•Today sees the Mirror Lake Jump, an Ohio State tradition for Michigan Week. Some science students tested the lake before and after the student body had its way, and found a temperature and ammonia spike. That's right, lots of warm pee. "Have fun, but don't open your mouth" said one postdoc. That's also really good advice for any party at a Big Ten school.

•Jim Tracy and Mike Scioscia win the Manager Of The Year awards for making playoff appearances with, respectively, a scrappy band of kids who no one expected to do anything, and a high-payroll group of veterans and free agents who were predicted to win their division going away. Huh.

•Ronnie Brown is done for the year with a foot fracture, and this is bad. How bad? Ricky Williams is the undisputed number one back. And even worse, Chad Henne has to take the snap on every play.

•Speaking of criminally ineffective quarterbacks, Bruce Gradkowski and Ryan Fitzpatrick have taken over the starting jobs for the Raiders and Bills. Not to twist the knife, but 15 years ago a Raiders/Bills matchup would have featured Jeff Hostetler and Jim Kelly. But, like I said, not to twist the knife.

•As of this moment, the Yankees have won as many games in November than the Giants, Jets, Knicks and Nets combined. That won't be the case next year, though. Not because any of those teams will be better, but because Bud Selig says he'll shorten the playoff schedule.

•••••

We're just a few hours away from the announcement of one of the Cardinals winning the Cy Young award, Leitch Twittering about how happy he is for them, and Craggs writing a column on why Lincecum should have won. Like the changing of the seasons, those guys.

Ohio State researchers studied 113 college students who were watching the 2006 game against Michigan (when both teams were undefeated and ranked #1 and #2 in the country.) The students were asked to check in during commercial breaks and say whether they thought their favorite team would win or lose, how suspenseful the game was, and if they were having fun or not. The results showed that the group that enjoyed the game the most were the Ohio State fans who were convinced that the Buckeyes would lose the game. (They won by 3.) It seems to suggest that folks get more satisfaction out of the negative emotions that sports create, because sports fans are sick, perverted masochists.

Silvia Knobloch-Westerwick, co-author of the study and associate professor of communication at Ohio State University, explains:

"You need the negative emotions of thinking your team might lose to get you in an excited, nervous state," Knobloch-Westerwick said. "If your team wins, all that negative tension is suddenly converted to positive energy, which will put you in a euphoric state."

In other words, winning is more exciting if don't believe in your team to begin with. Also, if you expect disaster and your team always fails, then you're never disappointed! (That explains why Lions fans exist.) But the most important ramification of this study is that we now have proof that people who strut around all day long boasting that their team can never be beaten are really just obnoxious pricks.

Seriously, fuck those guys.

Don't be happy, be worried: Sports fans need dose of negative [Eureka Alert]

The only problem with the government's Cash for Clunkers program was that after everybody traded in their jalopies (Oh! I get it now) for super awesome jetpacks, dealerships were left with hundreds of broke-down heaps that no one would ever buy. The solution? Turn them into a marching band!

We lined up about one hundred cash for clunkers behind our Kasper Toyota store in Sandusky . Spelled out script Ohio perfectly! Check it out! By the way, The Block "O" flag you see is on the tallest flagpole in the state and it is the largest Block O flag in the world 30' X 60'. The photo is Courtesy of Griffing Flying Service.

The minivan must have been super-psyched to dot the I. But world's largest Block O flag? I guess you've never been to Orestes Destrade's house.

[Thanks Dave!]

* * * * *

It's Wednesday and September is over? But I haven't even finished my back to school shopping yet.

The Ohio State quarterback showed up for his first game of the year with Michael Vick's name written on his eye black. Then he proceeded to play like Marcus Vick, nearly crapping the bed against Navy at home. Brian Rolle saved the day with his intercepted two-point conversion, but unfortunately he couldn't save Pryor from a disastrous postgame interview where he tried to explain his face tribute to Philadelphia's backup quarterback. The quote in question:

"Not everybody's the perfect person in the world. I mean everyone kills people, murders people, steals from you, steals from me, whatever. I think that people need a second chance, and I've always looked up to Mike Vick, and I always will."

I would be so offended right now if I understood what the hell that meant. Everyone murders people? When did this happen? If Terrelle Pryor still looks up to his childhood hero, that's fine, but maybe college football players should not be allowed to make any kind of strong statement about the nature of our society. Sort of like how political science majors shouldn't be allowed to lecture me about fascism. I know the manager at your Starbucks is a jerk, but that doesn't mean he's part of the military-industrial-narco syndicate that really runs the Department of Homeland Security.

In other words: Shut up, college boy.

