosh and Natalie Spooner.

UW tallied in the second period and again in the third to cut the Ohio State lead to 3-2. But after Wisconsin pulled its goalie, Langan sealed the 4-2 victory at 19:31 with an empty-net goal for her second score of the game.

Sophomore goalie Lisa Steffes tallied 28 stops in the win to improve to 12-10-1 on the season.

Baseball Squad Drops Opener

Jeff Rapp — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 20:03:56 GMT

The Ohio State baseball team headed to Florida in hopes of a positive start to the 2012 campaign after posting a break-even record last year.

However, the first test of the season did not get off to the desired result.

The Buckeyes fell in their opener, 5-3, after a hardfought battle with the University of South Florida in St. Petersburg. The game was part of the Big Ten-Big East Challenge. The Buckeyes next face Seton Hall at 7 p.m. Saturday at Bright House Field in Clearwater.

Three OSU hitters – Ryan Cypret, Josh Dezse, and Mike Carroll – combined to go 7 of 13 at the plate with two runs scored, but the Buckeyes proceeded to strand 12 runners on base.

USF took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third as a runner from first scored on a three-base error by Brad Hallberg. However, Ohio State starter Brett McKinney was able to record a strikeout to end the threat.

The Bulls then used three walks and a pair of singles to plate three in the top of the fourth, but Ohio State answered back in a big way in the bottom of the fourth.

Cypret doubled to deep left to lead off the inning, advanced to third on a Dezse single and scored on a line drive single to right by Carroll. David Corna then singled to left to load the bases before Hallberg drove in Dezse with a fielder’s choice. Brad Hutton then reached on a fielding error by Taylor at shortstop as Corna came around to score and cut the USF lead to 4-3.

Kirby Pellant was hit by pitch to load the bases but Nick Gonzalez came on to strike out Tim Wetzel to end the inning.

The Buckeyes threatened again with runners on second and third and one out in the fifth but back-to-back strikeouts by Gonzalez put an end to the Ohio State rally.

USF then added a run in the top of the seventh to make it 5-3. That led to several missed opportunities by the Buckeyes.

They put runners on second and third and one out again in the eighth but a groundout to third by Hutton and a strikeout by Pellant left the Buckeyes still down by two heading to the ninth.

After Andrew Armstrong and David Fathalikhani combined to pitch a scoreless top of the ninth, Wetzel walked to lead off the bottom of the frame and Carroll’s two-out double put Buckeyes on second and third. However, Corna struck out looking to end the game against USF closer Ray Delphey.

Cypret and Carroll each finished 2 for 4 for the Buckeyes while Dezse went 3 for 5.

Gonzalez earned the win for USF, tossing 3.2 scoreless innings while striking out four.

Leslie Puts Name In Books Again

Jeff Rapp — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 03:51:00 GMT

Ohio State track standout Cory Leslie set a new school record in the 800 meters at the Flotrack Husky Classic in Seattle, Wash., highlighting the Buckeye effort at the Dempsey Indoor Building.

Leslie used a time of 1:48.11 – the eighth-best in Division I this season – to finish first in his heat and third overall behind Lopez Lomong and Aaron Evans of Georgia. Leslie now owns school records in four events: the indoor 800m, indoor mile (3:56.85), indoor 1000m (2:22.48) and as a member of the outdoor 4x800m relay (7:17.68).

In the mile run, Chris Fallon placed first in his heat and fifth overall in a PR of 4:04.85. Virginia’s Anthony Kostelac was the winner in 4:02.99.

Meanwhile, at the Akron Invitational inside the University of Akron’s Stile Field House, Heath Nickles and Cody Marshall competed in the pole vault, finishing sixth and eighth respectively. Both athletes posted a height of 5.18m (17 ft.), a new PR for Marshall. Nickles claimed sixth by clearing the bar on his first attempt.

In the high jump, Cory Kunze finished sixth with a 6.95m mark (22-9.75). Unattached competitor Cadeau Kelly won the event at 7.61m (24-11.75).

OSU Icers Finally Break Through

Jeff Rapp — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 05:31:00 GMT

The last time the Ohio State hockey team went through this level of futility, the Buckeyes broke an 11-game winless streak at Western Michigan.

On Saturday night at Lawson Ice Arena in Kalamazoo, Mich., history repeated itself as struggling OSU finally broke through and earned a victory, dumping No. 18 Western by a score of 4-3.

No. 15 OSU had to rally for the win as Alex Carlson scored twice in the final 5:24 of the third period to flip the score in the Buckeyes’ favor. They improved to 15-11-5 overall and 11-10-5-1 in the CCHA. WMU fell to 15-12-5, 12-9-3-3 in the CCHA.

