When Wisconsin defeated #1 ranked Ohio State on February 12th, students and fans rushed the court en masse to celebrate the victory. Several Buckeye players got caught in the shuffle and according to freshman Jared Sullinger, one fan spit on him.

From his Twitter account that night:

“BuckeyeNation, if you ever decide to rush the court, don’t ever spit on the opponents,” the OSU freshman posted on his personal Twitter account.

“To be spit on is just nasty. On top of that, in my face, before and after the game. (Shaking My Head). I just kept walking. More fuel to the fire.”

When that tidbit of news was brought to Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan’s attention, his response was a bit surly, perhaps even confrontational.

“There’s absolutely nothing that has come to my attention, all I know is we won the game, deal with it.”

The “deal with it” line became Ohio State’s rallying cry for their final game of the season against the Badgers. Several players were even quoted as saying that they wanted to hang a 50-point win as revenge for the loss. And the fans in Columbus—well, they weren’t going to let Bo Ryan get away that easy. “Deal with it” towels were handed out to the first 1400 students through the door.

But the kicker was the intro video the Buckeyes used for Sunday’s game, taunting the coach with the line.

Oh yea, and OSU didn’t end up winning by 50—only 28. Lesson learned Bo Ryan, you’re a chump. Do everyone a favor and shut your mouth next time.

Bo Ryan Says ‘Deal With It’ [The Ozone]

.933

Nobody wants to play the Ohio State Buckeyes right now, especially with the way they’ve been shooting. A few nights back, Jon Diebler went 10-12 behind the arc tying a Big Ten record for three-pointers in a game. But yesterday’s team performance against Wisconsin was even better. At one point, the Buckeyes sank 14 in a row in their quest to avenge an earlier loss to Wisconsin at the Kohl.

7

It was just a few weeks back that the Los Angeles Lakers looked like a dysfunctional team. Multiple losses in a row and a couple in blowout fashion. Some wondered if the back-to-back champs had lost their lust for regular season basketball and were just trying to cruise their way into the playoffs. But a bulb went off for Kobe Bryant two weeks ago and since then, the Lakers have reeled off seven in a row including a dominating win over the league-leading San Antonio Spurs on Sunday.

4:36

With 4:36 remaining in the third quarter, the entire New Orleans Hornets franchise and fans held their collective breath. While driving to the lane Chris Paul collided with another player and grabbed at his neck. He laid on the ground for several minutes before a stretcher took him off the court and to a nearby hospital. Thankfully, CP3 will make a recovery as it appears he just has a “jammed neck” of sorts.

68

One of the first teams to punch their ticket to March Madness was the Indiana State Sycamores of the Missouri Valley conference. In a year where the Sycamores were picked to finish 7th in the league, they beat a heavily favored Missouri State team. And now they must watch and wait, hoping for one of the at-large bids in the 68 team tournament. Unfortunately for MSU, they don’t nearly have the quality wins that many other teams on the bubble do.

4

For the fourth time in as many years, Barry Bonds plead not guilty to perjury charges. This of course stems from a 2003 grand jury probe into the BALCO labs. Investigators believed Bonds lied about receiving drugs from the laboratory amongst a host of other “small white lies”. However, this case has now dragged on for years and the longer it goes on, the more likely Bonds will walk scot-free and the taxpayers will have an enormous bill to pay for legal services.

29

Serena Williams’ health has been a cause for concern for almost a year now. Her mysterious foot injury kept her away from the game even though many in the media believed that she has been healthy enough to participate. But this latest incident certainly raises an eyebrow. Williams was taken to the hospital with blood clots in her lungs and emergency surgery was performed. No other information was given from her representative.

11.1

BYU has been known in the past for making their students adhere to a strict honor code. Regardless of who breaks it, that person is punished to the fullest extent. No exceptions are made as is the case with star forward Brandon Davies who is now out of the year for violation of that code. Davies will be sorely missed on the front line as he contributed heavily to the tune of 11.1 pts and 6.2 rebs per game.

