Welcome to what we like to call the Ruckus, but only because this segment of the site lead to lively discussion and debate, not because anyone is trying to shake up the world.

In this initial installment, editor Jeff Rapp sits down with Matt McCoy, the renowned sports director at 610 WTVN (AM) in Columbus. They got together after a recent Ohio State basketball interview session and discussed where the Buckeyes really are after being on the brink of ascending to the top of both major polls.

A former OSU swim team captain, McCoy has been covering Ohio State basketball for basically two decades and also serves as the PA announcer for home games at the Schottenstein Center. He was there when the Buckeyes made Final Four runs in 1999 and 2007 and he was there for the lean years as well.

We pick up their conversation as the Buckeyes were preparing to face Penn State on Jan. 15 in their first attempt to secure the No. 1 ranking and maintain an undefeated season.

Rapp: Matt, you thought it was interesting that Dave Lighty brought up in interviews today that it might finally be time for Ohio State to be in the national consciousness for basketball as well as football. You know me, Matt, I’ve been wanting this forever or as long as you have and we’ve always wondered when this was going to happen. And here we are now. Ohio State is on the verge of being No. 1 in the country, they just had the national Player of the Year last year, they’re in the NCAA Tournament every year except the one year they, oh by they way, won the NIT. They’ve been No. 1 before, they’ve had 1- and 2-seed teams. Is it finally time? Or is it never going to happen?

McCoy: I think it is, for one reason, finally time: Thad Matta. I think they got the right coach at the right time. I was looking up when they beat Michigan the other day, they are 40 games above .500 in Big Ten games, 73-33. The last four Ohio State coaches combined were even .500 in Big Ten games. And that’s including, by the way, the games the Big Ten doesn’t recognize. The only coach who is that much above .500 in history is Fred Taylor, and we know about Fred Taylor, and that’s probably the last time during the stretch in the ’60s where maybe Ohio State basketball was looked upon that way.

Rapp: Well, you just said the phrase to me. You can make a statistical case for this. If you look at Thad Matta’s record overall and at Ohio State, it’s astounding. And all the things I already said should be impressive enough, and yet I still – I guess I’m skeptical because I’ll believe it when I see it – think there are people out there who think, “Oh, they got lucky that that Oden-Conley group wanted to go there” or “Well, they didn’t know Turner was going to be that good.”

You know what I mean? There’s still this idea that as Doug (Lesmerises), our colleague, said today, it’s catching lightning in a bottle. I think the people who really follow it, and obviously the Clark Kelloggs of the world understand, this is now a top-10 program. But I don’t know. I think they have to win the whole damn thing for it to finally sink it, not only nationally but here. They haven’t even had a sellout yet.

McCoy: It’s funny, but I think they could do it nationally before they do it here. Because you’re right, nationally there are people who see it. Even, not that I like him very much, the Dick Vitales of the world and people like Seth Davis, I think they get it.

Rapp: But ESPN is just now marketing Ohio State but I don’t think there is a “Gameday” this year, is there? They probably looked at it like, “Well, they’re losing Turner they might not be very good.” Well, they’re good every year when they lose these guys. They need to start figuring it out.

McCoy: I like Thad Matta’s point, too. If you look at the Big Ten championships they’ve won, they’ve done it with completely different teams. Even before the Oden-Conley team, the Terence Dials team that won the Big Ten title and Georgetown eliminated them in Dayton, and then the next year the roster completely flipped over except Ron Lewis was still there and Jamar (Butler). Otherwise, pretty much a whole new roster.

Really, the only year he’s had the same team back to back was Turner’s sophomore and junior years. The sophomore year was when they lost to Siena. Ugh. That still bothers me. Last year was when they won another Big Ten title. He’s changing the roster, he’s changing the style. Next year he’s going to have a completely different team again. He’s going to lose Lighty and Diebler, but look at the recruiting class he has coming in.

Rapp: So why isn’t their a national media love affair like we see with other programs? Is it because of football? I’ve asked myself this question a hundred times. I remember the first big game Ohio State played this year, they’re at Florida and Digger Phelps picked Florida the game. He also picked Florida to win the national championship. He said, ‘Well, they’ve got all their starters back.’ Nevermind, Ohio State had four of their five starters back, maybe better returning talent, and some fantastic freshmen, and we know how that game turned out.

I don’t know. When is the perception going to meet up with the reality?