The Buckeyes led 2-0 midway through the first period on power-play goals by freshmen Max McCormick and Ryan Dzingel 1:09 apart. The Broncos then scored the next three goals, beginning with a tally from Chase Balisy at 17:58 of the first. Neither team scored in the second period and Ohio State carried its 2-1 lead into the third period.

In the third, Western Michigan scored twice in less than a minute for a 3-2 lead at 8:31 of the stanza. At 14:36 Carlson scored on the power play and he notched the game winner at 16:31, assisted by Alex Lippincott. McCormick and Dzingel both had a goal and an assist, while freshman defenseman Ben Gallacher had two assists.

Ohio State outshot the Broncos, 30-24, in the game. Cal Heeter played 59:51 and had 21 saves in the Buckeye net.

Ohio State was 3 for 5 on the power play and held the Broncos to one goal on four chances.

The Buckeyes have a bye next weekend (Feb. 18-19) before wrapping up the regular season with a home-and-home series against Miami Feb. 24-25. The teams will meet in Oxford, Ohio, in game one, with the matchup televised by CBS Sports. Game two will be in Value City Arena in Columbus; Ohio State’s seniors will be recognized in a pregame ceremony.

Buffalo Will Face OSU in 2013

Jeff Rapp — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:11:00 GMT

The Ohio State University recently announced a couple of future football dates, including one for next season.

Ohio State will host Buffalo of the Mid-American Conference Sept. 21, 2013; and the series of games between OSU and Big East Conference member Cincinnati now includes a game set for Sept. 8, 2018 at Ohio Stadium.

The one-game commitment with Buffalo, which will pay the university $1 million, completes the 2013 Ohio State non-conference schedule. The Buckeyes will host Vanderbilt (Aug. 31) to open the 2013 season with a home game against Florida A&M to follow (Sept. 7).

After that start, Ohio State will head west to face the University of California on Sept. 14 – a return game for the meeting with the Golden Bears in Ohio Stadium this season. It will be the Buckeyes’ first visit to Berkeley since 1972, and the game will be played in a renovated and modernized Memorial Stadium.

The first-ever game with Buffalo is set for the following week.

Buffalo was 3-9 this past season and 2-6 in MAC play. Jeff Quinn is in his third year as Buffalo head coach. An assistant coach on Brian Kelly’s coaching staff for 19 years (Grand Valley State, Central Michigan and Cincinnati), Quinn was hired Dec. 22, 2009, after a three-year run with the Cincinnati Bearcats, during which time the team posted a 33-7 record. Quinn was offensive coordinator and offensive line coach for the Bearcats.

The 2018 game date with Cincinnati was recently agreed upon after an original 2012 date was postponed last fall by mutual agreement. The teams are also set to meet Sept. 27, 2014 in Ohio Stadium.

Ohio State holds a 13-2 edge in the gridiron series with Cincinnati. The teams have played four times in the last 13 seasons (since 1999) after not playing for 68 seasons.

Future Schedules

2012
Sept. 1 – Miami (Ohio)
Sept. 8 – Central Florida
Sept. 15 – California
Sept. 22 – Alabama-Birmingham
Sept. 29 –at Michigan State
Oct. 6 – Nebraska
Oct. 13 – at Indiana
Oct. 20 – Purdue
Oct. 27 – at Penn State
Nov. 3 – Illinois
Nov. 10 – Open
Nov. 17 – at Wisconsin
Nov. 24 – Michigan

2013
Aug. 31 – Vanderbilt
Sept. 7 – Florida A&M
Sept. 14 – at California
Sept. 21 – Buffalo
Sept. 28 – Wisconsin
Oct. 5 – at Northwestern
Oct. 12 – Open
Oct. 19 – Iowa
Oct. 26 – Penn State
Nov. 2 – at Purdue
Nov. 9 – Open
Nov. 16 – at Illinois
Nov. 23 – Indiana
Nov. 30 – at Michigan

2014
Aug. 30 – at Navy
Sept. 6 – Open
Sept. 13 – Kent State
Sept. 20 – Virginia Tech
Sept. 27 – Cincinnati
Oct. 4 – Purdue
Oct. 11 – Open
Oct. 18 – at Iowa
Oct. 25 – Northwestern
Nov. 1 – at Wisconsin
Nov. 8 – Illinois
Nov. 15 – at Penn State
Nov. 22 – at Indiana
Nov. 29 – Michigan

2015
Sept. 5 – North Carolina
Sept. 12 – Northern Illinois
Sept. 19 – at Virginia Tech

2016
Sept. 3 – Bowling Green
Sept. 17 – at Oklahoma

2017
Sept. 16 – Oklahoma
Sept. 23 – at North Carolina

2018
Sept. 8 – Cincinnati

Hill-Prahalis Duo Earns Praise

Jeff Rapp — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 23:17:35 GMT

To say that Ohio State guards Samantha Prahalis and Tayler Hill provide coach Jim Foster with a formidable 1-2 punch would be an understatement.

