Why Ohio State Will Win the National Championship -- By Mark Titus

• osu45804

  

  http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/7123675/why-ohio-state-win-national-championship
• Y-Town Steelhound

  

  Makes a lot of great points. Always great to read Titus' work.
• LJ

  

  OMFG
  

  he promises to give Ohio State multiple low-post threats for the first time since Greg Oden and his penis were an unstoppable 1-2 punch in 2007.

  ROFL!!!
• FatHobbit

  

  I don't think he gave Kentucky enough credit for beating the Buckeyes last year. And we have to replace 3 out of 5 starters. (I guess really only 2 because craft played so much) I do hope he's right.
• Writerbuckeye

  

  FatHobbit;939766 wrote:I don't think he gave Kentucky enough credit for beating the Buckeyes last year. And we have to replace 3 out of 5 starters. (I guess really only 2 because craft played so much) I do hope he's right.

  Regardless of credit to UK, I'd say if OSU was going to win the whole thing, it would have been last year with Lighty and Diebler leading the way.
  
  I hope he's right, of course, but it takes almost a magic formula of talent and good fortune to win an NCAA tournament...and a big part of the good fortune is the draw you receive.
• Mulva

  

  Ohio State wasn't far and away the best team last season, and I agree he didn't give Kentucky nearly enough credit.
• Terry_Tate

  

  Kentucky: http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/7121706/why-kentucky-wildcats-win-national-championship
  
  North Carolina: http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/7114532/why-north-carolina-tar-heels-win-national-championship
  
  Duke: http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/7118197/why-duke-win-national-championship
  
  Here are the other parts from the series.
• Iliketurtles

  

  Great read. Titus's article has been the best one so far.
• Laley23

  

  I don't think anything will keep me from taking UNC all year long. But OSU, UCONN (rare to go back to back though) UK, and Cuse will give them a run for their money.
• rightfield

  Titus was a great, great read. He rolls a lot of insightful basketball talk inside a blanket of humor. Ingenious. He slid that Oden penis comment in there with great sneakiness.
• Y-Town Steelhound

  

  He gave UK plenty of credit. What you're ignoring is his point that OSU had a terrible game and still had a shot to win the game at the end (Still bitter about Buford and his 2-14 feeling he needed to take that last shot instead of Diebler).
• Big Gain

  Kentucky wins by TWO POINTS, because Will Buford had the worst game of his entire life and Kentucky's #5 option Josh Harrelson had the best game of his entire life.
• Big Gain

  A couple of other nuggets from Mark Titus.
  
  He says Deshaun Thomas is already his favorite Ohio State player of all time. He said Thomas will get the chance this year to show that he's the best "natural scorer" Ohio State has seen for many years.
  
  Did you know that Ohio State has the youngest team in the Big Ten this year? Evan Ravenal, a Dallas Lauderdale clone with 3 years of college basketball under his belt, will be called on to do the dirty work in the past that Matta likes to see.
• Big Gain

  A couple of other nuggets from Mark Titus.
  
  He says Deshaun Thomas is already his favorite Ohio State player of all time. He said Thomas will get the chance this year to show that he's the best "natural scorer" Ohio State has seen for many years.
  
  Did you know Ohio State has the youngest team in the Big Ten this year? Evan Ravenal, a Dallas Lauderdale clone with 3 years of college basketball under his belt, will be called on to do the dirty work in the post that Matta likes to see.
• Hb31187

  

  Deshaun Thomas and Buford will be having a battle this year as to who can throw up the wildest/most shots per game
• Writerbuckeye

  

  Hb31187;942066 wrote:Deshaun Thomas and Buford will be having a battle this year as to who can throw up the wildest/most shots per game

  I'm going to bet the number of wild shots will diminish greatly this season between those two. In fact, I'll say it goes down to almost nothing. Thomas is going to be a major force around the basket more than he is outside, and Buford (if he just shows the same natural improvement as he has so far) will be very selective and deadly with his shooting.
• dlazz

  OSU needs to get through Wright State before they start talking about National Championships. WSU gonna lay the smackdown on the Buckeyes.
• Big Gain

  ya, Wright State is so good ESPN did not have an alumni wright an article on why their school should be considered the favorite for the National Championship this year. The Top Five schools in their Preseason Poll all had an ex-players write an article.
  
  DOOFUS
• Hb31187

  

  Writerbuckeye;944959 wrote:I'm going to bet the number of wild shots will diminish greatly this season between those two. In fact, I'll say it goes down to almost nothing. Thomas is going to be a major force around the basket more than he is outside, and Buford (if he just shows the same natural improvement as he has so far) will be very selective and deadly with his shooting.

  
  I can see what you mean with Thomas around the basket and i can agree with that. But Buford....he will be jackin shots. Dont get me wrong, hes a VERY talented player...but he is what he is.... a gunner
• hoops23

  

  He shot 46% last season, including 44% from 3. He usually picks his spots in games.
  
  Can he get trigger happy? Of course. He's a jump shooter.
• Big Gain

  If Buford averages 18ppg he becomes Ohio State's all time leading scorer. He had his career bad game last year against Kentucky. I'd be willing to bet Matta wants him taking at least 15 shoots per game. He has the sweetest 12-15 foot pull up jumper I have seen in LONG time.
• Mulva

  

  Writerbuckeye;944959 wrote:Thomas is going to be a major force around the basket more than he is outside

  I do not see that happening.
• Big Gain

  If Buford averages 17ppg he becomes Ohio State's all time leading scorer. He had his career bad game last year against Kentucky. I'd be willing to bet Matta wants him taking 12-15 shoots per game for the team to make a longer run this year. He has the sweetest 12-15 foot pull up jumper I have seen in a LONG time.
• Big Gain

  Mulva;946167 wrote:I do not see that happening.

  You don't??? Last year 62 of his 131 rebounds were offensive rebounds.
• Mulva

  

  Big Gain;946196 wrote:You don't??? Last year 62 of his 131 rebounds were offensive rebounds.

  What does that average out to, like 1.5 per game?
  
  The guy is a shooter. He's going to shoot. I'm not saying he can't score around the hoop, but he isn't going to spend 80% of his time in there and be a "force".