THAT'S AN INTERESTING QUOTE TERRELLE PRYOR [The World of Isaac]
Terrelle Pryor Might Have Started the Apocalypse [WaitingForNextYear]

Well, that's an oopsie Ohio State wishes it had back, kind of like the way everyone feels about the Maurice Clarett Era and Miami fans remember the 2002 Fiesta Bowl. Then again, there's always a chance to infuse some reason into this photo with a caption. What do we have here?

Ohio State players gather on the shore of Lake Erie before practice.

Must have been a wee bit nippy out there.

*****

Thank you for your continued support of Deadspin. The esteemed Tom Scraggs is back tomorrow with some of Blazer Girl Liebling's dispatches from the war-zone cafes of Bristol. Now, it is Saturday night. You know what to do.

Columbus will host Navy in the season opener on September 5 and to prepare, the school is actually launching a public service campaign, asking those in attendance to stand up and cheer for the opponent before the game. You know, because of the whole "laying down their lives in the darkest corners of the world so that you can sit on your fat candy asses and watch football all day" thing.

I like to believe there was a time when you would not have had to remind your audience that booing the military is impolite, but we are talking about Ohio Stadium. They'll burn that place to the ground before they acknowledge the Coast Guard!

Take the Field Tribute Video by Ohio State Implores Buckeye Fans to Give Ovation to Navy Football Team [Midwest Sports Fans]

According to these anonymous posted fliers—always a reliable source of information—Colin Matta, the son of Ohio State's head coach, was badmouthing Siena College and pretty much all of upstate New York in the lead up to Friday's 8-9 game between the Saints and Buckeyes. The fliers gave out "Colin's" phone number and instructed all lovers of steamed hams to call the young man and give him a piece of their vulgar minds. The only flaw in this otherwise brilliant plan is that the coach doesn't have a son named Colin, or any son at all for that matter.

The official Ohio State bio on Matta, who is 41, states that he has two daughters. The oldest one is ten years old, so I'm going to guess we're not talking about a son-in-law. Matta himself graduated from Butler in 1990, which would also make it highly unlikely (though still possible I suppose) that he would have fathered a illegitimate child who would graduate from Northeastern University 16 years later. So this whole thing raises several questions that would no doubt lead to disturbing answers you can never unknow.

Does this Colin Matta even exist? If so, has he been telling all his college buddies that the Ohio State coach is his father? If he doesn't exist, then who does the phone number belong too? Just an extremely unlucky Buckeye fan? Is it a prank? A hoax? A fevered dream? The plot of an upcoming Nicholas Cage movie? Where is Carl Monday when you really need him?

Update: Yep, just some good old fashioned ball-busting. (Probably.)

Thad Matta Biography [Ohio State Buckeyes]
You Have No One To Blame But Yourself, Young Man [Deadspin]

****

Folks, if I don't get away from this here crappy internet connection soon, the laptop's getting doused in kerosene, set aflame, and tossed through a window. So much for relaxation and recuperation. You've been a great audience as always. If I've been a little NCAA-centric today, never fear - the comedic Canadian stylings of Gourmet Spud will likely balance it all out tomorrow. Be good.

Siena's Ronald Moore has to be pretty pleased with himself today, don't you think? He's the guy with the big brass ones that hit a game-winning 3-pointer with 3.5 seconds remaining in the second(!) overtime last night against Ohio State. He's also probably pretty tired, I imagine. Cleveland State over Wake Forest is a bigger upset by the numbers, sure, but there's just something so...satisfying about seeing Ohio State lose an athletic competition. It just feels right.

Mornin', folks. My liver demands that today be a national day of reflection and recuperation, so let's all just pour ourselves a nice glass of bloody mary water and see what happens today in the world of sport. Feel free, as always, to tip your Weekend Daddy at pete@deadspin.com.

Photo Credit: AP/Chris Peterson

Ha, thanks for the introduction Suss, though I will disappoint you all from the start and say I'm not sure exactly how much I will take advantage of that opportunity. After all, I do have a reputation to uphold, and you never know who's watching. (Possibly being paranoid here, but my guess is most colleges I have active applications to aren't as appreciative of dead baby jokes as most of the Deadspin readership.) Anyways, I don't quite fit into the mold of your typical sports blogger. I'm not a 33-year-old male who lives with his parents, spends all his time surfing the internet and watching sports on TV and wishes he could play like they do...I'm actually a 17-year-old male who lives with his parents, spends all his time surfing the internet and watching sports on TV and wishes he could play like they do, which apparently makes it all cool.

So, let's do this thing. I live in the Albany area, so I'll be pulling for my hometown Siena, fulfilling the "without discretion" tenant of Deadspin. I may not be able to do the same work as the four people did at the last game in this region, but damn it, I'm going to try.