That backcourt duo has been nothing short of dynamic this season and is a constant source of production for an uptempo Buckeyes squad currently ranked 10th in the country.

An off-guard from Minneapolis, Hill leads OSU with 21.5 points per game and is one of the most lethal outside shooters in the Big Ten with 61 made three-points and a shooting percentage of 43.0 from deep. She also leads the team with 58 steals and has added 51 assists while averaging 36.3 minutes per game.

Prahalis, meanwhile, continues to set new standards. A feisty playmaking point guard from Commack, N.Y., Prahalis is averaging 19.6 ppg and 37.0 mpg, leads the team in assists (155) and free-throw percentage (84.5), and is right behind Hill with 54 steals per game.

In OSU’s last outing, she poured in a career-high 34 points in Monday’s decisive win over Wisconsin and was named Big Ten Player of the Week for the third time this season and seventh time in her brilliant career. She was 12 of 18 from the field against the Badgers, 4 of 5 from long range, and added two rebounds, five assists and four steals.

The output moved Prahalis into fifth place on Ohio State’s all-time scoring list for women’s basketball with 1,848 points and she is on pace to set the Big Ten’s all-time assists record.

Heading into Thursday night’s key contest at Illinois, the Buckeyes stood at 21-2 overall and 8-2 in the Big Ten in their quest for yet another Big Ten title. Either Hill or Prahalis or both have led Ohio State in scoring in all 23 games so far this season.

Their uncanny consistency and Ohio State’s claim as one of the nation’s elite teams has led to even more notice for the pair as the U.S. Basketball Writers Association recently included both players among the top 20 that comprise its first Midseason Watch List for the Women’s National Player of the Year. Members of the association’s board of directors chose the players to be included on the list as contenders for the trophy, which will be presented to the POY in Denver at the USBWA’s Women’s College Basketball Awards Breakfast on April 3.

Stanford, Baylor, Connecticut, Miami (Fla.) join Ohio State with two players on the list while Notre Dame has three candidates.

The Irish trio are Skylar Diggins, Natalie Novosel and Devereaux Peters. Nneka Ogwumike and her younger sister, Chiney Ogwumike, are the Stanford representatives.

Five National Players of the Week from this season are featured as well: Brittney Griner from Baylor, Elena Delle Donne from Delaware, Nneka Ogwumike from Stanford, Sugar Rodgers from Georgetown, and A’dia Mathies from Kentucky. Last season’s women’s winner as the National Freshman of the Year, Odyssey Sims of Baylor is also among the players to watch down the stretch. The lone frosh on the current watch list is UConn forward Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis.

Following is the complete watch list:

2012 WOMEN’S PLAYER OF THE YEAR MIDSEASON WATCH LIST
G/F Elena Delle Donne, Delaware (6-5, Jr., Wilmington, Del.)
G Skylar Diggins, Notre Dame (5-9, Sr., South Bend, Ind.)
G Chelsea Gray, Duke (5-11, So., Stockton, Calif.)
C Brittney Griner, Baylor (6-8, Jr., Houston)
G Bria Hartley, Connecticut (5-7, So., North Babylon, N.Y.)
G Tayler Hill, Ohio State (5-10, Jr., Minneapolis)
G Shenise Johnson, Miami (5-11, Sr., Henrietta, N.Y.)
G A’dia Mathies, Kentucky (5-9, Jr., Oakland, Calif.)
F Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Connecticut (6-0, Fr., Anaheim Hills, Calif.)
G Natalie Novosel, Notre Dame (5-11, Sr., Lexington, Ky.)
F Chiney Ogwumike, Stanford (6-3, So., Cypress, Texas)
F Nneka Ogwumike, Stanford (6-2, Sr., Cypress, Texas)
F Devereaux Peters, Notre Dame (6-2, Sr., Chicago, Ill.)
G Samantha Prahalis, Ohio State (5-7, Sr., Commack, N.Y.)
F Niveen Rasheed, Princeton (6-0, Jr., Danville, Calif.)
G Sugar Rodgers, Georgetown (5-11, Jr., Suffolk, Va.)
G Khadijah Rushdan, Rutgers (5-9, Sr., Wilmington, Del.)
G Odyssey Sims, Baylor (5-9, So., Irving, Texas)
F Alyssa Thomas, Maryland (6-2, So., Harrisburg, Pa.)
G Riquna Williams, Miami (5-7, Sr., Pahokee, Fla.)