10

We’d like to tell you that Ohio State’s Jon Diebler’s 30 points came on a wide array of shots. Drives to the lane, floaters, dunks, layups and even an occasional jump shot–but we’d by lying. Diebler went 10/12 from the 3-point line and scored every one of his points behind the arc in a Buckeye romp of Penn State. OSU looks poised for a deep tournament run and barring catastrophe, will get a #1 seed in their bracket.

A 15-year-old victim, also a student at the school, told Cleveland police on Tuesday that Carter came to one of her classes and asked her to go with him. He told her he needed to measure her for an ROTC uniform and took her to a room behind the school’s auditorium.

“Once inside the room, (Carter) asked the victim to take off her sweat shirt and shirt so he could take her measurements,” the police report said. “He cut off the lights … and stated ‘I need you to take your bra off.’ The arrested male than put his arms under her arms from behind and attempted to pull her bra up.”

Carter admitted that he used this little game on several woman and even kept their breast measurements in a book. While this is disgusting and obviously shows Carter has some serious sexual problems, I do find it somewhat hilarious that he was meticulous enough to bookkeep the entire operation. That either makes him very organized or a pretty poor criminal.

A part of me thinks it’s probably a combination of all of the above.

But don’t worry Buckeye fans, Carter will be amped and ready to go sometime in 2012. I have a feeling Jim Tressel might make him take a redshirt this year.

Chris Carter Arrested: Ohio State Football Recruit Booked For Sexual Imposition [Huffington Post]

XLV

The Super Bowl traveled down south this year to avoid weather calamities like the blizzard that’s about to hit the entire midwest and northeast. But apparently, Dallas is just a bit too close as sleet and frozen rain covered city streets as people arrived this morning. Yes, the dome will be closed for Super Bowl XLV itself, but the complaints from the media and fans will be incessant unless this lets up soon.

21

Make that 21 losses in a row for the lowly Cleveland Cavaliers. This time at the hand of a familiar foe, LeBron James and the Miami Heat. But don’t worry Cleveland fans, the King feels bad for you. “I wish the organization the best. And I wish the fans, more than anything, the best because we had a lot of great years together.”

.31

Ohio State might be the #1 team by the polls, but on the court, the Texas Longhorns might be the more impressive team. Last night, they won their first game at College Station since 2004 in impressive fashion, 69-49. It’s the defensive end that is really surprising teams too. Because of their length, the Longhorns can force teams into tough shots. Last night, the Aggies were only able to make 17 field goals on 31% shooting.

100,000

The man responsible for the infamous trip on a punt return that caused waves on the internet has now resigned from the New York Jets. Strength coach Sal Alosi, embarrassingly called it quits yesterday. “After the events that have transpired, I feel it’s best for my family and me to look for a fresh start.” The Jets were ultimately fined 100k for the incident including 50k from Alosi’s pocket.

.067

After only their third win in almost two years, the Detroit Lions boast a paltry .067 winning percentage. But let’s not rain on their parade too much. Their dominating win over the Rams Sunday showed teams that the Lions aren’t the pushover most thought they were this year. In fact, had it not been for one of the stupidest rules in sports during Week 1, you’re arguably looking at the best .500 team in the NFL.

100

Yet again, more problems at the Commonwealth games. Although, this one is probably more on the athletes themselves. Nigerian sprinter Osayomi Oludamola tested positive for Methylexanemine and her 100-meter win will more than likely be stripped. Oddly enough though, the substance can be found in OTC nutritional supplements and cooking oils. Given the Commonwealth games’ problems with sanitation, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was found in the drinking water too.

175

According to the NFL, there are roughly 175 concussions a year. The latest culprit was none other than Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers who suffered the injury on the last offensive play of the game versus the Redskins. No word yet on his status for next week.

