-
-
-
-
-
- CBB Front Page
- Scores
- Teams
-
Conferences
- Players
- Stats
- Standings
- Rankings
- Schedules
- Women's Hoops
-
-
-
-
- Soccer Front Page
-
Leagues
- MLS
- England
- Champions
UEFA Cup- English Champ
Germany- Italy
Spain- France
Netherlands- Scotland
Belgium- Mexico
Copa Lib- Copa Sud
Copa Oro- Copa America
World Cup- FIFA U-20
Talk hoops all year long in Luke Winn's blog, a journal of commentary, news and reader-driven discussions about the college game.12/23/2006 07:27:00 PM What We Learned From ... Florida-Ohio State
Three things learned from watching No. 5 Florida's 86-60 rout of No. 3 Ohio State on Saturday ...
Ohio State's Greg Oden couldn't make a move without Al Horford or one of his Gator teammates hounding the Buckeye freshman.Jimmy DeFilippo/US PRESSWIRE
1. Al Horford delivered one of the gutsiest performances you'll see all year.
I think Billy Donovan was being honest Thursday, when he told reporters his leading scorer and rebounder, Al Horford, was a no-go for the Ohio State game with a high (left) ankle sprain. "It's just obvious right now with what he has movement-wise, he can't play," Donovan said. And this was a buzz-kill: We had worried for so long that the Buckeyes' frontcourt phenom, Greg Oden, wouldn't be available for this clash -- and now we were getting Oden, but likely having to watch him against a shell of a Florida team.
By Friday, though, we were hearing that Horford -- who had missed the Gators' previous two games -- was feeling good enough to practice. Then on game-day (once team doctors had said the injury couldn't be worsened by playing) it was announced Horford was available, although he wouldn't start. At that point, the realistic expectation was he would be able to offer a few, adrenaline-fueled stretches off the bench.
Horford went and did something else instead: He entered the game at the 17:44 mark of the first half, went on play 25 minutes and was the unquestioned star of the afternoon, delivering an 11-point, 11-rebound performance on his bum ankle. He thoroughly outplayed Oden, who had seven points and four rebounds in 28 minutes. He logged four more minutes and had four more points than healthy teammate Joakim Noah. Never mind what Donovan or the doctors said earlier in the week -- it seemed as if Horford came in believing he could still take over the game.
His biggest moments all occurred in the second half, when Florida turned a reasonably close game into a slaughter. After Oden picked up his third foul -- and went to the bench -- at the 16:47 mark, Horford threw down two dunks to extend Florida's lead to double-digits. When he grabbed his 10th rebound with just under 12 minutes left, he turned into a 6-foot-10 point guard, dribbling the ball up the floor and feeding the Gators' actual floor general, Taurean Green, for a 3. That put Florida up 15, at 60-45, and when Ohio State called a timeout, a fiery Noah came flying off the bench to greet Horford at half court, hugging him and screaming in his face in vintage Noah fashion.
"I was able to be aggressive, like I always am," Horford said. "I definitely felt more comfortable in the second half."
Minutes later, Horford bulled his way into Oden in the lane, drawing the freshman 7-footer's fourth foul. By that point, Ohio State's young star looked defeated. He was unable to make aggressive defensive moves in the paint, and was lagging far behind his teammates in running up the floor. Battling with Noah, Chris Richard, and especially the hobbled Horford had simply been too exhausting.
"It had to be hard on Greg," Donovan said. "We were throwing two and even three guys at him and he had to guard different people each time. Our guards also drove to the basket and made him leave the inside guys defensively. So we really made him work."
2. Contrary to popular belief, you can zone Ohio State.
Three days before Oden was healthy enough to make his debut, the Buckeyes established an early rep as one of the nation's most dangerous perimeter teams by hitting 13-of-26 3-pointers against North Carolina on Nov. 29. Florida bucked conventional wisdom Saturday, playing large stretches of the game in a 2-3 zone -- and OSU couldn't capitalize, especially in the first half, when they shot just 2-of-9 from long distance (the Buckeyes would finish 6-of-24).
Corey Brewer and Green extended the edges of the zone out far enough to put pressure on OSU's best shooters, and yet the strategy still allowed the Gators to contain Oden. Early in the game, while guarded by Richard and Horford, Oden was surprisingly passive about finding gaps and demanding the ball in the lane. Now, not every team is going to be able to get away with zoning Ohio State. But if you have athletes like Florida does, who can ensure the Buckeyes won't get wide-open looks from beyond the arc, throwing a zone at them isn't a death wish.
3. After struggling early on, Florida is finally playing like a title team again.
I had been harsh on the Gators, leaving them out of this week's Power Rankings -- but not because I didn't think they were capable of being one of the nation's elite teams. They had only played two games against decent opponents (Kansas and Florida State), and lost both. I was just waiting for Florida to play like ... well, Florida.
That's what finally happened Saturday, when the Gators thrashed a team that will likely finish the year in the top 10, and shot 58.6 percent from the field in the process. Horford's gritty showing helped Florida dominate OSU on the glass by a margin of 37-20, and Florida's three perimeter starters (Green, Brewer and Lee Humphrey) combined for 54 points.
"These games are a test and Ohio State was like the exam," Noah said. "For the first semester, we passed it. We get an A. We're going to do it all over again in the second semester."
