 Michael Chung (10:36 am)
Nicole Lynn Meyer, also known as Nicki, is the oldest of three children born to Urban and Shelley Meyer. She is currently a junior at Georgia Tech University on a volleyball scholarship. She is majoring in Management/Communications and was one of only thirty-three players in the Atlantic Coast to be named to the 2011 All-ACC Academic Volleyball Team. She took some time to answer a few questions about her life and of course her father.
What are the pressures you face being “Urban Meyer’s daughter?”
NM: I wouldn't really call it pressure, but it can be a challenge. The most challenging part has to be sharing him with the football team when I wanted him to come to a volleyball game. I had to be understanding when he couldn't always make it.
The other challenging part is dealing with all the negativity in the media. It's hard to hear things like that about your dad and not be able to do anything about it.
How has you mother dealt with all the scrutiny of being “Urban Meyer’s wife?” How has your mom held the family together during your dad’s coaching career?
NM: She is the strongest person I know. Not a doubt in my mind. It is beyond me how she has handled it and without her the Meyer family would be totally dysfunctional.
 Sully looks towards the NBA Dave Thurman (6:39 pm)
It has been a busy first half of the week with lots of Buckeye news coming out of Columbus. Let's hit a few of the high points with a little commentary thrown in by yours truly:
Who is staying and going: Well, one thing we know for sure - Jared Sullinger is headed to the NBA after a stellar two year career in scarlet and gray. He is more than ready in my opinion, and the only thing coming back could do is: 1) Lead to injury, or 2) Cause his stock to go down. In the present climate it is actually best for a player who has a great freshman season to go pro. I hate it, but that is the reality. If you come back the scouts start to pick your game apart, and rival coaches work to figure out a way to stop you. This season Sully clearly missed Diebler, Lighty and Lauderdale, each for a different reason, and you could tell he wasn't having as much fun as he did in 2010-11. In fact I thought he had moments when he became selfish and sullen. But the fact is, Jared is a class kid from a great family, and he provided a lot of thrills to Buckeye fans. It is time for him to move on, and I wish him the best. Projections have him being taken between the 7th and 10th pick of the first round, and Sully is about to make a whole lot of money.
On the other hand, I believe Deshaun Thomas needs to return for one more year. He improved greatly this season, and became a scoring machine down the stretch. But the other parts of his game need fine-tuning. Thomas struggles at times on defense, and is still not much of a ball handler or passer. In the NBA he will need to play small forward, and I don't think he is ready to guard the amazing athletes that play that position for pay. He will never have great lateral quickness, but Deshaun can work hard to become a more complete player and improve his draft position, in my opinion. At the end of the day I think he will go pro, but I hope I'm wrong.
 Michael Chung (10:14 am)
After a big recruiting weekend, the Buckeyes secured two commitments, one being St. Louis Missouri running back Ezekiel Elliott. Elliott is a speedy back who can also catch the ball out of the backfield; the exact type of back Urban Meyer wants to have. When Deveon Smith committed to UM, I really thought Urban was looking for a speed back with good hands to catch the ball. Elliott filled that role perfectly. He took some time to answer a few questions.
Many ND fans felt you were an Irish lock, what convinced you that Ohio State was the place for you?
EE: On my 2nd visit to OSU I was really impressed. ND is a great school but after I researched the academics, met with the medical school, got to know a lot of people, I felt OSU was a good fit. Meeting with professors in medical college was important but also I have strong relationships with Noah Spence, Armani Reeves, and Cam Williams and I spent a lot of time with them as well as David Perkins. People sold me. Every school has good facilities, education, the difference is the people because these are people you spend the next four years with. OSU was a better fit for me.
Have you talked to Brian Kelly? What did he say to you after you told him?
EE: I did not talk to Brian Kelly, I talked to coach Tony Alford and Bob Elliot. They were disappointed. When I thought through this process I decided once I committed to a school I am committed 100% and will not waver. I will keep my word, my OSU decision is final.
 Michael Chung (5:11 pm)
Buckeye Nation often points to the hiring of Urban Meyer on November 28, 2011 as the turning point of one of the worst years in Ohio State football history, but one week before Meyer was hired, Ohio State received a commitment from Cincinnati Taft DE Adolphus Washington who many regarded as the top player in Ohio. Upon his commitment to play for the Buckeyes, he mentioned that he hoped to play for Urban Meyer; he received his wish. I had a chance to ask him a few questions. He also has a nickname, "Diesel," so his initials will be AD for his first name and his nickname.
You committed before Urban Meyer took the job, why did you commit then?
AD: I committed because the coaches still were trying to get me to come there even though they knew they were not going to be there so I knew I was going to a good school, but the main reason I went was because it was my dream school.
Would you have de-committed had Urban Meyer not taken the job?
AD: No, I would of stayed committed because I love Ohio State.
Why do you think Ohio State has not been strong in recruiting Cincinnati?
AD: Honestly, I don't know but we do have a lot of talent in the Cincinnati area.
 Dave and Drew Thurman (1:03 pm)
Family Feud is a feature where Dave and Drew throw their opinions in on various Buckeye football subjects, which like most father and sons, are quite opposite. This edition takes a look at some of the hot topics surrounding spring practice, along with some opinions on the upcoming spring game.
There are some interesting position battles to watch this spring at spots like offensive line, linebacker, running back and safety. Which are you the most interested in keeping tabs on this spring?
Dave: Wow, can I say that I am interested in all of those positions? I guess the ones I am most worried about are the offensive line and safety, so I'll settle with them. If the five guys penciled in as starters stay healthy the line could be pretty good, but there is a need to develop depth, and I will be watching to see who steps to the plate. Safety may be an even bigger concern. After C.J. Barnett I'm not sold on anyone. Christian Bryant has potential, but should play a lot at the Star. Beyond them are veterans who have failed to impress, and young guys who need to prove themselves. It should be interesting. By the way, I am also very interested to see how wide receiver shapes up after the spring.