By conference: Big East (7); ACC (4); Big Ten (2); Big 12 (2); Pac-12 (2); CAA (1); Ivy (1); SEC (1).

By class: seniors (8), juniors (6), sophomores (5), freshmen (1).

Sullinger Enters National Spotlight

Jeff Rapp — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:57:00 GMT

Last year, Ohio State post man Jared Sullinger earned All-American status and other accolades, including the Wayman Tisdale Award that is bestowed upon the nation’s best freshman in men’s college basketball.

After a couple early setbacks this season with back and foot injuries, Sullinger is back to his dominant self, as evidenced by his 24-point, 10-rebound effort in a win at Wisconsin Saturday that earned him mention as the Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week.

Soon after the Big Ten announced that honor on Monday, the U.S. Basketball Writers Association unveiled its Midseason Watch List for the 2012 Oscar Robertson Trophy. The award, named after the former University of Cincinnati and NBA standout, is given to the national player of the year on March 30 in New Orleans and Sullinger appears to be in strong contention.

He was one of just 20 players on the Midseason list, which is compiled by members of the association’s board of directors. Other noteworthy candidates include the North Carolina trio of Harrison Barnes, John Henson and Tyler Zeller as well as Kentucky freshmen Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. The list also includes dynamic Kansas forward Thomas Robinson and Indiana freshman center Cody Zeller, Tyler’s younger brother.

Sullinger is the leading scorer (17.4 points per game) and rebounder (9.1 rpg) on a Buckeyes team that is 20-3 overall and atop the Big Ten standings at 8-2. Ohio State next hosts Purdue on Tuesday night (9 p.m. Eastern, ESPN).

Following is the complete watch list:

2012 OSCAR ROBERTSON TROPHY MIDSEASON WATCH LIST
F Harrison Barnes, North Carolina (6-8, 215, So., Ames, Iowa)
G Isaiah Canaan, Murray State (6-0, 193, Jr., Biloxi, Miss.)
F Anthony Davis, Kentucky (6-10, 220, Fr., Chicago)
G Marcus Denmon, Missouri (6-3, 185, Sr., Kansas City, Mo.)
F Draymond Green, Michigan State (6-7, 230, Sr., Saginaw, Mich.)
F John Henson, North Carolina (6-11, 220, Jr., Tampa, Fla.)
G John Jenkins, Vanderbilt (6-4, 220, Jr., Hendersonville, Tenn.)
F Kevin Jones, West Virginia (6-8, 260, Sr., Mount Vernon, N.Y.)
F Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Kentucky (6-7, 232, Fr., Somerdale, N.J.)
G/F Jeremy Lamb, Connecticut (6-5, 180, So., Norcross, Ga.)
F Perry Jones III, Baylor (6-11, 235, So., Duncanville, Texas)
G Damian Lillard, Weber State (6-3, 195, Jr., Oakland, Calif.)
F Doug McDermott, Creighton (6-7, 220, So., Ames, Iowa)
F Mike Moser, UNLV (6-8, 210, So., Portland, Ore.)
F Arnett Moultrie, Mississippi State (6-11, 249, Jr., Memphis, Tenn.)
F Thomas Robinson, Kansas (6-10, 230, Jr., Washington, D.C.)
F Mike Scott, Virginia (6-8, 237, Sr., Chesapeake, Va.)
F Jared Sullinger, Ohio State (6-9, 280, So., Columbus)
F Cody Zeller, Indiana (6-11, 230, Fr., Washington, Ind.)
C Tyler Zeller, North Carolina (7-0, 250, Sr., Washington, Ind.)

By conference: ACC (4), SEC (4), Big Ten (3), Big 12 (3), Big East (2), Big Sky (1), Missouri Valley (1), Mountain West (1), Ohio Valley (1).
By class: seniors (5), juniors (6), sophomores (6), freshmen (3).

Oden Still Shelved By Injuries

Jeff Rapp — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 18:36:51 GMT

Former Ohio State center Greg Oden underwent an arthroscopic procedure Friday in Vail, Colo., to remove debris from his right knee, the Portland Trail Blazers announced. It is his fourth knee surgery since the NBA selected the 7-foot Oden with the first overall pick in the 2007 draft.