12

We certainly applaud the regular season effort from the Minnesota Twins the last few years. But their playoff performances leave a lot to be desired. They lost in the first round…..AGAIN and were swept by the New York Yankees ….AGAIN. It’s starting to become a yearly tradition folks. The loss marked the Twins’ 12th straight in postseason play. That level of ineptitude has only been matched by one other organization, the Boston Red Sox, who boast 13 consecutive losses on their resume.

3

There simply isn’t a rock big enough to hide a person after three errors in a playoff game. So in a way, we feel for Braves second baseman Brooks Conrad. His multi-error game essentially cost the Braves a win when in the 9th inning a ball rolled just below his glove to score the winning run. “It was completely embarrassing…once again, I feel like I let everyone down”, Conrad said afterwards. Bobby Cox said he was unsure if the second baseman would get a chance to redeem himself in Game 4.

19

Alabama’s 19-game winning streak came to a screeching halt over the weekend in South Carolina. And now, for the first time in quite a while, the SEC does not hold the top spot in the AP polls. The unbeaten Buckeyes who seem destined to roll through the Big Ten undefeated stand at #1 today.

1972

Don Shula and the 1972 Dolphins will be popping their Champagne bottles much earlier than expected this year. Just five weeks into the NFL season and not a single undefeated NFL team remains. The NFL wanted parity and they certainly have it. A month into the season and the Cowboys, who many picked to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, have as many wins as the Detroit Lions.

73

After Eastern Michigan gave up 73 points to OSU over the weekend which included a trick play throwback to quarterback Terrelle Pryor after being up more than 40 points, coach Ron English had this to say.
“Every dog has his day. I’ve had my days. I’m taking mine right now. I’m sure there’ll be a day when I’m giving mine again, whether it be here or somewhere else. But I promise you, I’ll be back giving my butt-whuppins out, too. It goes around.

.902

When Sebastian Janikowski stepped up to a kick a 32-yard field goal for the win Sunday, everyone thought it was in the bag. Raiders Coach Tom Cable even raised his arms triumphantly as the kick went up. Instead, Janikowski for only the 8th time in his career missed from the 30-yard distance (.902). A quick reminder as well, he’s the highest paid kicker in the history of the league. Would love to hear the conversation between Janikowski and Raiders owner Al Davis this morning.

12

You want concrete proof that preseason polls are beyond useless? Texas got stomped at home and only managed 12 points in a loss to a bad UCLA team who were 1-2 on the season. Texas, who was ranked #7 going into the game dropped to #16 in the coaches poll and #21 on the AP. Prior success and history somehow kept them amongst the top 25. But anybody who watched the game would probably beg to differ.

.057

That paltry number represents the Detroit Lions winning percentage dating back to the 2008 season. Their record? An astounding 2-35. Many in the organization had high hopes coming into the season and several thought a .500 record was indeed possible. But in a matter of a few hours in the opener, things quickly took a detour. Star quarterback Matthew Stafford hurt his shoulder and a win over Chicago was erased by a stupidly worded rule. To make matters worse, 1st round pick Jahvid Best is now out with “sprained toe ligaments”.

11.35

Jim Furyk hit arguably the most expensive shot in golf history Sunday. Needing to save par to avoid a playoff with Luke Donald, Furyk popped a shot perfectly out of a greenside bunker to within feet of the hole. Not only did he win the Tour Championship worth 1.35 million dollars because of it but he was also the winner of the Fed Ex Cup points title. By the way, that prize, an incredible 10 million dollars. How’d you like to stand over a ball and have that much on the line? And yes MJ, that question obviously does not apply to you.

111.7

The surprising team of the NFL season thus far? The Kansas City Chiefs, who rolled to a 3-0 record after dismantling the San Francisco 49ers yesterday. One-time backup Matt Cassell was nothing short of brilliant racking up 250 yards, 3tds, and a 111.7 rating.

