Ohio State

BOSTON - For a moment there, Ohio State looked done for. The Buckeyes were a step slow getting to Cincinnati shooters. As another Bearcats three-pointer rained in, Ohio State shoulders slumped on the court. For that moment, it looked like a sweep for the Big East of Thursday's three NCAA games between that conference and the Big Ten. But just as quickly, Ohio State restored its inside-outside game, forced some turnovers, recovered its equilibrium, and proved worthy of its No. 2 seed, winning the battle for Ohio by taking out the Bearcats, 81-66, at TD Garden.

Randy Ayers hopes that his new head coaching job begins in much better fashion than his previous one ended. The newly appointed 76ers head coach went 124-108 in eight seasons guiding Ohio State. The first four years he had winning seasons. The last four were losing ones. He was finally dismissed following the 1996-97 season and joined the Sixers as their physical conditioning coach shortly after. In 1994 the NCAA put Ohio State on one year of probation for rules infractions in "recruiting, extra benefits and eligibility legislation in the men's basketball and men's and women's track-and-field programs.

Damon Stringer, at 5-11, is easily the smallest starter in Ohio State's lineup. He sure plays big. Stringer scored 12 of his 21 points down the stretch last night, leading the visiting Buckeyes to a 73-71 upset over No. 8 Michigan in the Big Ten opener for both teams. "I thought Stringer did a great job down the stretch," Ohio State coach Randy Ayers said. "He was huge. " It was the third loss in four games for the slumping Wolverines (9-3), who had just returned from Honolulu, where they lost two of three in the Rainbow Classic.

COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Buckeyes' 90 years of in-state domination almost ended on a single play. John Simon pressured backup Toledo quarterback Terrance Owens, forcing an incompletion on fourth down with 48 seconds left, to preserve No. 15 Ohio State's 27-22 victory over the Rockets on Saturday. The Rockets (1-1) drove from their own 28 and were 17 yards away from becoming the first in-state team to beat the Buckeyes since 1921. Ohio State is 43-0-1 against its closest neighbors since that long ago 7-6 setback to Oberlin.

MIAMI - Ohio State's first road trip under interim coach Luke Fickell was forgettable. Former Temple coach Al Golden's first win at Miami's helm was memorable. Lamar Miller and a swarming Hurricanes defense saw to that. Miller ran for 188 yards, Jacory Harris threw two first-quarter touchdown passes to Allen Hurns, and Miami (1-1) thumped No. 17 Ohio State, 24-6, Saturday night. The Buckeyes (2-1) could get nothing going against the Hurricanes. Quarterbacks Joe Bauserman and Braxton Miller combined to complete 4 of 17 passes, and the freshman Miller had the giveaway that sealed Ohio State's fate when he had the ball punched out by Miami's Marcus Robinson with 9 minutes, 21 seconds remaining.

After rejecting offers from Arkansas and Wake Forest last year, Gary Williams has finally said yes - to Ohio State. Williams, who had a 76-44 record as basketball coach at Boston College, has accepted a five-year deal to succeed Eldon Miller at Ohio State. If Williams's contract is near what Miller's was, he will be earning about $145,000, with perks including a camp, a television show and a radio show. Williams's base salary at Ohio State will be about $75,000. "I was happy at BC; it wasn't like there were big problems there," the 40-year-old Collingswood, N.J., native said.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Still stuck under the NCAA cloud hanging over Ohio State and desperate for a way to end a two-game losing streak, interim coach Luke Fickell drew up a game plan Saturday that conservative Buckeye legend Woody Hayes would have loved. Keep the ball on the ground and out of freshman quarterback Braxton Miller's hands, lean hard on tailback Daniel Herron - playing his first game since January after serving a pair of NCAA suspensions - and count on the defense to stop No. 16 Illinois.

TEMPLE'S FOOTBALL coaching staff lost one member and retained another yesterday. Zach Smith, the Owls' wide receivers coach and special-teams coordinator, was named the wide receivers coach at Ohio State. Offensive coordinator Scot Loefler, who seemed to be a favorite for the head-coaching job at Akron, reportedly told the Zips he couldn't accept the job, and they instead selected former Auburn coach Terry Bowden. Smith spent the 2010 season at Marshall as the wide receivers and special teams coach.

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Braxton Miller threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to Devin Smith with 20 seconds left to give Ohio State a 33-29 victory over No. 12 Wisconsin on Saturday night. It was almost exactly seven days earlier that the Badgers were beaten 37-31 at Michigan State on a miracle pass on the final play of the game. The latest heartbreak, just like that one, wasn't confirmed until it passed a video review. The Buckeyes (5-3, 2-2 Big Ten) won their biggest game of a season shadowed by NCAA problems.