What was one of the most highly anticipated games of the regular season didn't turn into a thriller, but it served a different purpose. For all of us who lauded the Gators' stars for staying in school after winning a national championship, and then recently had worried that they might not make a run at another title, those doubts were erased.Labels: Florida, Greg Oden, Ohio State
posted by Luke Winn | View comments (92) |
92 Comments:
This was a mauling. I live in Raleigh and with no reservations, the Heels would not be able to keep up with Florida. If UF stays motivated and healthy, there simply isn't a better team in the country. Don't ask me; ask the NBA scouts.Unfortunately the game was not broadcast over here in Japan and I awoke to reading the story. The Gators are still the Gators from last year, the loss to Kansas, well with Brewer playing with mono and not knowing it, that hurt. The loss to Florida State, well the team just didn't look like who they really are, not to take away from Florida State as they look to be a much improved team, but they really are not anywhere near Florida's level of play, but any team at any time can come out and play flat or if possible even under flat in a negative sense and that was the Gators that game. Still a long, long season to go, but I'll be rooting for my Gators to go for it all once again and I can only hope this was the precursor for the BCS Championship game and Florida bucks the critics and goes home as champions. Has that ever been done, a school being National Champs in basketball and football at the same time.hard to say oden was "dominated," playing with one hand tied behind his back due to foul trouble and his injured right wrist. Florida fed off the crowd energy and was able to rally while the best center in college basketball was on the bench with foul trouble. too many mistakes and not enough interior help to defend florida's experienced post men were the buckeyes' faults. ohio state's young and talented squad learned a lesson from the defending champs, one that will no doubt help shape this team into the title contenders that they are. watch out for a rematch in april, and no doubt watch out Jan. 8!FL fans heard you must have had a 102 degree fever when leaving the gators out of your top 15 power rankings. The doors being blown off Ohio in the 2nd half looked just like the entire UCLA title game. Those that were so quick to write them off must not have actually watched the 2 games that were lost. Shame on you! Quick, get back on the bandwagon as the Gators are going to the big dance this year, with or without you!Did we watch the same game? Horford dominated Oden? Please. You say Horford made his biggest plays when Oden was OUT of the game. Not to mention he was out on a poor call for his third foul.) Oden played the game with one hand, and a bunch of perimeter players jacking up horrible threes once they were down by 15. Instead of grinding down the margin by going inside to Oden, (who consistently got hiself or his teammates a good shot whenever they DID give him the ball), his team set up Florida's transition game with all the hurried shots.
The sequence where Oden spiked a layup attempt, recovered, and dumped Noah and his weak dunk attempt on his rear end, was easily the most dominant moment of the game. Florida didn't make their decisive run till Oden went out.
Please actually watch the next game.I think what we have learned from osu's two games against florida and unc is that its younger players, this early in the season, aren't prepared for games of this magnitude. they made poor shot choices, couldn't rebound against a strong florida frontcourt, relied far too heavily on perimeter shots, and were extremely jittery in some situations. the baby buckeyes will have to grow up during conference play if they want to make a run in the field of 64 and we may see whether they've done that when they play the badgers.Why do you guys need to make excuses for Oden? He spent a large amount of time on the bench with foul trouble and he was still worn out by Horford, Noah, and Richard. How many times was he lagging behind his team mates? You can't feed your big man down low when he's on the other side of the court still. He doesn't need his other hand, he needs to do some wind sprints. Florida just gave us a little taste of what we can expect come early March.The Gators Rolled...Did what they wanted to do...Noah had a bad game and the Gators still won by 25 !..This Oden kid looks like he is 30 years old..but he dosent quite play like it yet...my gators looked really good and i think that horford is underrated (i know, hard to imagine) because he shut down the superstar like he did. i've always thought the gators were this good, but they didn't show it until today. the bcs championship will end like this, i know it!The Gators dominated every phase of the game...Noah had a bad game..and they still won by 25plus..Oden is over rated....He looks like he is 30 years old...has anyone checked his birth certificate?all i got 2 say is fl is realFlorida, even without playing very well (many unforced errors in the first half), was vastly superior to an overrated OSU team. If Oden had his right hand healthy, they would have lost by 15 instead of 30.Ohio State lost the game, more than Florida won the game. Florida did make the shots they were suppose to, but Ohio State were two different teams today. The one team, with "Big O", drove to the basket and played hard. The second team without Big O, shot terrible quick shots, and didn't even try to get to the lane. How many Blocks did Florida have? Ohio State showed it's age today, but Can the Gators really play with a two handed Oden. Remember, he is right handed!I think come March the still improving Buckeyes will be equal to the already there Florida. Many factors went into OSU's loss, one of which for sure won't be there come tourney time(the crowd) and another(inexperience) that may just not matter with the talent on the OSU team. Although I can't wait until Florida loses to another unranked opponent so the fans can see who is "overrated" then.All of you guys defending Oden saying that Horford did not dominate Oden becuase of his wrist need to realize that Horford was playing with a sprained ankle!!! I think a sprained ankle is worse than a sprained wrist...And the way that Horford defended against Oden was just remarkable. To be honest, Oden didnt really play like a superstar that he is hyped up to be. I dont know what people see in him. I mean, he wasn't even aggressive. Maybe its just that he is young but if that game was any indication, he is def not going to be a superstar in the NBA...probably just average at best.Greg Oden is still a freshman. In his first game against the premier big men of college basketball he was a non-factor. A hobbled Al Horford was still