4,000

Betty and Jonathan Hutchinson are certainly agile for their age. The 90, 88-year old couple respectively traveled over 4000 miles to watch the U.S. women battle in the Czech Republic for the World Championship. The Hutchinson’s, who are die hard UCONN supporters were excited to watch alums Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird perform. Now, if only the WNBA could get this kind of support.

So we here at Guyism are giving you the highlights of most of the bowl games with a short picture essay.

Texas Tech’s Adam James was booed mercifully by Tech fans as he left the field during halftime of the Alamo Bowl. Because of the “danger to his life, he was escorted by several security guards. Luckily for James and Red Raider nation, Texas Tech was able to pull out a victory amongst all the strife in their program.

Sarah Thomas became the first woman to officiate a bowl game. Oddly enough, this was the most intriguing thing about the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl. Well that, and my ability to finish two Hot N’ Ready’s during the game.

If you missed the Auburn-Northwestern game you missed one of the wildest finishes in college football this year. You also apparently missed one hell of a titty twister.

Or is that a purple nurple?

Speaking of feeling purple, consider this kicker from ECU the Goat of the bowl season. Missing 4 field goals including several chip shots in the 30 yard range that would have won the Pirates the game. But as bad as he was, at least he didn’t get suspended for a food fight like two of his teammates.

One of the all-time greats Bobby Bowden is carried off the field by his players after defeating West Virginia in the Gator Bowl. Bowden may look happy here but he is steaming inside knowing his nemesis Joe Paterno is still coaching.

As happy as Jim Tressel is that his Buckeyes won the Rose Bowl and that he probably has a Heisman candidate in Terrelle Pryor next year, I’m guessing that the viewers don’t really want to see him making out with his wife. That is, unless you have one of those “old people getting it on” fetishes.

June Jones’ SMU team may have beaten Nevada in the Hawaii Bowl, but Jones doesn’t look too thrilled here about his return to the island We’re thinking he should just be happy he got lei’d.

How many Tigers fans out there would love to give Les Miles a punch of their own? After starting off the season 5-0, LSU limped to the finish losing 3 of their last 5 games including a 19-17 loss to Penn State in the Capital One Bowl. Its a wonder if this time next year, Les Miles will be getting a call from Wolverine nation.

Amidst speculation that he hit a player a few months ago, South Florida coach Jim Leavitt was still able to enjoy a Gatorade bath after defeating NIU in the International bowl. If Leavitt returns next year, the Bulls will be one of the most dangerous teams in the Big East

Easily the worst bowl game of the BCS era. Few wondered if Cincinnati could even hang with the Gators with Brian Kelly at the helm. Without him, they barely put up a fight as they were down 30-3 at halftime.

Embarrassing.

You see a lot of this after football games now.  Youtube is full of them.  Guys thinking that people care about why their team lost, complaining about the refs, making fun of other teams fans, etc…

But rarely, and I mean rarely do you ever see fans so angry that they challenge one of the players on their team to a fight.

That is, until this guy. (3:15 mark)

He calls himself the Redneck  Rocker…Although the video is a bit lengthy, you’ll find right away that its worth watching for the high comedic value.

Not everybody’s the perfect person in the world. I mean everyone kills people, murders people, steals from you, steals from me, whatever.

And just to refresh our memory Mr. Pryor, how many people have you killed and stole from in your lifetime? You know, just so we can put this quote into context.

9. Because that liar “Joe the Plumber” is a fan

8. Two words: Maurice Clarett

7. Because Brutus makes kids cry

6. Because they masturbate at the library

5. Because they import prostitutes to dance with their recruits

4. Because they choke their own players

3. Because they don’t know how to raise their kids

2. Because they have a fan named “Captain Ohio”

and finally,

1. Because this chick says so

Well, color me surprised, somebody thinks Thad Matta is a jerk.

“Listen, if you can’t get along with a kid like Kosta, then you’re clueless,” Greynolds said. “If you’re making $2 million season and can’t figure out how to use a 7-foot-1 kid, you’re clueless. If you can’t get along with a kid who comes early, stays late and gets good grades, you’re clueless, and you’ve got the problem.”