Siena went 26-7 and won the MAAC* regular-season title, then clinched the NCAA berth in its home building, the Times Union Center in Albany. Call it karmic justice if you will, but they now have to more or less go on the road and play Ohio State in Dayton; the Buckeyes went 22-9 and lost to Purdue in the Big 10 championship.

*The "M-A-A-C", according to Dick Vitale (he says each letter like that). I get why he does it, since the MAC has been more nationally relevant recently, but Albany-area fans might be able to back me up on this: They played a radio commercial locally for the MAAC tournament, which involved Vitale for some reason, and he still did his "M-A-A-C" thing, which annoyed the crap out of me...if you say "MAAC" (one word) around here, we're definitely thinking of the one with two a's.

You'll hear plenty tonight about Siena's nonconference schedule, which was brutal...they played Tennessee, Oklahoma State, Pitt, and Kansas, all on the road or neutral, though they lost all four games. You'll recall that this team beat Vanderbilt in the 4-13 game last year; Vandy was terribly overrated, but Siena has everybody back except for sixth man Tay Fisher (who did play a big part in that game).

A couple stark contrasts in this game. Siena plays at the 16th-fastest pace in the country, averaging 71.9 possessions per game, while Ohio State is #289 with 63.4. And, according to some neat graph I found yesterday, Siena is the most consistent team in the tourney, while OSU is the third-most inconsistent.

Siena tries to force the issue defensively to get into transition; they'll run off turnovers, missed baskets, made baskets, timeouts, and anything else they can. When forced to play a halfcourt game, they generally eschew playcalling and run a freewheeling motion offense. Ohio State's offensive philosophy is to have the player with the ball curl up in the fetal position for the first thirty seconds of the shot clock. At least that's what I'm told. Big 10 pace jokes aside (don't worry, there are more coming), OSU runs their entire offense through top scorer Evan Turner in crunch time, though he isn't their nominal point guard, and goes with four guys on the perimeter around first-team all-Atlas Dallas Lauderdale or B.J. Mullens.

Looks like I'm leading off among the late games...

For whatever it's worth, I picked Siena in my bracket, but mainly because I didn't want to be that guy who picked against the hometown team and was wrong. I probably would have picked OSU if I lived in any other region of the country.

18:52 More than a minute gone, and still only one possession for each team...good news for OSU. Neither team on the board yet after a shot clock violation.

18:23 A Ryan Rossiter putback for Siena opens the scoring; Rossiter is the one key guy that wasn't a big part of last year's team but has really broken out as a threat this season.

17:29 Siena finally gets to run, but Kenny Hasbrouck gets fouled before he can finish. One of two FTs give Siena a 3-2 lead.

17:00 Siena gets a rebound and pushes the ball up, but OSU gets guys back and turns it into a transition opportunitiy, which William Buford finishes with a vengeance.

16:15 Ouch, the Saints are just getting killed inside right now. They're not very deep inside, either, with hometown boy Josh Duell limited to probably just a small amount of playing time due to a partial tear in his calf.

14:05 Finally, Siena gets an outside shot to fall. OSU 8, Siena 8.

13:40 Someone should tell Siena that they're great in transition. Because right now they sure aren't looking like it.

13:40 Fun Fact: Ohio State does not have a senior on their roster.

13:40 Six minutes in and you can officially cross "Siena's upset last year" off your bingo card. I knew that was a gimme.

12:00 Ohio State also has a white big man who grew up in their area, B.J. Mullens. He gets an easy basket inside, and it's OSU 13, Siena 8.

10:43 Cleveland State's up ten on Wake already? Siena keeps missing shots (4/17 at this point)...

9:38 And cross off "Where is Siena?" as well. Another big difference between the teams: Siena is the smallest school (by enrollment), while OSU is second-largest. The game seems to be going that way right now too.

9:07 Sharpshooter Clarence Jackson, playing the role of Tay Fisher this year, hits a three, followed by a very tough and awkward shot by Rossiter that somehow falls. OSU 17, Siena 15.

7:59 Buckeye sighting. Very intimidating. At least a Saint Bernard could, like, jump on top of you and suffocate you, and stuff...

7:17 There is a lot of red in that arena. Um...CBS just cut away from the Siena game...do you know where you are? It's not even on the CBS2 that Time Warner gives me. They claim they're going back soon, but I'm loading up MMOD just in case (man, I love being a 21st century kid).

5:05 Thank you, Robert Greg Gumbel (no idea where that came from), for graciously sending me back to Dayton. One mysterious bucket for each team, but the way these teams are shooting, we could go away for the final five minutes and not miss much.