tough enough to push the passive, and sometimes timid, Oden off his appointed high horse. I was in attendance at the game and seeing Oden live it is pretty apparant that he just doesn't care. But hey, he's the consesus number one pick and he hasn't even played with two hands. Who needs Ohio State? After today, it's clear Oden knows he doesn't.Yes we watched the same game lorenzo. You just seemed to watch your tv with rose colored glasses if you think Horford, Noah, and Richards did not dominate Oden....or was that Lebron's father? Either way he played like a freshman and Florida played like the National Champions they are. And, as stated by other posters if they stay healthy they will be back in the final four. What a great show of inside and outside dominance in the second half. Ohio St looked rattled in an hostile environment and showed their inexperience and that one chosen seven footer a team does not make.Thankfully neither team will be elevated or denigrated by a whacky BCS. In college basketball national champions are decided by a playoff and rematches are assured if the teams in question keep winning in the post-season tournament. Ohio State fans will do well to skip the whining of Michigan football fans. YOU LOST.Stop making excuses. Oden got dominated. It is to be expected. He has only been playing college ball for a couple of weeks! Three of the most experienced and talented big men in the country ran him til he was about to drop. Don't worry, he'll get better. He just needs more experience and conditioning. And, yes, without any hesitation or doubt...the Gators could handle a "two-handed Oden". We won by 26...remember? It wasn't a squeaker.The OSU guards completely abandoned Oden late in the second half. They were too happy to jack up deep threes, instead of pounding the ball into Oden. He made good decisions when he got the ball, either going up strong or kicking out to open jump shooters. Conley, Cook, and Butler are great players, but they would really benefit from involving Oden more in the offense. He draws such a crowd that they would get many more open jump shots than they did swinging it around the perimeter . OSU also needs to find a way to bust a zone besides shooting outside shots. They weren't able to get the ball inside the zone (with the exception of Conley's dribble penetration), so Oden was basically a non-factor on the offensive end.
Defensively, OSU was really hurt by Oden's fatigue. Florida did a great job exploiting it, as they continually ran pick-and-rolls at him, resulting in many open jumpers. Again, I think Thad Matta should have gone to a zone, at least for a short stretch. While Florida was shooting the ball well, they were also getting a lot of dunks and layups, which the zone would have prevented.Can the Gators really play with OSU when Oden is healthy?? I ask that rhetorically because its a ridiculous question. We absolutely dismantled the Buckeyes, and while we did it at home and with Oden hindered, how can anyone imply that we don't belong on the court with OSU? Sheer madness! You'd think winning a NC would earn us some respect. Guess we'll just have to repeat. ;)OSU fans should stop complaining about Oden 'having one hand.' Please. Horford had a sprained ankle, Brewer just recovered from mono, and Noah had a respiratory infection a month ago. This isn't about medical diagnosis, every team plays hurt, it's about heart and hustle. And nobody who saw that game would argue that OSU played with more intensity and fire than UF.Oden with one hand or two... foul trouble or not... he wouldn't have been 25 points for OSU. The outcome would have been the same, a "W" for the GATORS! Lets hope this is a bit of foreshadowing for the BCS Championship game.I believe Billy Donovan is a lying scumbag... there seemed to be nothing wrong with Horford at all. To come out and say that he is out, not even doubtful, a couple days before a game and then have that player play and play the minutes and as well as he did... Donovan is full of crap. Plain and Simple. You so called "experts" need to stop making excuses for him. His team were clearly the better team, but what Donovan did was bushleague. I hope his team get their doors blown off in the tournament. I'd love to see him cry.Somebody is trippin' b/c the the Heels will give Gators a run for their money regardless of the situation and I will be danged if some Gators repeat, b/c they will not. I cannot belive that person from a Raleigh will not support the Heels -- the Heels beat the Buckeyes w/o Oden and it would have been a worse whippin' if Oden played b/c Oden would have hit some inside shots thus lowering the Ohio point total. As we saw with Illinois vs. N.C. in the National Championship a couple years ago, three point shooting will not win a game, rather a strong inside game will win, and the close score of Ohio St vs N.C. was based on the hot hand Ohio St. had with the 3pt shot when Carolina beat them squarely. This indicates that the whippin' would have been worse. It was a mauling for the Buckeyes, and the Heels will whip the Gators come March since the Heels are so in the deep in the interior (and in general) and will hang with the Gators come tourney time and take care of business (guy named "Erin" step back, that is how girls spell it). Florida was caught slippin' this season to a weal Florida St. team and and inconsistent Kansas team. I bleed Carolina blue till the end, and before there is ever a Florida legacy (that takes alot more than a championship), the Heels will show the Gators what the deal is --Noah better choose tennis.Just wanted to comment that the ODome was crazy tonight..I was in midcourt fourth row...and it was by far the most loudest game ive ever heard in the dome (been to 2 years worth of games).
I gotta give it up to OSU though...they played a good game, but I think they relied too much on Oden and that was their downfall. They're definitely a force to be reckoned with in March.
However...to all you GatorHaters out there;give us some credit...we're back!!!To all those saying that Oden was not dominated... what is the surest measure that Shaq is (or was, before he got old) dominating a game? The only defense is fouling. Why do players foul? Because they've been beaten. That's why Oden was in foul trouble. He was having to run with three guys (and, at times, with Brewer) because his teammates weren't getting back. So he was tired, so Horford was beating him, so he was fouling Horford and taking himself out of the game.I've been a college basketball and Big 10 fan for forty years and the Florida Gators are by far the best team I've seen since the days of John Wooden's UCLA bruins. They could play in NBA at the level we saw on Saturday. No excuses Buckeyes, you got the best game lesson you'll get all year. You were outplayed and more importantly out-coached.