Blazers interim general manager Chad Buchanan said it’s too early to tell if the procedure will end Oden’s season.

“That would be speculation at this point,” Buchanan told The Oregonian newspaper. “We are going to continue to stand by and support Greg and listen to what the doctors have to say after the surgery.”

The team has not commented since then but did announce that Oden will undergo the same procedure on Feb. 13. One report said he also is dealing with blood clots in his ankle.

The Feb. 13 procedure will be Oden’s fifth surgery since entering the league. He arrived to Ohio State as damaged goods and needed surgery to repair a wrist injury.

Oden’s right knee has not given him problems since 2007, when he had microfracture performed before the season started.

His left knee was the knee in question during his December visit to Colorado, when the team deemed he had suffered a setback because of an issue with a non-weight bearing ligament in his knee.

Buchanan said Oden recently started “increased activities” on the basketball court, during which Oden had good days and bad days with his knees. After a recent magnetic resonance imaging, doctors at the Steadman Clinic in Vail detected debris in his right knee and decided they wanted to operate to clear the debris and to take a closer look.

Oden, who turned 24 last month, has not played in an NBA game since December of 2009, when he fractured his left patella. After rehabilitating from that injury, Oden never made it back, having to undergo microfracture surgery on his left knee in November of 2010.

The team had hoped he would return this season, and extended an $8.9 million qualifying offer, which Oden accepted. However, after the December doctor’s visit in Colorado, during which the team deemed he had suffered a setback, the Blazers and Oden’s representatives negotiated a reduced salary, believed to be around $1.5 million for this season.

Since entering the league in the fall of 2007, Oden has played in 82 games, the equivalent of one NBA season. He has career averages of 9.4 points and 7.3 rebounds.

OSU Warns Of Counterfeit Tix

Jeff Rapp — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:58:00 GMT

When do you know when your basketball program has truly arrived and is now viewed as one of the elites in the country? Perhaps it is when ticket demand has become so strong that counterfeiters have joined the party.

Ohio State acknowledged recently that several tickets being sold by individuals for men’s basketball games at Value City Arena this season are fakes, and some of the unlawful transactions may be occurring right outside the doors of the Schottenstein Center.

In fact, concern for the problem swelled to the point that the athletic department issued the following warning on Thursday:

“The Ohio State Athletics Ticket Office reminds fans to only purchase tickets from authorized sources: The Ohio State Athletics Ticket Office, ohiostatebuckeyes.com or Ticketmaster.

“Fans looking to purchase tickets for sold-out games (Michigan State Feb. 11 and Wisconsin Feb. 25 or 26) are urged to search listings on the Buckeyes TicketExchange, the Official Ticket Exchange site of Ohio State Athletics, and the only resale site that guarantees the tickets will be valid. This site is available on the Tickets site (dropdown menu) at OhioStateBuckeyes.com.

“Tickets purchased from unauthorized sources could be counterfeit, stolen or otherwise void. These tickets will not allow the holder admission into the event.”

The release added that about 2,000 tickets are available for the Purdue home game Feb. 7 and about 1,200 tickets remain for the Illinois game Feb. 21.

The tickets in question are “very high-quality reproductions of season tickets,” according to Brett Scarbrough, the department’s senior director of ticketing, in an interview with The Columbus Dispatch. “They are of such a quality that it’s pretty hard for the untrained eye to make the distinction. That’s why we felt it was necessary to get the word out for people to be careful.”

Scarbrough said an average of 30 to 50 counterfeit tickets have been discovered for high-demand home games against Duke, Indiana and Michigan. Ohio State police are investigating, but Scarbrough told The Dispatch said he knows of no arrests as yet.

Scarbrough said that many ticket sales outside the arena tend to happen on Lane Avenue just east of the Schottenstein Center and near the bridge just past Olentangy River Road.

Athletic director Gene Smith said counterfeit tickets have been an issue in the past, especially for Ohio State home football games.

Sheridan Joins Defensive Staff

Jeff Rapp — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:21:00 GMT

Urban Meyer has pegged his man to complete his Ohio State football coaching staff, and it’s an ex-Michigan assistant and the father of a former UM quarterback.

Meyer went after and landed Bill Sheridan, a 31-year coaching veteran who has Midwest ties. Sheridan, whose son, Nick Sheridan, was a signal caller for the Maize and Blue a few years ago, served as the linebackers coach of the Miami Dolphins the past two years. In all, he has coached for seven seasons in the NFL.