4:15 I have seen more missed dunks in this tournament than I can ever remember. These goshdarn kids these days ain't got no fundamentals! Lew Alcindor, now there was a REAL basketball player! Alex Franklin misses a putback off a missed Rossiter layup, and Siena misses a golden transition opportunity.

4:00 Alley-oop to Edwin Ubiles makes up for it somewhat. OSU 21, Siena 19.

3:03 One effect of Siena's transition game that does not show up directly in the box score: They're forcing OSU to get back early, and as a result the Buckeyes only have one offensive rebound. Of course, on the next possession, their second leads to a Jeremie Simmons three.

2:02 Ubiles misses a three-footer, but Simmons is called for traveling in the backcourt. The NCAA Tournament - where the best basketball players in the nation come to shine!

1:41 Yeah, I'd probably be asleep now if I didn't have a rooting interest in this game. Pretty sure most of you are over at the Cleveland St-Wake liveblog now (or, even better, actually out doing something).

1:10 Mullens scores, then Hasbrouck misses another shot right under the basket. Can't wait to see Siena's first-half shot chart - a row of X's in a three-foot circle around the basket.

:26 I know I'm not the first nor the last person to say this, but...can we please get a no-charge circle in the NCAA already? Like, yesterday?

Halftime: Ohio State 28, Siena 23. An absolutely ugly end-of-half possession for OSU...there's no way that the "by the book" strategy is the most effective one there, right? Like, whatever teams usually do, it never works. I think the halfcourt shot is just about as effective.

The Big 10 really needs to be excommunicated from college basketball...I'm blaming them for this slopfest just because it's easy. (Not like Siena's the one shooting 20ish percent or anything.)

One of the live-bloggers brought this up yesterday, and I regret that I cannot give credit where it's due because I'm too lazy...can Sonic please start opening up in the northeast? Like, I don't think there's one within ten hours of here. I know their food's probably crap, but damn it, I want to find out for myself, and they advertise all the freaking time.

I guess I've always taken this for granted, but Storming the Floor has this to say about the Saint Bernard:

Best Mascot: This one's not even fair. The nod easily goes to the Siena Saints, who boast perhaps the best logo in all college sports.

Really, 51 points? The over-under on this game was apparently 141.5 or thereabouts...well, we're almost a third of the way there. Maybe a 24-second shot clock is in order? Or, you know, a basket that's three times the normal size?

19:38 And we're back...Ubiles starts the half off with a made layup, giving us all hope that we might see some points in the second half.

19:09 Quick scoreboard check...Wake Forest is down nine, Wisconsin down twelve. Bracket-picking, I wish I knew how to quit you.

18:40 Lauderdale wide open for a dunk. Glad he didn't go to school where I live...if I were writing about him in high school, I can't imagine how many "putting his team on the map" puns people would have been subjected to.

17:33 Off-topic but...that Arizona win is really pissing me off. They didn't deserve to be in the tournament (lost five of their last six, 2-9 on the road with the wins over the worst teams in the league), so I picked against them out of spite, even though they're obviously more talented than Utah.

16:53 Buford hits a baseline jumper, and Ohio State has what I think is their biggest lead of the night. OSU 36, Siena 27.

16:25 Rossiter gets fouled twice on the floor on one possession, paving the way for Ubiles to hit a three. Hasbrouck's still been remarkably quiet.

16:25 Exciting news, according to this commercial: If you buy Degree deodorant, you can go 90 mph down the freeway the wrong way between two trucks on a shopping cart. Since we're still talking commercials (no idea how many of you are watching on TV or if you're seeing the same things I am), did everybody really hate that Polamalu/Joe Green commercial at the Super Bowl (just on again)? I thought it was kinda funny, better than you could say about most of them.

15:42 Important news from the CBS graphic people: "Eye of the Tiger" has been played 98 times so far this tournament. How badly would it suck to have that job? I guess it would be cool to be at the tournament and stuff, but if it means listening to twenty different bands play the same song a hundred times (and counting), it might be hard to swallow.

14:27 Turner hits a three, and all of a sudden it's OSU 41, Siena 30. This is getting out of control fast.

14:27 Does this count?

14:27 Siena's FG% has inched up to 29%. More importantly, they only have four points off turnovers (the plodding Buckeyes have 15). Hasbrouck jacks up an NBA three, which is, um, not exactly what the coach means when he says be patient. More like the opposite.

13:19 Ubiles on a break, nobody in front of him...and he misses a dunk spectacularly. CBS may have to dump the "One Shining Moment" this year and replace it with a blooper reel instead, to the tune of William Hung.