M RedingTo those who think this game was an aberation because Oden isn't 100% yet:
UF just ran over OSU by 26 freakin' points...please get a well needed grip.Oden maybe injured but either way he is still a freshman....He is just young.....Horford schools Oden anyday and everyday.....Watch out if he stays at OSU next year. The Gator core is going pro next year!Hey Lorenzo
Did you actually watch the game. Big-O got 7 points and 6 rebounds. he is a specimen I admit but he can't run with the Gator's big men. In the second half the Gator big men were on him like stink on poo. Watch the game with a neutral perspective next time and you might actually see the game.Previous poster...
"Ohio State lost the game, more than Florida won the game...."
You are a sad little man. Your team got thrashed in every aspect of the game. Except for Oden's thirty second spurt of blocks he was outplayed by every one of Florida's big men.
Is it all Buckeye fans that whine and make excuses for their teams, or just the ones I come in contact with. I can't wait to end the football debate once and for all.I was very disappointed that you didn't include Florida in your last week's Top 10, but you made up for it with your comment from yesterday's game in that you were waiting for Florida to play like ... well, Florida. Heads-up BCS! GO GATORS!Hey Lorenzo
Did you actually watch the game???
Odens 7 pts and 6 reb. were impressive but he can't run with the bigs on Fla. and DEFENSE wins championships. The Gator's took away everything that makes OS good. Pay attention next time and you might really see the game yourself.Who won the game and what was the score. Nuff said.OSU got an old school beat down. Florida was the better team and the score showed it.Oden was in terrible shape and it showed in the second half. All of the people saying Florida didn't impress you, just remember that we basically got no help off the bench from Wenger, Speights, or Hodge. Noah had a terrible game offensively. Horford was hurt.....
and we still won by 26 points. Back to the drawing board Buckeyes. Hope you're better prepared January 8th1. The Gators proved that when motivated, they can beat anybody. They have more top tier telant at all 5 positions than any team in the country.
2. OSU is young and will learn from this but unless Oden plays better defense and moves his feet on D, there will be disappointed fans in Columbus.
3. Bottom line--too much versatility and offensive prowess by the Gators--a harbinger of January 8. GO GATORSThe SEC and Pac-10 are dominant and will get top seeds in tournament. Poor Billy Packer, he won't know which side to take without his beloved ACC.Our Buckeye freshmen will be a bit more seasoned by March and will show it when they start a four year streak in the big dance. This was Florida's last chance for upperclassman to keep their dignity over the "kids". Won't happen again. And beating the Bucks in the BCS...what are you people smoking in Florida!?! The only reason you are there is because Urbane cried like a little baby! You all think the SEC teams take one another out because they are all so tough--it is really because they all suck a little...Although Horford sparked Florida, Corey Brewer provided a lift for the Gators that should not go unnoticed. Perhaps the MVP for the Gators, Brewer's quiet demeanor is often overshadowed by his higher profile teammates in Horford and Noah.
Without Brewer at full speed against Kansas, and with him on the bench due to symptoms of mono at FSU, Florida played uninspired and often looked lethargic and a step slower against teams they should have beaten.
Yesterday was a far different story for the Gators. Brewer played inspired basketball, sparking the Gators with his intense defense and constant movement on the basketball floor. Often, Brewer’s stat line does not tell the whole story. But behind that boyish grin and shy persona is a fierce competitor that drives the Gators defense and sparks the offense as it puts opponents away.
I would be remiss if I didn’t include that OSU, while young, is a talented basketball team. Just a few years ago, Florida played much the same way, relying largely on kicking the ball outside for open three’s to combat relentless zone defenses thrown at them by opposing teams. A few blowouts suffered by the Gators in Lexington come to mind.
Now Florida has a combination that works.
A team that returns seven from a national championship the season before, they appear ready to defend their title. After struggling through early losses due to illness and injuries suffered by key players, the Gators just might be hitting their stride. The scary part for the rest of the country is that Saturday proved that once OSU gains precious experience throughout the season, they might be ready to make a run too.You can say what you like, Florida won the game.In regards to the comments about oden, he still is the same player who he has always been. I attended a rival high school of his, and have watched him now for five years. Just like everyone says, his defensive game is much better than his offensive game. It was in high school, and as of right now, it still is in college. He dominated horford and noah on the defensive end, no question about that. I know i should cut him some slack for his cast on his right arm, but he missed easy buckets that he should have made down the stretch so that his team could have made a run to try and get back into the game. He has got to learn to finish those before we can call him an elite player. Also, his positioning on the offensive end was way off. He got far too few offensive boards for his size. He also lacks post moves. He is so used to having defenders that are six inches smaller than him so all his teammates had to do was throw it over the top and he dunks it. He looked lost out there when horford was guarding him because he has never played against anyone that was able to push him around and not let him get easy position on the blocks. His conditioning is awful, the young guards on osu would already be trying to set up the offense before he crossed halfcourt.Could someone tell me about someone leaving a note on Urban Meyer's chair during the game saying that OSU was going to "kick Florida's ass" in football? I think I heard it was the OSU Basketball Coach. Can that be true?first a 40 minute death. then a slower, more painful 60 minute death.just wait and see. Our Gator football team will crunch the over-rated Ohio State team just like the basketball team did last night. Sports journalists need to change their bias away from the Big Ten or else they will fall behind the times real quick. Go Gators!Live by the 3 die by it and thats the way the Buckeyes will be all year when they face quality opponents Oden's good but I live in Ohio and after every big game so far its been the same "IF we had Oden..." or "IF Oden were only healthy..." Finally a WAKE UP CALL!By the way Florida had more blocks than the Buckeyes, Noah and Horford each had three. The Buckeyes had 5.Oden hurts OSU more than aids it. take the game against unc, if oden had played, it would've been a bigger blowout. against uf, osu had to adjust to the 'superstar' and not play their usual game. and it is hard to feed the post when your center is still on the other side of the court.Getting in foul trouble is part of the game. Domination includes getting the other player in foul trouble. Oden was dominated because he got into foul trouble as everyone on Ohio State should have expected. He fell into Floridas trap and was taken out of the game. Sorry, but that is how it went.Ohio State lost the game more than Florida won the game? I am admittedly biased in being a Gator Alum but that statement is about as unfounded and ludicrous as Britney Spears thinking why after showing what she had to everyone and their brother. THE OSU showed it on the biggest stage possible this early in the season and the BIG O was shown whats its like to play with a little bit of heart and intensity. Horford showed him why Oden may be the number one pick, but Horford will help a team win a championship in the league.