“Bill Sheridan is a perfect fit for our program,” Meyer said. “His experiences in the NFL are huge. He has Midwest roots and, most importantly, he wants to be an Ohio State Buckeye. I am really impressed with him and I think he is going to be a terrific addition to our defensive staff as a coach, teacher and as a recruiter.”

Sheridan is a native of Detroit and attended Grand Valley State University. A four-year letterman as a linebacker and a 1982 GVSU graduate, he started his coaching career at Shrine High School in Royal Oak, Mich., and then spent 20 seasons, beginning in 1985, in college coaching at seven institutions, including Michigan, Michigan State and Notre Dame.

Sheridan was a member of the New York Giants’ defensive staff when the G-Men slowed down previously undefeated New England and won Super Bowl XLII to conclude the 2007 season. Despite growing up in Michigan and coaching in the NFL he painted Ohio State as the ultimate coaching destination.

“I can’t remember the last time I was more excited to take a job, and for obvious reasons,” he said. “Ohio State has a historic, winning tradition, and I am very excited to be a part of that. And with the tremendous success Urban Meyer has had at each of his schools, I am honored to be a part of his staff.”

Sheridan’s arrival gives the Ohio State coaching staff 32 years of NFL coaching/playing experience with Mike Vrabel (14 years playing), Everett Withers (seven years coaching), Stan Drayton (three years coaching) and Luke Fickell (one season as a player) also having experienced the NFL.

“The NFL provides an invaluable experience,” Sheridan said. “It is a competitive league from a talent level and strategically. But it is coaching just the same. You are still teaching football in the classroom and then you take it to the field and you teach it there.

“I have a refreshed perspective coming back from the NFL and getting into college coaching again. I am really interested to study the offenses people are running in the Big Ten. The running quarterbacks are distinctly different than what you see in the NFL. It is stimulating if you enjoy the schematic part of the game, and I do.”

Sheridan’s exact role and position group at Ohio State was not announced but he was brought on board to replace cornerbacks coach Taver Johnson. Safeties coach Paul Haynes left OSU after the season to become Bobby Petrino’s defensive coordinator at Arkansas and Johnson was lured away weeks later to join the Razorbacks’ defensive staff.

Sheridan was a linebackers coach his first nine years as a fulltime assistant: two years at Maine (1987-88), three years at Cincinnati (1989-91) and four years at Army (1992-95). He coached the Army defensive backs during the 1996-97 seasons.

It was at Cincinnati where Sheridan first worked with Ohio State’s assistant athletic director for football sports performance, Mickey Marotti, and he and co-offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Ed Warinner spent six years together at Army.

Sheridan also was a linebackers coach at Michigan State from 1998-2000 and helped then MSU defensive coordinator Mark Dantonio stun the top-ranked Buckeyes in Columbus in 1998. From there, Sheridan moved on become Notre Dame’s safeties and special teams coach in 2001 and spent the next three years at Michigan.

Sheridan and his wife, Jaycine, have three sons in the sport of football: Joe coaches high school football in Michigan; Nick just finished a graduate assistantship at Western Kentucky University and is now its quarterbacks coach; and Mark will be a junior safety for Albion (Mich.) College this season. The couple’s only daughter, Natalie, will be a high school senior this fall and plays volleyball.

Mallon Tabbed As Cup Captain

Jeff Rapp — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 20:41:48 GMT

A former Buckeye standout in the mid-1980s and a longtime LPGA professional, Meg Mallon has been selected as the U.S. captain of The Solheim Cup to be held Aug. 13-18, 2013 at the Colorado Golf Club in Parker, Colo.

A biennial, match-play tournament, The Solheim Cup posts the best U.S. born players from the LPGA against the top European players from the Ladies European Tour (LET). Currently, the United States holds an 8-3 advantage and has not lost on home soil.

An 18-time winner on the LPGA, Mallon earned more than $9 million in her 24-year career that was highlighted by victories at four major championships, including the U.S. Women’s Open and LPGA Championship.

Mallon has made eight Solheim Cup appearances for the U.S. and was an assistant captain in 2009. She also served as captain of the victorious PING U.S. Junior Solheim Cup Team in 2011.

Mallon was a four-time letterwinner at Ohio State from 1982-1985 and a two-time first-team All-Big Ten selection in 1984 and 1985. She won the 1983 Michigan Amateur Championship while at OSU and helped lead the Buckeyes to three Big Ten titles from1983-85.

Mallon was voted to the Ohio State University Athletics Hall of Fame in 1996.