12:26 And yet, Siena's finding a way to come back somehow. Ronald Moore makes some fancy moves and finds Alex Franklin under the hoop; one of two free throws makes the score OSU 41, Siena 35.

11:37 Franklin cuts the lead to four with a tenacious drive, and OSU has got absolutely nothing going on offense right now.

11:12 I see OSU's trying to break the 7-0 run with their "pass the ball around 30 feet from the basket" play. Gutsy call. It ends somewhat predictably, with Turner forcing a shot late in the clock and missing.

10:39 Rossiter is wide open on the opposite block for about a decade, finally receives the pass from Franklin, and finishes to cut the lead to OSU 41, Siena 39. Saints force a turnover on the other end, and can tie or take the lead here.

9:40 DJ Hill hits a three to finally break the streak. Other scores, in case you're too lazy to click over to somewhere else: Wisconsin opened the second half on a 13-0 run to take a one-point lead over FSU, Cleveland State continues to have a nine-point lead on Wake, and Michigan State is running away with their game.

9:00 Hasbrouck drives but is called for a travel...sure hope he gets another chance, because this is not the way you want a senior as great as he has been to go out. Moore misses a layup in transition, may have been deflected.

8:10 But OSU seems determined to give them opportunities; a pass directly to Moore, who makes the uncontested layup this time, then a traveling call in the backcourt. Either way, Louisville is licking their chops right now.

7:45 Timeout. Score remains OSU 45, Siena 43.

6:39 Won't somebody please think of the children? Dumb travel by Hill as the game's lack of fundamental play is moving past humorous sportswriter cliche and into legitimately embarrassing territory.

4:55 Jon Diebler finally connects on a three-ball, this one from NBA range, and it's OSU 49, Siena 43. Hasbrouck misses a trey on the other end and Siena is called for a rebounding foul.

4:30 Siena needs a bucket here...and they go to Hasbrouck, who creates a midrange jumper from the wing and connects.

3:51 Moore finds Franklin with a sweet dish and finish to cut the lead to two...the basketball gods decide to smite Buford on the other end, as his shot goes in and out of the bucket.

2:55 Rossiter all alone inside...and we're tied! 49-all.

2:35 It's Turner time...the Buckeye star hits a pull-up jumper from the elbow to retake the lead. Moore misses a three on the other end. Neither team really wants to take this game, giving away just enough momentum at just the right moments.

1:51 After two free throws from Turner, Hasbrouck misses a shot from the baseline, but Ubiles is there to clean up. OSU 53, Siena 51.

1:20 Two more freebies for Turner after an odd foul by Moore, but Hasbrouck answers with one of his own. Rossiter and Hasbrouck fight with Buford for a loose ball after the second, but get charged with a questionable foul instead.

:56 One of two for Buford; bad possession for Siena on the other end. OSU ball with under a minute left; Buckeyes lead 56-52.

:47.0 Mullens misses two FTs for OSU. Hasbrouck finally connects with a three, fed by Ronald Moore, and yet again Siena's made things interesting. OSU 56, Siena 55.

:8.0 12-second difference between game and shot clocks...wonder who's taking this shot. Turner misses, Moore finds Hasbrouck on the other end, who is fouled hard. Biggest two free throws of his life.

:8.0 First shot...off the back iron. Seriously, no pressure. Second one is good, OSU has eight seconds to put the ball in the basket or else we're headed to overtime. Rooting for OT, but even if not we'll see the tourney's first legit buzzer beater, so we'll at least get an exciting ending to what has been a less-than-stellar game.

End 2nd Half: Siena sticks with the trap, which OSU hasn't been breaking quickly the entire game...Turner gets the ball on the wing, drives through a couple defenders, and actually gets a decent, albeit off-balance, look, but can't get the ball to fall. The ball winds up in Hill's hands with less than a second left and he gets off another shot, but doesn't connect and you're stuck with me for at least another five minutes.

Siena has to be feeling pretty good going into OT...they clearly have the momentum, Hasbrouck's finally starting to get hot (though he does have four fouls), and their press may be wearing OSU down.

4:42 Hasbrouck gets things started right, making a drive look easy. Saints have their first lead since the second minute of play. Siena 58, OSU 56.

3:44 Buford settles for a leaner instead of waiting for help in transition, but misses and Hill gets called for a rebounding foul; Rossiter hits both free throws. Four-point game.

3:09 Diebler hits his second three of the contest (2/10) to bring the Buckeyes within one. Rossiter called for his fourth foul chasing down a loose ball on the other end. Both free throws are good. OSU 61, Siena 60.

1:50 After a bunch of passing down low, Buford fouls Ubiles (his fourth). The junior makes both free throws to regain the lead. Siena 62, OSU 61.