McCoy: I don’t know because I think right now they’re still … I do think they’re catching on nationally for the reasons I just said. But I still think when people think of the Big Ten they still think of Michigan State, and rightfully so. Michigan State has been doing it with Izzo for a long time.

Rapp: Right.

McCoy: You talked about winning a title. That might be what they have to do because that’s what Michigan State, and they continue to be good and getting to Final Fours. They haven’t won another one but they are the standard bearer. And I think probably even Thad would say that, that with the number of Final Fours they’ve been to they’re the standard bearer.

But what about, you know, there’s a lot of programs that might be overlooked. Wisconsin is pretty good. I wanted to see when I found that Thad was 40 (games) above .500, since he’s been coach there are there any other coaches that have as good a record as him.

Rapp: Bo Ryan, maybe.

McCoy: Bo Ryan is one game better. And Michigan State is exactly the same. How amazing is that? It’s those three and no one else is close.

Rapp: I think Purdue can get there with (Matt) Painter.

McCoy: Purdue can get there with Matt Painter.

Rapp: But you’re right, Michigan State has stolen their thunder. In ’99, they make that unbelievable run out of a 4-seed – and I know that year doesn’t exist anymore – well, who’s there when they get there? Michigan State. Then the next year, I remember covering the Big Ten Tournament and Ohio State got knocked off and somebody asked Mateen Cleaves about the 1-seed being knocked, and he goes, “I thought we were the 1-seed.” And nobody remembers since Michigan State went on to win the Big Ten Tournament that year and the national championship that Ohio State split with them that year and shared the Big Ten title.

Then last year …

McCoy: That’s the one that’s the kick in the pants.

Rapp: It really was because …

McCoy: They were a better team than Michigan State.

Rapp: Here’s Ohio State absolutely outclassing Georgia Tech while we were there in Milwaukee and we have to run in and do interviews, and while that’s going on Korie Lucious just chucks up a shot and Michigan State gets by Maryland. And then for that they get to play Northern Iowa. And then, obviously, they played Tennessee and beat Tennessee, and Ohio State didn’t.

But what got lost in that was how good Ohio State was. They beat Michigan State handily up there, they won the Big Ten Tournament, Michigan State got a piece of the regular-season title, quite frankly, because of a late injury to (Purdue’s) Robbie Hummel, and here Michigan State gets to another Final Four to build the national perception. And again, rightfully so. Look how great Izzo and that program is.

But it seems like it’s always at the expense of Ohio State.

McCoy: I guess what we’re saying is they’ve got to get over the hump, and that’s terrible to say because I think they’re over the hump. I do.

Rapp: Yeah, they won the Big Ten Tournament last year and Michigan State got dumped right out of it. They didn’t even bother with that.

McCoy: Right. Again, I do think the nation gets it. The people who follow it closely get what Thad Matta has done. But maybe locally what it’s going to take is get there and win the darn thing.

Rapp: They may be No. 1 as we speak. I used to work at a place where I’d answer the phone and the first 10 questions would be about football recruiting. That’s coming up, by the way, signing day, and that will steal some thunder once again.

McCoy: It’s funny you mention that because I had one phone call this morning that came through to sports and it was, “Is today the last day underclassmen can declare for the NFL draft?” and here they’re No. 1 in basketball. What Dave Lighty said to me was enlightening because if you look at their body of work over the last five years it is every bit as good as football, and we know how good a coach Jim Tressel is.

It’s been right there, and I don’t know if everybody recognizes it.

Rapp: Maybe it’s because Lighty and Matta have been the constants during that whole five-year run and talk about two guys who don’t beat their chest.

McCoy: You’re right. They don’t.

Rapp: Now Thad today seemed like he bit on the question a little bit and did make a little bit of a case, though not emphatically or with any bravado. But he did make the case that, “Yeah, I think we are where I wanted us to be.” And he wouldn’t even normally do that but I think he feels like there are people out there who still haven’t figured it out. At least that’s the way I feel about it.

McCoy: Well, as we tape this here they are getting ready to play Penn State with a chance to be No. 1, not that it really matters. But for the national perception it does, and fan-wise. And last we heard there were tickets still available (laughs). I don’t get it. I know the economy is bad and I know ticket sales are down everywhere across the country, but it just seems like … When the football team beat Eastern Michigan 73-20 there weren’t really tickets available.

Rapp: As I said on the radio with BC (Bob Conners) today, you can only shovel so much snow. It’s time to come out to a ballgame.