When Oden sits there on the bench sipping a water bottle with a look on his face similar to a scolded schoolboy thinking, "I don't care about this," people notice. The reason his right probably isn't healthy yet is due to the baby bottle he probably is handed by everyone in the media, homers, and the like that annointed him the next coming before having to prove it... And we all saw which hand he drinks with when whining from the bench....Why are people making excuses for Oden. Did you forget Horford had an injured ankle and still showed up for the game?
I think their loss to Kansas proved how strong Florida is.....if you watched that game you would have seen how poor the Gators played against a top 10 team and they still almost won. Look out come March!Florida is by far the best team in the nation - note TEAM. It is so amazing to watch a true team play. For those of you who haven't watched UF play that much this was a fairly typical game - it takes them a little while to find which player (or players) have the hot hand - (it literally can be any of about 8 different players). It is just so much fun to watch a team that truely doesn't care about individual accolades. Wow!What amazing whining from Buckeyes. Ohio State lost more than Florida won?!?!! Did you see the game. It wasn't even close. Oden was sucking wind EVEN with all his bench time. Now imagine what he's going to look like after a full college season, the Big Can't Count Past Ten Tournament, and a game or two in the NCAAs. Because that's all you're going to see.
Oden will be great, someday, but not now. Too much time off after surgery, and too little support from the rest of the team. Against a team with three All Stars in the front court, he could not possibly do it alone, even if he were in decent condition.Are you crazy? "Ohio St lost the game more than Fl won the game"... Ohio State lost by nearly 30 points... No Team ranked number three in the country should lose by that much to anyone... They were dominated... period. By every phase of the game... Excuses are monuments of nothing... remember that on Jan 8th... Go Gators!!!OSU definitely has some talented young players, but got "schooled" by a more experienced team. Oden is an impressive shot-blocker, but needs to develop him game a bit more. UFs backup players Werner, Richards (not really a backup), and Hodge are getting better and contributing well. This Gator team is better than last years championship team, and can beat anyone in the country when healthy and motivated.I watched the UF v UK game and did not feel bad. On top of Brewer being ill, I saw that UF was too loose on D and gave up the baseline. You can fix that. I did not see the FSU game. Maybe they were just flat. Gators don't like to loose to FSU, but in the long run, that game won't mean much. I will take a flat game early in the season. What we saw yesterday was FL playing like FL. Total domination. You can make excuses for Oden, but it was easy to see he looked like a 30 yr old out of condition, lagging up the court. So, he has a bum wrist, how hard is it to shoot from under the basket when you are 7' tall? OSU was outplayed in EVERY facet of the game. FL showed a stifling D that kept a foul laden big man on the bench. OSU showed 3 pt shooting that was sloppy at best. There previous game at 50% was obviously an anomaly. Despite runs by both teams, OSU was forced to play Florida's game. Florida ran and shot 3's. When they are in the groove, no one can beat them. While OSU is known for a genetic giant in the middle, Florida is incredibly balanced. They had four guys in double digits, four guys shoot three's and four guys make steals. You can't beat that. OSU could not. No one could have yesterday. Maybe those three first place votes should go to Florida now. Maybe more.Ya gotta be kidding us.....
True, the 35 year old could only use one hand, and yes he got into foul trouble......
But come on, how can he be so out of shape. Shame on Matta to allow him to be showcased on prime time - and to show the entire nation his conditioning program is severly lacking. To note: the other four starters for OSU were dragging by the end of the game. Shame on the OSU players and the OSU coach. They've had an entire year to get into shape, and failed. Just think, the Big Ten season is 2 weeks away, and OSU is not ready, mentally or physically.....
And I'm not even a gator fan....Quit crying Ohio State! Florida dominated you and get over it! Quit making excuses like "Oden was hurt", oh please, Horford was hurt too and he ate Oden's lunch and took his lunch money for tommorrow. Oden never plays with any passion, and should be investigated by the NCAA because he is NOT 18. Oden is HIGHLY overrated.Anonymous: "How many Blocks did Florida have?" Florida had 6 blocks, OSU had 5. 3 were by Noah, 3 by Horford.
I don't get why so many sore losers are making excuses. OSU is a young team, they are going to make mistakes. They're just not up to the caliber of Florida who have experience and can handle the pressure of big games. OSU just haven't faced a real team until last night, and you saw what happened.