Drew: Well unlike you, I can pick just one. I'm also interested to watch the offensive line, but not because I'm worried about depth. Instead, I'm interested because so far the line has a slightly different look than anyone expected. Jack Mewhort is out at left tackle and Andrew Norwell is at left guard, most saw that the opposite way around. Corey Linsley is repping with the ones at center, instead of the projection that Brian Bobek would inherit Brewster's job. Marcus Hall is starting at right guard, who many thought would be the odd man out with Linsley at that spot. So there is a lot of moving around on the line and I'm interested to see how it plays out. I also think the second unit will be tough with Baldwin, Carter, Bobek, Underwood and Brown/Decker, and I'm excited to see which of those guys can earn some reps.
 Drew Thurman (11:37 pm) The staff had a lot of talent on campus this weekend, and they are already seeing the fruit from their hard work. Earlier in the evening we found out running back Ezekiel Elliot had committed to Ohio State, and now we know safety Jayme Thompson (Toledo Central Catholic) has also jumped on board. Those two give the Buckeyes seven commitments overall in the 2013 class. The 6-2 and 185 pound Thompson was originally committed to West Virginia, a decision he made right after National Signing Day in February. He continued to bring in offers though, including one from Ohio State this last week. That offer produced an unofficial visit to Columbus this weekend, which was enough to switch his commitment from the Mountaineers to the Buckeyes. Thompson is ranked a three star prospect by Scout and 247Sports, while being ranked a four star by Rivals. He had offers from the likes of West Virginia, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Missouri, Illinois, Vanderbilt, Louisville, Michigan, and many more. He's the fifth Ohio player in the 2013 class, and joins Cameron Burrows and Eli Woodward as the third member of the defensive backfield. Rivals has all three ranked in the top 150 in the country. Meyer and the staff will likely still look for a couple more defensive backs in this class, especially one more guy to join Thompson at safety. As for now, the defensive backfield is already looking loaded. Welcome aboard Mr. Thompson!
 Dave Thurman (4:02 pm) Urban Meyer has been looking high an low for explosive playmakers, and nabbed one this weekend in running back Ezekiel Elliott, the sixth player to commit in the class of 2013. Hailing from St. Louis (Mo.) Burroughs, Eliott is 6 feet, 195 pounds of pure speed. This past season he ran for 1,802 yards and 42 touchdowns, while catching another 23 passes for 401 yards and six more scores. Equally gifted in track, Elliott won a Class Three state title in the 110-hurdles (14.1) and finished second in the 300-hurdles (37.85) in 2011, as a sophomore. He reportedly plans to run track at OSU as well as playing football. As has been repeatedly noted, Meyer is casting a wide net, going after lots of big-time national recruits with a first come-first serve attitude. It would seem that the clock is now ticking for long time Buckeye lean Derrick Green and other high profile running backs considering Columbus as a destination. Elliott chose Ohio State over Notre Dame, as well as offers from the likes of Arizona State, Arkansas, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas State, Missouri, Nebraska, Penn State, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Virginia and Wisconsin. Watching a couple of spring practices and hanging with Coach Meyer was enough to cause him to flip the switch in favor of the Buckeyes. Ranked as a three star recruit by 247 Sports, and a four star by Scout and Rivals, there is no doubt he is the kind of player Urban has been searching for since he arrived in Columbus.
 Ken Kohl (1:20 pm)
Apologies to T. S. Eliot:
This is how the world ends,
Not with a bang but a whimper.
This will be a relatively short recap, since we all were witness to the crime scene against Kansas. I can sum this up in three phrases; “poor 2nd half shooting”, “getting beat in transition baskets”, and “not much contribution from the bench”. I wish I were posting this as an April Fool's joke, but, alas....
First, congratulations to the Kansas Jayhawks on their win. They may or may not have been the better team, but they were when it counted. The Buckeyes stunned them in the first half, but, as they’ve been doing throughout the tournament, Kansas played much better ball in the 2nd half. Much better than Ohio State did, in fact.
This is it, folks. Kansas vs. Ohio State for a chance to play for the National Championship. This round of BBN LiveBlogs is provided courtesy of The Buckeye Room. If you have a few minutes go over and check out some of their stuff, they helped contribute to the BBN Tournament Pool Winner. Use code "MADNESS2012" to get 20% off. The LiveBlog will get going at 6 PM EST for the Kentucky-Lousiville game and will be up and running through the Buckeyes game. As usual, we will be joining the other guys from the Buckeye Blogger Network - Men of the Scarlet and Gray, Our Honor Defend, The Buckeye Battle Cry, Buckeye House Call, the Buckeye Blog, and Fox Sports Ohio.
 Robinson killed OSU back in December. Drew Thurman (12:09 pm)
It's hard to believe the Buckeye find themselves here. Not only are they playing in the Final Four for a shot at a national title, a place very few thought this team would be just a month ago, but they get a second chance to knock off a Kansas team that defeated them early this season.
In that game back in December, a Sully-less OSU squad battled hard in Allen Fieldhouse, but would ultimately come up short 78-67. William Buford went 8 for 23 in that game (1/6 from three) while Amir Williams and Evan Ravenel got beat up by Robinson, who went for 21 points and seven rebounds. He and the Jayhawks shot a staggering 58% from the floor that afternoon and 52% from behind the three point stripe.
Now nearly four months later they meet again in the Final Four, a place the Jayhawks haven't been since winning the title back in 2008. For Thad Matta, he returns for this first time since 2007 when he and the Buckeyes fell short to Florida in the championship game.
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