“From world-class golfer, to world-class Solheim Cup player, to world-class Solheim Cup assistant captain and PING Junior Solheim Cup captain, Meg has always been a well-respected role model that all players can look up to,” LPGA Commissioner Michael Whan said in a release. “I know she loves The Solheim Cup and the players who compete for it. On behalf of everyone at the LPGA, we are both proud and honored to see her as the U.S. captain.”

OSU Women Suffer Second Loss

Jeff Rapp — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 20:19:13 GMT

In a key Big Ten women’s basketball game in Minneapolis Sunday, ninth-ranked Ohio State got 26 points from local native Tayler Hill and 25 from backcourt mate Samantha Prahalis.

That was the good news.

The bad news was those two needed to fire up 43 shots to acquire those 51 points and the remainder of the team managed to contribute just 14 more in a 76-65 loss to the Golden Gophers.

Playing loose and fast at home, upset-minded Minnesota (12-11, 4-5) managed to pull away in the final minutes and shut down OSU’s inside attack in handing the Buckeyes (20-2, 7-2) just their second defeat of the season. Their other loss was at Michigan a couple weeks ago.

A senior point guard, Prahalis came in on a hot streak and topped 1,800 points for her career. She looked like she was on her way to leading her team through once again when she drilled back-to-back three-pointers in a 24-second span of the second half to cut the Minnesota lead to 63-59 with 5:53 to play.

However, not much went right for OSU thereafter. The Gophers came up with defensive stops and timely hoops to the delight of the crowd of 5,626 at venerable Williams Arena.

“They outplayed us,” Ohio State head coach Jim Foster told reporters afterward. “They outworked us. I didn’t do a very good job of preparing us between the ears. We were undisciplined and unfocused at the beginning of the game.

“We took early, quick shots and then we didn’t get out of it. We weren’t playing the way we’re capable of playing and the way we do play.”

A very rough shooting start also was to blame. The Buckeyes entered the game with a conference-best field-goal percentage of 47.8 but were a miserable 8 of 35 from the field in the first half.

Still, they trailed just 34-28 at the break and 34-33 a couple minutes into the second half.

Hill and Prahalis each played all 40 minutes and recorded three steals, as did teammates Amber Stokes and Ashley Adams. However, OSU didn’t exploit Minnesota’s 20 turnovers well enough.

Guard Rachel Banham led UM with 20 points. She was 3 of 4 from deep and 7 of 7 on the free-throw line.

Hockey Squad Ties Lake Superior

Jeff Rapp — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 21:39:00 GMT

The Ohio State men’s hockey team would like to start 2012 over after a winless month and slide from the elite.

The Buckeyes still weren’t able to log a victory Saturday night at Lake Superior State but at least they salvaged a tie after a big night from freshman Max McCormick.

The youngster recorded a hat trick and teammate Tanner Fritz added three assists as No. 6 Ohio State skated to a 4-4 overtime tie at Lake Superior State in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.

The Lakers (14-11-5, 9-9-4-4) won the shootout, 2-1 in three rounds, to pick up the extra point in the CCHA standings. McCormick scored the lone goal for the Buckeyes (14-8-5, 10-7-5-1) in the shootout to complete his highly productive night.

McCormick scored twice to provide OSU with a 2-1 lead at the end of the first period. He opened the scoring at 8:38 before the Lakers tied the game at 16:33 of the opening stanza. With time winding down, McCormick was able to get the puck across the line, with the goal credited at 19:59.

The Lakers scored twice in the first 6:31 of the second period to tie the game and take the lead. The goals came 23 seconds apart and were both on the power play, as Domenic Monardo tallied at 6:08 and Kellan Lain followed at 6:31. Less than four minutes later McCormick completed his hat trick with a power-play goal at 10:18. Freshman defenseman Al McLean followed with a goal at 11:54 for a 4-3 Buckeye lead through two periods.

The only goal of the third came from the Lakers’ Zach Trotman at 9:45 and was scored on the power play. Overtime saw the Buckeyes with an extended 5-on-3 advantage, but the team was unable to convert.

For the game, Ohio State outshot Lake Superior State, 45-37. Golaie Cal Heeter played 64:59 and had 33 saves for the Buckeyes.

Still looking for their first win of 2012, the Buckeyes – who are 0-4-4 in their last eight games – return home to host Michigan State this weekend. The teams will meet at 7:05 p.m. Friday and Saturday in Value City Arena.

The game Saturday is the second-annual Teddy Bear Toss. Ohio State fans are encouraged to bring stuffed animals and then toss them on the ice after the Buckeyes score their first goal. The animals will be collected and donated to Ronald McDonald House in Columbus. At the inaugural event last year, more than 500 animals were collected and donated.