The football game on January 8th will go the same way. OSU needs to schedule tougher games if they want to play with the big boys. May I suggest the SEC teams?Im so tired of hearing EXCUSES about Oden's wrist...can anyone name 5 plays that his wrist affected his game....it didnt stop him from gettin blocks he could reach...it didnt stop him from trying to get good post position (florida's big men did that)...it didnt stop him from playing defense or getttin cross midcourt, itdidnt bother his free throwe much (he went 3 out of 4 at the line) and he missed four very very well contested inside shots(hell the gators big men missed some chip-shots too)...so if we count them 4 misses, name another play or 2 that his wrist effected his abilitiesI think people are delusional to even consider Oden as the best, or even the most dominant center in the game right now. Case in point the UF/OSU game. It wasn't that the OSU guards didn't get him the ball, he wasn't trying to get it. UF was playing zone, as a post player you have to find your spots, work at it, Oden was so winded he couldn't even get to the lane before his teammates jacked up a poor 3. Gratned he did have some nasty blocks, but a few blocks does NOT make you a dominating center. If Al Horford was 2 inches taller, and over that proverbial 7-foot plateau, he would be considered the most dominant and Draft attractive big man in the college game.Do you notice a theme from the OSU posts @ this game? Excuses...
Maybe SEC fans know how to win and lose better. We appreciate hard fought victories and understand how another team can just beat you bc they played harder and/or were coached better. We don't make excuses.
Too bad we don't play Michigan. We could beat them by 50 and then hear their excuses for losing as well.
Go Gators...To the Heel fan who was hallucinating about the Heels being a better team than UF. Answer this. How come Roy wouldn't schedule the Gators this fall when everyone including the networks were trying to schedule a game? Can someone say "chicken"?This is a Heels fan being very scared of Florida. They were outplaying Ohio St. in the second half with Noah and Horford were on the bench. Frightening. Corey Brewer is the do-it-all man of the year, he defends, scores, does whatever you need.
What happened to the Ohio St. game that came into Chapel Hill and nearly outplayed and outhustled the home (not to mention shot lights out).
We now know that almost everyone is vulnerable (I know UCLA hasn't lost, but I can't see them winning everygame). Can't wait for March!!!Gator fans, you can have a very meaningless non-conference clash in basketball in December. In fact, we will take it for our very young Buckeyes to learn from this experience and make them tougher and help them gel together. This was clearly the difference in the game. When one team has the experience as Florida and shoots 75% from the floor, that score is expected. Congrats for winning on your home court as you should. Meanwhile, come Jan. 8th your football team will be embarassed and come March these same Buckeyes wil be a force. Good luck with that!The performance everyone is (and has been) overlooking is that of Taurean Green. I don't think that the gator big men are underrated at all, considering the attention that they've had. But Green had 24 points in the game and is the gator's leading scorer this year. He's averaging over 4 assists an game and over 45 percent from three point range and all everyone wants to talk about is our big men. The gators are a complete team, not just dominating inside men.Any time the Gators shoot over 50 percent from the field and all five starters are healthy, they will win. With Horford, Noah, Brewer, Humphrey, and Green playing like they did versus the Buckeyes, there will be another title under the Gators' belt. Plus, with three players on the bench who can potentially play as well as the starters, they are unstoppable. Humphrey is a demon behind the arc and there is nobody in the league who can match up with Horford in the paint(EXAMPLE: Oden). Green is the best point guard in the NCAA and Brewer can defend four different positions, shoot the three, and throw the ball down hard on the rim.great win for Florida, but their fans and everyone else needs to stop making excuses for their loss to Kansas.
Less than 24 hrs before their loss to KU, Brewer put up 20 pts, 9 rebs, 7 assists. Don't give "the mono" excuse. He was playing great ball the night before. If you know anything about Mono you know that it is a slow infection to arise and a slow infection to relinquish (1-2 months) and it was not the reason for their loss. they got beat, no excuses.Wow. I can't believe how insecure Florida fans are. Your team won the NCAA tournament less than a year ago and already there is all the "we're so disrespected" and "it's us against the world" crap. Your team won. Great. Good for you. You have a good team. Will your team cut down the nets this year? Probably not. My team (Kansas) probably won't either. The odds are too long to pick out any one team. There will be 15-20 teams in the field with a shot, and any one of them is just as likely to win as the others. One thing I will say Florida fans, and you won't like it, is that Noah is not what you proclaim him to be. He should have taken the money and ran. He is not a good offensive weapon. All his points come on cleanup garbage against smaller players. He plays average D. He hustles, but if that is your strongest asset, you probably lack superstar game. He also has a pretty extensive whiny streak when things don't go his way. It wasn't there last year, or he'd have drawn a few T-s back when nobody on the national level knew who he was. At the end of the season look for Oden to be the number one pick, and Noah to be a LATE first rounder to maybe a high second round pick. Oden, and a lot of other players, have something your golden boy doesn't have. The potential to be a dominant NBA player. Horford on the other hand is a baller. Brewer should have taken the money too. I don't know who advised him to stay, but they were idiots. Broke? Check. Family with health issues? Check. Stock as high as it will ever be? Check. Exposed as an overrated player the following year? Check. Lost milions by dropping from top ten pick to a last en pick? Check. Way to go man, you're the big winner today. See, it pays to stay in school. Unless you meet all the criteria listed above. Then you should get your butt to the NBA as soon as possible.The real test for everybody is going to be the NBA Draft. Oden, no. 1. Horford, 4. Noah 5. It'll be tough to pass on Horford, a new Ben Wallace, or should I say a new Buck Williams? Tough rebounder and defender, very good passer and handler, and some offensive touches. WOW. This game just accounts for $2 more millons on Horford account in the next few months.Florida is for real in b-ball, no doubt about it.Great shot for the title come March/April. But f-ball? Please, who have they played outside the SEC? Watered-down Fl St and Miami teams? Who has the SEC played outside their conferences? Jack. O$U will dominate and expose the Gators for the lucky blocked FG against the Gamecocks that they are.Welcome to the SEC, Ohio State.
