Survive and Advance Part Two

SAN ANTONIO, TX - Wow. Down 36-16 with 9:33 left to go in the first half, the Buckeyes' two best players were out with foul trouble and most OSU fans we're reminded of a certain national championship debacle that had transpired just three months prior. Next thing you know the Buckeyes slash the Volunteer lead to 6 roughly six minutes into the second half. With Oden on the sideline in foul trouble much of the second half, the Buckeyes took the lead and held on for dear life as they advanced to the Elite 8 for the just the second time since Scoonie Penn and John Sanderson allegedly appeared in the Final Four in '99.

It seemed like the absolute worst-case scenario for the Bucks in the first half as UT was raining down threes and the Buckeyes' best players were in significant foul trouble (Oden's third came just 14 minutes into the game). Their 19-game winning streak was in serious jeopardy, while Oden had just 2 points on 1 attempt in the first half. They persevered, and drove to the basket on almost every possession as they battled back relentlessly. Who would have thought a Big Ten team could win a game played in the mid-80's? Bo Ryan must have had multiple heart attacks.

It's now down to chalk in the South and the Buckeyes face Memphis Saturday at 4:40. I'm guessing a 20 point deficit isn't exactly in the game plan when they face the Tigers. Go Bucks. Continue Entry»

24 Hours Later...

SYRACUSE, NY - The CursedCleveland.com board of directors and editorial staff made a pledge yesterday shortly after the seedings were announced to avoid any knee-jerk postings about the selections. We fully recognize the complexities involved, such as whether or not chairman Gary Walters had to purchase an additional airline seat for his ego en route to Indy.

Now, I have to fully admit my bias here, I did attend Syracuse and yes, I went on a double date or two with Eric Devendorf. But how does a team not on the bubble find themselves left out of the tournament all together? That makes about as much sense as the Norton Furniture ad campaign. Jim Boeheim was understandably incensed. He appeared on "Mike and Mike," "Dan Patrick Show," and the "Jim Rome" show. The guy had more radio air time in the past 24 hours than Justin Timberlake. So in case you missed it, he wasn't camping happily.

You have to imagine the collective Orange nation was on suicide watch last night (You think I'm joking? One former comedian and Cuse enthusiast had the Orange on the 8-line). Syracuse had made itself a pretty good home in the tournament during the Boeheim era. Unfortunately for the Orange, the Cuse is definitely NOT in the house this time around. Oh My God. Continue Entry»

Road to the Final Four

So let me get this straight: The Buckeyes win their conference outright in the regular season, they win the conference tournament, they are No. 1 in both polls, No. 1 in the sacred RPI rankings, they're the 3rd hottest team in the nation with 17 wins in a row, undefeated at home (with arguably the worst homecourt advantage in the country), best major conference record in the country, a win over the No 1 team in the country, went toe to toe with Carolina w/o their dominant center; and they get the No. 3 overall one-seed in the country? Even George O'Leary couldn't have conjured up a better resume.

Despite the lack of respect, early returns are that the South sets up pretty well for a Buckeye run into the final four. Tennessee is all that stands in the way between OSU and an elite-8 appearance. Here are some random thoughts:

Hey Florida, guess you can't use the whole "nobody respects us" mantra anymore. You're No. 1, everyone respects you. (well, expect for whoever was responsible for the BCS championship gameplan).

Looks like George Mason's run last year didn't have the effect on this year's selections as was expected. Six at-large teams? Teams like 18-12 Standford are getting in?

Syracuse gets left out, despite not showing up on anyone's bubble all week long. Looks like Eric Devendorf will be handing out his cheap shots in the NIT instead. Hey Jimmy B, maybe it's time to schedule some out of conference games outside of the state of New York.

104 teams had 20 wins this year, 30 more than last season. How is that even possible?

Louisville gets "protected" as a six-seed and gets to play in Lexington? Texas A&M could get to the final four playing in San Antonio?

Poor UNC. They get what could be a brutal second round match-up with either Michigan St or Marquette (two well coached teams with go-to-guys). Advance and get to play USC or Texas?? Win and you get Georgetown (this year's winner of the annual "nobody wants to play them" award?). Continue Entry»

2007 CursedCleveland.com Bracket Extravaganza Royal

You've hated our articles, you've ridiculed our lack of humor; now it's your turn to go toe-to-toe against our hated writers in the inaugural CursedCleveland.com 2007 Bracket Extravaganza Royal. If you want in and your one of our 10 readers, you must type in your name and email address in the comment box at the lower right hand corner of the page. In return, you'll receive an invitation in your mailbox. Just make sure you sift through the usual collection of "joke of the day" and "bestiality scenario of the week" emails you're accustomed to. By the way, first prize is a one-year free subscription to our site. Continue Entry»