Of all the coaches in the NCAA, I would have never thought somebody would say this about Matta. Look at the guy, he looks like such a wholesome human being. With that cheap salesman suit, who wouldn’t be impressed.

Michigan State 67
Ohio State 60

Illinois 74
Purdue 67

Minnesota 59
Indiana 58

So you’re on the bubble huh? What’s your RPI? What’s your SOS? How many games did you win in conference?

Those are some of the things the selection committee will be looking at come Sunday. In reality though, they should be concerned with more pressing issues like:

What kind of talent are these schools bringing in with their cheerleaders.

Guyism looks at a new rating system for the Selection Committee to consider:

CHF(Cheerleader Hotness Factor)

Oregon

18-12······RPI 53·········SOS 26······CHF···9

Outside of some of the southern schools, Oregon’s cheerleaders have about as strong a resume as you can find. They’re versatile, they’re athletic, they’re strong. Pretty good case for this bubble team. High CHF can only help.

VERDICT: IN

Arizona State

19-11······RPI 76······SOS 88······CHF···4

Given the exploits of ex-cheerleader Courtney Simpson, we understandly completely what ASU cheerleaders are capable of. The tail at ASU is rivaled by no other school so it makes sense that their CHF is so high. An easy decision with this one.

VERDICT: IN

Ohio State

19-12······RPI 50······SOS······18······CHF···128

Has the State of Ohio produced anything good in the last 100 years. I ask this in all sincerity. Pasty white thighs just aren’t going to cut it for the selection committee this time around.

VERDICT: OUT

Florida

21-10······RPI 65······SOS······91······CHF···32

So let me get this straight. This is the same school that produced ESPNs Erin Andrews? Shouldn’t that get you an automatic bid?

VERDICT: IN

4 more Bubble Teams Tomorrow……

I did not watch the MSU-OSU game yesterday and frankly, maybe its best that I didnt. MSU blew a 10 point second half lead and lost to a very weak opponent. The turnover problems that many Spartan fans had hoped
were gone, returned in dramatic fashion to the tune of 21 turnovers.

To put it bluntly, 21 turnovers isn’t acceptable on any level of basketball. Certainly not in college, not in high school and hell, it would be sloppy even for a kiddie game.

So where does the blame lie? Most fans are reluctant to blame Coach Izzo because of the wild success he had 8 years ago. But therein lies the problem. 8 years ago was the last time this team had expectations and
actually met them. Even the 2005 team had to sneak their way into a final four via a 5 seed.

The last time this team won a regular season championship was 2001. To put that into perspective, if next year State fails to win the Big Ten again, two full recruiting classes will have come through here without raising that banner.

For years we kept saying, “oh, we lost some players early to the draft, its hard to recover from that”. After that we said, “well Hill, Anderson and Torbert weren’t Izzo type players”. And still after that fans said, “Davis, Ager and Brown were good players but didnt play well as a team”.

Hmmm?

The one constant in all of this is the coaching staff. A coaching staff in my opinion who has done its worst job to date. Make no bones about it, 12-6 this year in this conference is not something MSU should hang their hat on. The road losses to Iowa, Penn State and even Ohio State are embarrassing. And when was the last time MSU went on the road in conference and beat someone they weren’t supposed to?

Its been so long I can’t remember.

I defended Tom Izzo for years from the likes of rival fans who said that he had one good run and after that, was no different than many other programs in the country. I pointed to the elite eight in 2003 and the final four in 2005 as examples. But if Tom Izzo believes his program is elite, it cannot be defined by a few games here and there in March. There needs to be a time when this team steps up and wins game they shouldn’t. They need to win games on the road. They need to win regular season championships.

6-19 on the road in the last three years in Big Ten play does not scream elite. It screams mediocrity. And frankly, if Izzo doesn’t change something soon, that’s what the program he made will become.