Have fun against our spread offense on the 8th.
Wait, you don't know what that is? Try google.I'm a Buckeye fan and I must give the Gators huge props...y'all have a great team and should be bursting with pride. We'll see you on 8 January...that Tebow Right and Tebow Left stuff will get Timmy hospitalized against Laurinaitis et al, but your genius Ohio-born and raised coach is too smart to run that. Good luck Gators, we'll see you in two weeks and hopefully again in late March or early April!whoa..whoa..whoa. Gators kicked our butts in ball to be sure. But don't give me this sh*t about the football team needs to schedule 'better' teams. They went to Texas and a trip to USC is coming up. Florida plays a tough schedule but NEVER leave the state for a non-conf game. You start playing road games like that then come back and brag about schedule.It was officiated like a football game. If u had basketball officials there the outcome could have been different. When a foul on Oden when Horford threw his shoulder and elbow into him and should have been a turnover was the backbreaker. The officials also took Lewis out of the game not calling fouls when he drove to the basket. We'll hear a different tune when March rolls along and our diaper dandies get more experience. Oden can't beat three good inside players and three officials. Also we'll be beating an overrated football team which should be watching the Wolverines play alot closer game than the embarassment of a game this will be.While it was a blast to watch this game, I agree with those who point out that it was a learning experience for Ohio State. I'd much prefer that they learned their lesson in March. If Oden gets into shape they could be a major force. Oh, well. BUT - I don't think Ohio State will be anywhere near as entertaining as Florida. I'm sure that being a Gator addict affects my perceptions, but I know I'd rather watch the great variety in Florida's players than that of a team dominated by, or dependent on, a big man.
Oh, and 3:58 - Florida didn't play Miami this year. What they did was defeat some pretty good SEC teams (and South Carolina, which may be a problem for Florida for years, because of Spurrier). While I won't join in on the delusional ravings about how great Florida is. I'd definitely like to see them win, but I'll be content if they just keep it close. However, the NC game may be overshadowed by USC-Michigan. What if USC stomps Michigan, and UF narrowly beats Ohio State? Wouldn't that drive the pollsters crazy!OSU can make all the excuses they want, fact is when you are the #3 team in the country and get whipped by 26 points, you were dominated! And for all the OSU fans bashing the Gators football team, let's look at the facts....
what if Florida played Ohio State's schedule? Northern Illinois, win. At Texas, with the way the Longhorn offense was playing in early September, win. Cincinnati, Penn State, at Iowa, Bowling Green, at Michigan State, Indiana, Minnesota, at Illinois, at Northwestern. Win, win, win, win, win, win, win, win, win, win. Michigan? In the Swamp? Florida. I'm not saying Ohio State couldn't or wouldn't beat everyone on Florida's slate, but considering the problems it had with Michigan, would it have gone unscathed with games against Tennessee, LSU, Auburn, Georgia, South Carolina, and Arkansas? The Gators would be 12-0, or at worst 11-1, with the Buckeye schedule. So say what you want about how dominant the Buckeyes were this year, but they would not have rolled through Florida's schedule like they did their own! OSU will be suprised with how quick FLorida is at every position, it will not be a blowout like you think, and as long as the Gators do not turn the ball over, they will win!"O$U will dominate and expose the Gators for the lucky blocked FG against the Gamecocks that they are."
You mean for the 3-lucky-field-goal-blocks-in-one-game? Its not lucky when you do it 3 times in one game, y'know. But you probably didnt even watch the game, you just slaver over the one highlight and scream "overrated". I guess thats how the Big 10 rolls. *rolleye*
That said, I think OSU will beat Florida Jan. 8, but it wont be a blowout. Florida can and will hang with OSU, and have a much better chance of beating them than michigan. Michigan, with Lloyd Carr at the helm, consistantly lose to OSU, and they'd lose again in the championship. The only way OSU loses is if a hungrier, fiery, playmaking type of team comes to town, and you got it in UF. You also got it in basketball too.
OSU basketball wasnt exposed as overrated, all they showed was that they were young, and arent ready yet for primetime road games. Oden was exposed a little bit, but he was way too overhyped, and needed a letdown to realize where he is, and let others know where he is. He may look bad now, but he will be a dominating force later, most likely in the NBA. I dont see OSU doing anything with him this year. They will do something once he is gone, and they can play team-oriented basketball again.
