OCF: "usually reliable source" 
Ted Thompson: "Coach Christian"
 

I am curious what it takes for OCF to upgrade you from "usually reliable" to "reliable" 

This wasn't the first year OSU was asked.

It seems it's that way every time we schedule O$U in something.  In football we got them in 1999, the year after Kareem Wilson and Steve Hookfin graduated.  Next time was 2008, the year after Kalvin McRae graduated.  Then it was 2010, before T2 came on board and LaVon and T-Mac hit their strides.  I think the last time we caught them in b-ball was the preseason NIT with Trent et al.  But that was the NIT doing the scheduling, not O$U.

Agreed my man.   And the outcome of this game will just make me even a tad more angry that my seat license went up 75%.

Matta wouldn't have played us when Groce was here and maybe last year they didn't want to host a Sweet 16 team returning everyone? or maybe we didn't try, or we didn't but we couldn't find a date that worked. who knows.

maybe my expectations are too high but next year I expect the program to reload, not rebuild. 

Let me be the  first to say, I like having them on the schedule. At the same time, I hope you're right that we "reload" next year, but I'm pretty sure we'll be "reloading" two games into the season.  This is basically going to be an entirely new team and if we're every going to be ready to play OSU, it probably isn't going to be two games into next year.  Hppe I'm wrong.

At the same time, OSU types aren't dumb.  Just as many on here replied back to me last year that schedules are made years in advance and you can't pick-n-choose who's up or down to play on any given year, I most certainly think OSU did this.   They suddenly found an open date to play us this year, while I'm sure last year their available dates, or scheduling philosophy (insert excuse here) didn't allow it.  Wink. Wink.   If Matta and Groce were so adament they didn't want to play one another, then Groce wouldn't have taken a Big 10 job.  My guess is that early on they didn't play because Matta didn't want to thump his old buddy as he was building his program and the past few years, Matta didn't want ot face the threat of a team that had the moxi to take down an OSU. 

Either way, our 2nd game last year was UNC-Wilmington and I'll be more than happy to exchange this 40 point victory for a potential 40 point loss just for the mere sake of adding some spice to this typically bland early season lineup of games. 

Count me as excited...and I'll definitely go to the game too. Suspect many Bobcat fans feel the same way. I'd rather play a regional "big" team (OSU, Cincinnati, Pitt, etc.) than Memphis or Oklahoma. These are games that fans have an interest in traveling to, not Wright State or Oakland.

And, I'd rather play them in one of the 1st games of the year than say, late December. Even though we'll still be trying to figure out our team...they will be in the exact same situation.

According to their media guide, it was a road Loss: December 15, 1998 - Toledo 64 - Ohio State 63

I'm ambivalent about this but I think it's a good thing overall. True, it's not a coincidence that they agreed to play us after our winningest class graduated, but it's a fun change for our fans and even a loss won't damage RPI. As to two for one offers and the like, if we're honest about the current state of mid-major/high-major finances, we know that tO$U will never come to Athens again -- even if we agreed to a 100 for 1. There's almost no reward and plenty of risk from their perspective.

Like Pitino agreeing to come to Athens, then he leaves, Gary Trent leaves, and UK under Tubby Smith comes to Athens during our Wilderness Campaign.

 

I am confused.  I thought we want a better OOC schedule.  

Maybe we do, except when we don't.

It's not a coincidence. According to JC, we really have asked them every single year for a long time. We've also offered 2-1, neutral sites, and no-return games. This is the first time they said yes. You can blame Ohio for being persistent, or you can blame the fact that tO$U is able to make the rules and put non-AQ schools at their mercy with scheduling.