SAN ANTONIO - By unofficial count, Greg Oden was only asked the same question 24 times. Or once for every minute that he was able to play on Saturday at the Alamodome. Yet, as each fresh media wave converged upon his locker, he sat totally composed on a chair, flanked on each side by what appeared to be team managers. At least they didn't look like bodyguards, but you never know. Good thing there's a time limit on player availability, or the postgame assault might have continued until daylight.

An Ohio State recruit from Berks County has told the Buckeyes he will not attend the university, according to several published reports, amid concern that a convicted sex offender had interactions with players and recruits associated with the program. Alex Anzalone, one of the nation's top linebacker recruits, committed to Ohio State last month in what was turning out to be a stellar class for new coach Urban Meyer. But Anzalone, from the Reading suburb of Wyomissing, will reopen his recruiting process, after being contacted by Charles Eric Waugh, 31, of Ashland, Ky. In 2008, Waugh pleaded guilty to five counts of possession of underage sexual content.

Sept. 1              Ohio Sept. 8           at Virginia Sept. 15              Navy Sept. 22           Temple Sept. 29        **at Illinois Oct. 6     *Northwestern (Homecoming) Oct. 20        *at Iowa, 8 p.m. (Big Ten Network) Oct. 27       **Ohio State, 6 p.m. (ESPN or ESPN2) Nov. 3        **at Purdue Nov. 10        *at Nebraska Nov. 17        **Indiana Nov. 24        **Wisconsin (Senior Day)

Penn State will play back-to-back prime-time Big Ten games, the conference announced in unveiling its prime-time schedule Tuesday. Penn State is at Iowa on Oct. 20 at 8 p.m. on the Big Ten Network and then hosts Ohio State on Oct. 27 at 6 p.m. on ESPN or ESPN2. Here is the schedule announced for Big Ten conference games in prime time. More will be announced at a later date. Sept. 29: Wisconsin at Nebraska, 8 p.m. ( ABC, ESPN or ESPN2) Oct. 6: Nebraska at Ohio State, 8 p.m., ABC, ESPN or ESPN2 Oct. 13: Ohio State at Indiana, 8 p.m., (Big Ten Network)

NEW ORLEANS - There will be another game Saturday night. It will have nothing to do with Kentucky, other than the winner will be playing some school from Kentucky on Monday night for the national championship. When Ohio State and Kansas take the floor at the Superdome, the 68-team NCAA Tournament will be down to three. There will be gloating and despair after Louisville plays Kentucky in the early game. Then there will be basketball between the Buckeyes and the Jayhawks, very good basketball.

NEW ORLEANS - Saturday night's second national semifinal at the Superdome looked very much like the first one, with the favorite taking a significant lead and the underdog looking as if it might never score. Both games changed dramatically in the second half, going from double-digit leads to ties. Kansas, however, was not Louisville. The Jayhawks came from way back and just kept coming, refusing to be deterred by playing from behind all night. Beyond the brilliant play of their star, Thomas Robinson, the Jayhawks (32-6)

TEMPLE senior guard Juan Fernandez will participate in the State Farm college three-point shooting contest at Tulane University in New Orleans on Thursday. The 9 p.m. event will air live on ESPN. Fernandez was already scheduled to be in New Orleans to play in the Reese's College All-Star Game at the Louisiana Superdome on Saturday. In other Owls men's basketball news, Temple will face Syracuse in the Gotham Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York on Dec. 22. The Owls finished this season with a 24-8 record and lost to South Florida in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, while No. 1-seed Syracuse (34-3)

Austin Rivers is leaving Duke after one season for the NBA. The freshman guard announced on Monday his decision to enter the draft and his plans to hire an agent after team officials said he spent the weekend discussing his future plans with his family at their home outside Orlando, Fla. "Duke has prepared me for the challenges that are ahead both on and off the court," Rivers said in a statement issued by the school. "I have learned so much from the coaching staff and my teammates that will help me succeed at the next level.

The NCAA Final Four will feature nothing but blue bloods. Pedestrian teams need not apply. The four teams that advanced to New Orleans have combined for 159 NCAA tournaments, 49 Final Fours (counting this year), and 13 national championships. Yes, all of them have won at least one title. The field for next weekend at the Mercedes Benz Superdome sorted itself out Sunday when Kentucky overwhelmed Baylor and Kansas used a late surge to knock out North Carolina. So we have a top seed (Kentucky)

BOSTON - Most of the thoughts in his head, Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim could have spoken at halftime. He saw an opportunity that had passed. A ticket to the Final Four had gone with it. Ohio State's star big man, Jared Sullinger, spent most of the half on the bench with two fouls. The Buckeyes just aren't that potent an offensive force without him. Syracuse couldn't take advantage, and back at full strength, No. 2 seed Ohio State won the East Regional at TD Garden and advanced to the Final Four for the first time since 2007 by knocking off the top-seeded Orange, 77-70.