FB Departure List Swells To 5

Jeff Rapp — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:48:43 GMT

Ohio State fullback David Durham is the latest player to depart the program since Urban Meyer took over as head coach.

Durham is a redshirt freshman who arrived as a linebacker but switched over to fullback this season to provide some depth behind starter Zach Boren and the often-used Adam Homan.

Durham, who hails from Charlotte, N.C., has not indicated where he intends to transfer. His father played football at Ole Miss.

Durham saw that his chances of getting on the field may have lessened as Meyer and new offensive coordinator Tom Herman plan to implement a spread offense. The new coaches have said they won’t eliminate the fullback position but they do plan to run a lot of three- and possibly four-receiver sets.

“I have really taken to playing the fullback position over the last year,” Durham told The Columbus Dispatch. “Unfortunately, I will not have a significant opportunity to do this in Coach Meyer’s spread offense.

“I love the Ohio State University and all of my teammates and coaches, and I really appreciate all of their support through this process. It will be tough to leave such a special place. I am exploring different options right now for my future.”

OSU also recently lost the services of defensive back Jeremy Cash, who called his transfer to Duke a “business decision.” Cash, who arrived last year from Plantation, Fla., along with linebacker Ryan Shazier, left soon after defensive backs coaches Paul Haynes and Taver Johnson, originally retained by Meyer, left to take prominent roles on the defensive staff at Arkansas.

Cash will be eligible to play for the Blue Devils in 2013.

Also, fourth-string quarterback Taylor Graham, a dropback passer out of Illinois, also has left the program and reportedly has decided to transfer to the University of Hawaii. The son of former Buckeye signal caller and NFL QB Kent Graham, Taylor left during winter break while the team was preparing to face Florida in the Gator Bowl. Meyer was named coach at the end of November.

Ohio State never announced Graham’s departure but he is no longer listed on the roster.

Last week, Ohio State defensive backs Dominic Clarke and DerJuan Gambrell were dismissed from the team for a violation of team rules. A university spokesperson informed SportsRappUp.com of that news during the Jan. 15 Ohio State-Indiana men’s basketball game and within minutes of Meyer taking to center court and introducing his new coaching staff at halftime.

A product of Frederick, Md., Clarke started three games at conrerback last season as a sophomore. He was charged with operating a vehicle while impaired and speeding on Jan. 7 and had a previous brush with the law. Back in October, he faced a disorderly conduct charge after he fired a “compressed air gun” from the roof of a campus building.

Gambrell was a true freshman last season and did not play. He hails from Toledo Rogers and was expected to have a chance at playing time down the road at corner. However, on Jan. 8 – one day after Clarke’s most recent transgression – Gambrell was booked at Franklin County Jail on misdemeanor charges of assault, menacing, and unlawful restraint after campus police responded to an incident at an on-campus dormitory. He was released the following evening on his own recognizance. A pretrial is scheduled for Feb. 15.

Prahalis Snares POW Award

Jeff Rapp — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 21:10:00 GMT

Ohio State point guard Samantha Prahalis is 20 games into a standout senior season and this week more recognition flowed to her.

On Monday, Prahalis was named the Big Ten player of the week in recognition of her performance last week in wins over No. 20 Nebraska and Illinois.

Prahalis averaged 23.5 points, 7.5 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals as Ohio State (19-1, 6-1 in the Big Ten) extended its winning streak to four and climbed to No. 9 in both major polls.

She nearly finished with a double-double against Nebraska last Thursday, scoring 19 points with nine assists, adding a pair of steals and a block in 40 minutes of play. Then in the win over Illinois on Sunday, Prahalis poured in 28 points, including eight straight in the final minutes, to go along with six assists, five rebounds and two steals while playing all 40 minutes once again. She also was 3 of 5 from three-point range in the victory.

A 5-7 playmaking guard from Commack, N.Y., Prahalis earned the weekly honor from the Big Ten for the sixth time in her career. Her backcourt mate, Tayler Hill, won the award on Dec. 26.

Nebraska’s Emily Cady, a 6-2 forward, was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week. She scored a career-high 24 points and added seven rebounds in the game against Ohio State.

Nebraska (16-3, 5-2) is a game behind OSU in the Big Ten standings and two back of league-leading Purdue (17-3, 7-0).

Ohio State hits the road for two games this week: Thursday at Indiana (8 p.m. Eastern) and Sunday at Minnesota (1 p.m. Eastern). Both games will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network.