1:40 Wisconsin and Florida State are going down to the wire as well right now. Wake is done, Michigan State won. Coverage just switched to the FSU game during the timeout, hopefully will go back.

1:20 Lob ball to Mullens on an inbound play, and OSU is back ahead. Hasbrouck stripped on the other end.

:30 Not sure of everything that happened, because CBS cut away to the Wisconsin game to see the last shot, only cut back about three seconds too soon (it wasn't good). OSU holds till the end of the shot clock (:14 difference), misses, but Mullens gets a huge rebound; Hill gets fouled with :9.1.

:9.1 Damn, this is intense. Basketball is the best.

End 1st OT: Hill hits both...but Moore takes the ball down the court, pulls up, and hits the three with :3.5 to play. Diebler actually gets off a good look from 28 feet or so on the other end, but the ball bounces off the inside rim. We're headed for (yet another) overtime. Damn Syracuse for cheapening this whole experience.

What a shot by Moore...now that's what this tournament is made of. First 2OT game since the first round in 07 (Vandy over Washington State), for those of you not watching CBS.

4:08 OT2: Neither team scores on their first possession. Ubiles drives for Siena and is fouled; he makes one but the Saints control the rebound.

3:43 Franklin in the post gets fouled (Turner's fourth). Hits two of two. Siena 68, OSU 65.

3:35 OSU's been doing some strange stuff to break the press, but over the past eight minutes or so, it's generally been working.

2:18 Ubiles and Hasbrouck both have opportunities to make it a two-possession game, but neither connects. Turner hits a big jumper on the other end when Ubiles gives him plenty of space...after plenty of deliberation, it's ruled a three.

1:40 Since CBS is taking me here...hell of a drive and shot in the Wisconsin game - bucket and one by Hughes with :2.0 to go up two.

:35 Missed a lot in the Siena game...bucket for each team (Ubiles for Siena, didn't see a replay of the OSU bucket). Hill called for a touch foul on Moore, who makes one. Siena 71, OSU 70.

:17 Turner with a huge, huge drive. 72-71.

3.9:McCaffrey lets his guys play, the ball ends up in Ronald Moore's hands with five seconds left, he shoots from beyond the arc again and...swish! Moore's second huge three at the end of an OT gives the Saints a two-point lead. Siena 74, OSU 72 (3.9 remaining)

End 2nd OT: Turner goes the length of the court and takes an off-balance 19-footer...hits off the rim. Siena is into the second round for the second time in as many years. Huge win for the program, huge night for Ronald Moore, and Ohio State has to feel bad about this one.

If you told the Buckeyes they could force Ronald Moore to hit two threes to win the game, they certainly would have taken that...Moore didn't hit a single trey in the four games before this one (and missed his first four tonight). But he came through when it counted, to say the least, and will be one of Saturday morning's biggest heroes. Certainly not a great game overall, but you can't complain about the way it ended.

For Ohio State...you were Big 10 tournament finalists, you're a power-conference team, and you held an 11-point lead on a mid-major in the second half, playing essentially at home. Siena could not make a shot early in the game, but OSU could never fully take advantage; each time it seemed they were close to ending the game they would let Siena get on a run. Good teams have to do better than that. They turned the ball over way too many times late in the game, and let the game go to overtime, where crazy things can happen.

On the other side...Siena goes almost on the road and beats a favored BCS squad. They played awfully in the first half, at least offensively, but for now they have to be considered right up there with the best mid-major schools after winning tourney games in consecutive years. They played from behind the whole game but fought back well, and got the right shots at the right time. They obviously won't beat Louisville playing like this, and probably won't no matter what, but I'm looking forward to seeing them try.

Guess I'm closing up shop here. Thanks to Suss for giving me this opportunity, and thanks to both teams for playing a very exciting game. If you enjoyed it, glad I could help, and if you didn't, screw off. Now, back to your regularly scheduled Deadspin...

2) One and ... done? The latest of superstar rookies was supposed to be B.J. Mullens, a 7-foot center who most expected to be making nothing more than a cameo appearance in college before going in the first round of the NBA Draft. Of course, that brief appearance is probably already too long for his tastes. Mullen has been relegated to utility player, showing brief flashes of brilliance (12 points in 15 minutes in an upset of Michigan St.) followed by moments of frustrating incompetence (3 points and 2 rebounds against Purdue a day later.) His diagnosis? He needs more playing time. (Because all great players need six or seven minutes of game time before they can do anything useful.) Incredibly, folks are still talking about an early exit and Mullens did win the conference's Sixth Man Award, but I'm not sure how an NBA team justifies using a first rounder on a guy who can't crack the starting five of his college team. (Oh wait, the right GM can justify anything.)