UF is the best team-playing team I've ever seen. And I know how a talented bad team plays. We, as UF fans, ahd to deal with that for 5 years straight with the Roberson/Walsh/Lee era. This team owns. I dont think we'll repeat, but you whiny OSU people need to realize yall didnt lose to Florida, we beat you. Stop the excuses, quit whining, and learn from it. You have too much talent on that team to be whining.Hmm... was this game Florida vs. Ohio State or Florida vs. Greg Oden? If the latter, then that's why OSU is going to lose every single time. Everyone's on Oden's jock and making excuses for him and why the Bucks lost. Florida won the same way they won the tournament- through team effort.I was happy to see the TEAM of the Gators defeat Ohio State, featuring Greg Oden. The national media can't stop slurping this guy, but they have no problem never mentioning the best team in the country. Horford, Noah, Humphrey, Green, and Brewer as a collective unit can defeat any of the media faves:NC, OSU, and UCLA. But, since we aren't on Tobacco Road or have John Wooden's legacy, we get relagated to the second tier, even after winning it all.Yeah it was obvious that Florida was the better team. Well DUH!! This was the team that won the National Championship versus a bunch of very talented freshmen. BTW those of you that think that the football game is going to go the same way are in for a VERY dissapointing nite. I've seen OSU live 3 times this year, Gators might score a little bit, but OSU's offense is going to hang 42 on them. Good luck.The Heels can run with any team in the country, i think they would be able to beat Florida and UCLA.To the Heel fan who was hallucinating about the Heels being a better team than UF. Answer this. How come Roy wouldn't schedule the Gators this fall when everyone including the networks were trying to schedule a game? Can someone say "chicken"?
-----------
To the idiot who posted this comment:
1. Please supply me a link that proves that Florida attempted to such an arrangement.
2. North Carolina plays some of the best teams every year, so calling them chicken is laughable. We've scheduled Ohio State, Arizona, and Kentucky this season. We played Zona, Illinois, and Kentucky last season. We played UConn for 5 years straight, during their best stretch. So I'm sorry that Roy had already filled up his schedule this season.
Florida fans: GET OVER YOURSELF. You won ONE big game...at home. And you lost to an unranked team. You're clearly a great team but you, like everyone else, have a lot to improve. No team can brag if they lose to FSU while being top 5.you florida pepople kill me with all of these excuses why you guys lost to the jayhawks. so what you guys beat ohio state, you should have beaten them, they're playing with a bunch of kids that just got out of highschool. that was not the case when brewer missed that last 3-point attempt and noah had his head dragging on the floor after the loss to kansas.
the "true" champs will be on hand to display it "ture" talent and it will be Kansas, later, gator!!"the "true" champs will be on hand to display it "ture" talent and it will be Kansas, later, gator!!"
You like, lost to Oral Roberts and some other totally horrible team, and we're talking KU>UF smack? Pleeeeease.what this game underlined was that you can't judge a season by one game... so ejnoy the big matchups one at a time... yet trying to decipher what it really means is moot if not meaningless. florida fans got what they deserved and so did OSU's... and by the likes of the comments so far they'll both likely do so again in march... this time the opponent not as highly regarded, joining the belligerent and once again humbled tarheel fans mumbling about "just wait till next year"...Buckeyes shot poorly, just like they did against Georgetown in the NCAAs last March. Same type of game this time against a home crowd, and florida played its best game. OSU played its worst.
But enough basketball for a second. This one is for homer and his Welcome to the SEC comment. Florida loses the game that really counts by 14. Good luck containing OSUs offense. Florida will move the ball, no doubt, anyone moves the ball against OSU defense, but Leak will make just enough mistakes to make this outcome inevitable. Your team looks way mediocre against too many teams this year, and you guys are lucky to even be in the game... Everyone knows UM deserved to be there...
Go drinking at half time loser.I'm sure all the Florida fans are giddy right now ... just like all the Duke fans were last year after they took #2 Texas behind the woodshed for a whippin'. And as we all know, Duke then cruised to the 2006 National Title.Kansas can beat anyone in college basketball and lose to anyone in college basketball. They seem to be a consistent outside scorer from a ring.sorry gator fans, but youre not repeating this year. the only team to repeat in the 64 team ncaa tournament field was 92 duke. i dont think this florida team has the kind of skill bobby hurley, christian laettner, and grant hill's team had. florida has and incredible frontcourt, but they need better guards if they want to repeat.Better guards? What? Taureen Green and Lee Humphrey, with Hodge off the bench, can match any backcourt in the nation. Florida's guards really get no credit. They dont turn the ball over, they shoot well (Humphrey has mad ice in his veins), and they can create their own shots. I dont see why you think they have a detriment at the backcourt. Their Frontcourt gets all the glory, but the backcourt is just as good.
This team is every bit as good as '92 Duke. I dont think they'll repeat either, but bad guard play will not be their problem if they dont.Join In!Post your thoughts in our (moderated) blog comments section, or send e-mail to Luke Winn by clicking here.The Style Archive
Our Style Archive has relaunched for 2007-08, with UCLA's Russell Westbrook among the best new 'dos. Readers are invited to make nominations for new exhibits.Recent PostsBlog Q&As
2007-08
• Maryland's Greivis Vasquez
• K-State's Bill Walker
• Indiana's D.J. White
• Pitt's Sam Young
• Kansas' Brandon Rush
• Vandy's Shan Foster
• Marquette's Jerel McNeal
• Mich. State's Drew Neitzel
• UCLA's Ben Howland
• Memphis' Joey Dorsey
• Oregon's Bryce Taylor
• St. Louis' Rick Majerus
2006-07
• Georgetown's Roy Hibbert
• Texas A&M's Acie Law IV
• Florida's Taurean Green
• VT's Deron Washington
• Air Force's Dan Nwaelele
• Tennessee's Chris Lofton
• Pitt's Aaron Gray
• Kansas' Julian Wright
• Creighton's Nate Funk
• Alabama's Ronald Steele
• UNC's Tyler Hansbrough
• UCLA's L.R. Mbah a Moute
• Wisconsin's Alando Tucker
• SMU's Matt DohertyOlder Blogs
Copyright © 2008 Time Inc.A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved.Terms under which this service is provided to you.Read our privacy guidelines.