3) Oh, the other guy OSU's best freshmen this year has actually been William Buford, a big 6'5" guard who developed into a nice compliment to leading scorer Evan Turner. Buford struggled at times down the stretch of the conference season, but had an impressive Big Ten tournament, helping the Buckeyes reach the final game. If he can keep the hot hand and prevent teams from handcuffing Turner, maybe those two guys can share a cab right out of town come April. — Dashiell

SIENA SAINTS

1) Cinderella man Siena senior and co-captain Josh Duell must be the magic ingredient for mid-majors. In addition to last season's upset over Vanderbilt, he was part of the Vermont team that upset Syracuse as a 13 seed in 2005-2006. Duell, who has battled numerous injuries this year that have relegated him to bench duty, is known as the goofball on Siena. He's a local boy and a fan favorite at all the home games. Who knew that the real Cinderella is 6'7", 253 pounds?

2) Family matters No, we're not talking about Steve Urkel and Co., although at times Siena forward Ryan Rossiter can look as goofy as the former television geek. The sophomore was Siena's most improved player this season, thanks to bulking up in the offseason. He has nine double-doubles this year, including a 16 point, 14 rebound performance in the MAAC Championship game. Rossiter will be the reason that Siena goes farther in this year's tournament, as he solidified the weakest link in their lineup, adding muscle to a team that averages 77.7 points per game. His brother, Steve, is a senior forward at Davidson, last year's tournament darling. Ryan would love to one up big brother with a Final Four bid.

3) An all-conference marriage Watch out for Coach Fran McCaffery's wife Margaret, who's well known for going at referees in the past. In 2006, she was ejected from a game against Hofstra after going off on a profanity-laced tirade to an official, joining her husband, who was ejected earlier in the game. After a loss to Loyola last season, Margaret said to reporters, "Here's your headline: 'We got hosed.' Will Bush is a horrendous official." Hubby even cut her off ("Marg, that's enough!") when she started asking him questions about the officiating at his postgame press conference. Don't write her off though, she can play; she ranks 12th on Notre Dame's all time scoring list and sixth on their career rebounding list. Fran (known as "White Magic" in his playing days) and Margaret went on one of their first dates to a NBA exhibition game. — Mark Cooper

Join the Deadspin Pants Party Group Pool [ESPN]
Download the Deadspin Bracket [PDF or JPG]

Clarett, who is serving a 7 1/2-year prison sentence on a variety of charges, is currently at the Toledo Correctional Institution, from which he has been writing a blog since October. Only as we find out from The Columbus Dispatch, there is no computer access from that facility. From Bob Hunter's column in the Dispatch:

Inmates don't have computer access; his mother, Michelle Clarett, confirmed yesterday that he calls his blog entries to family members who post them for him. The entries — a mixture of philosophy, advice, famous quotations and humor — started last October.

And so the question is raised, is Clarett actually writing his own blog? Writing a blog post by calling it in to a second party seems like an unlikely, laborious process; unless, like me, you were a journalist before the days of email. Calling in a story to someone who transcribes it actually was pretty routine. Our protagonist (presumably) addresses the situation:

Ghost writer, huh? Thanks for the "backhanded compliment." It is ALL Maurice Clarett, one letter at a time, one word at a time, one sentence at a time. One conscious thought and one inspirational quote at a time. I study from the best. I only inquire about the greats that overcame great obstacles. Reading from world leaders, dictators, plutocrats, and even tyrants helps me keep my situation in perspective.

An earlier post:

I just recently had a member of prison administration question me about the authenticity of my blog. They also came to verify that I am in school. In the midst of all that, I also detected that the person was phishing to see if I was going to talk about the prison in any way. My answer to that is, "No." I have no interest in discussing prison's day to day operations. That serves no purpose in my life. I created this site for other reasons. There are too many young men and women that need hope and inspiration. To a large degree, prison doesn't exist to me anymore. I'm mentally removed, on certain levels. My mental sentence expired when I decided to educate myself. I spend all of the hours of my days developing my life's vision. I don't have the time to think about prison. I'm just waiting for my physical sentence to expire.

I guess this isn't the controversy of the decade; really, who cares if the words are actually his? And what purpose would be served by Clarett farming out the writing duties to a blog no one knew existed for the first three months of its existence? It's not like it's going to get him out of prison any sooner. And he can't be angling for a book deal: No one is going to want a prison story that doesn't include any actual details about being in prison. Clarett's posts are rambling takes on philosophy and history; just the kind of thing you'd study all day if you had nothing to do but peruse the prison library book cart.

Some close to the situation believe that the blog author definitely is Clarett. Reaction to Hunter's Dispatch column:

"That was a niece piece you wrote on Maurice in the Dispatch today. It was fair and balanced. Most importantly, it was right on point. Indeed, "The Mind of Maurice Clarett" is a sincere expression of his inner most thoughts, beliefs and life's experiences. Dominic Mango and I were Maurice's attorneys on his criminal case and I have stayed in close contact with him ever since. I am pleased to report that Maurice is doing extremely well. He has been a model inmate throughout. Now that his course materials have finally arrived from OU, he is thrilled to be back working towards his college degree from The Ohio State University."

Get busy bloggin', or get busy dyin', I guess.

Maurice Clarett On Blog Comments [The Mind Of Maurice Clarett]
Clarett Can Still Get A Reaction — Both Good And Bad [The Columbus Dispatch]
Clarett Blog Reveals A Man Working To — As Well As For — Change [The Columbus Dispatch]

You mean that he's not on your blogroll? From The Mind of Maurice Clarett:

I had a chance to get outside and run sprints on the track today. It felt so good to feel the fresh air. The facility does not have windows in the cell that I can open, so I don't get a chance to feel nature that often during the winter months. Today was an exception though. I had a blast just running on the yard. I felt like a little kid inside. It felt like the energy of the earth would have allowed me to run all day long. We only have recreation for two hours and I enjoyed it all. I appreciated the time I did get.

I now wonder to myself, "is this what life is all about?" Am I supposed to find true happiness in the things I can't buy? Am I supposed to enjoy more of life's simple pleasures like this? After all, it was just me and Earth. At that moment, the prison walls did not exist. Now that I say that, I want to remind everyone that they shouldn't feel sorry for me because I am not suffering. I may be in a situation that isn't ideal, but I am free in my mind and at heart. My mandatory time is almost up and hopefully, the judge will see it fit to give me an early release based on my growth.

Clarett, the only former Denver Bronco I know of who was involved with the Israeli mob and was arrested carrying a hatchet, was sentenced to 7 1/2 years in prison in August of 2006 on a variety of charges, including robbery and resisting arrest. He is currently at Toledo Correctional Institution, where apparently they allow inmates to have laptops.

Note to NCAA: The government allows inmates to blog from prison, but you still can't blog from a college baseball press box. Nice.

The Mind Of Maurice Clarett [Word Press]

You never want to see the terms "punching a tow truck" and "shot with a stun gun as he resisted arrest" assembled in the same story about you two months before the NFL draft.

Alex Boone was taken to Saddleback Hospital by sheriff's deputies for injuries resulting from being shot with a stun gun and being heavily intoxicated, said sheriff's spokesman Jim Amormino. He was arrested on suspicion of resisting arrest, threatening officers, jumping onto the tops of several cars and banging on garage doors around 11:30 p.m. Sunday at the Barcelona apartments at 23500 Windsong.

When deputies arrived, Amormino said, Boone was trying to punch out the driver's side window of a tow truck; he then jumped onto the back of the truck. Boone then tried to flee police, Amormino said.

Boone has had a problem with binge drinking in the past — he was arrested for DUI in Columbus in 2006 — and his mother, Amy, is hopeful that he will now seek treatment, according to the Columbus Dispatch. And now it is time for the Jim Tressel quote:

"Alex headed to California to focus solely on his training. It is so disappointing to hear that he had this mishap. His intentions were to prepare for his NFL dream."

No Jim: stepping on a rake so that the handle snaps up and hits you in the face, that's a mishap. Getting drunk enough to tackle a tow truck while you're preparing for the NFL draft is something quite more serious.

Your move, Michael Phelps.

College Football Star Shot With Stun Gun As He Resisted Arrest [Orange County Register]
Boone Arrested Following Outburst [Columbus Dispatch]

Matt Sylvester was arrested Friday night after leaving a basketball game at the Schottenstein Center. According to police, Sylvester, 26, made an illegal u-turn on Woody Hayes Drive and ignored an officer's order to stop, 10TV News reported. Police said Sylvester also ran a red light and drove recklessly on a sidewalk before stopping.

Sidewalk driving? Isn't that only for stroke victims and people over 80? Well, for all of you gloating Illini fans out there, temper your enthusiasm here.

Of course if you don't follow the Big Ten, you probably know Sylvester from such hits as Semi Pro, the Will Ferrell movie in which he was an extra. Which means that he had fewer lines than the bear. But it's a start.

Also from the Sylvester file: Was suspended from the team in 2005 for spitting on a Michigan State fan who had been heckling him; and was shot in the butt with a .22 rifle during a Labor Day party in 2002.

Ex-OSU Player Arrested Outside Of Arena [10TV.com]