By: Doug Lesmerises (Cleveland Plain Dealer) -- Nebraska's in. So where do the Cornhuskers fit? Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany said there were three factors that would determine how the 12-team conference breaks into two six-team divisions for the 2011 season. He's got people working on it. Here's a suggestion, following the three Delany factors: competitive balance, rivalries and geography. Here's my reasoning: 1. Competitive balance is the first factor, so split the four programs that have been clearly above the ... Read More

By: Tim Bielik (BleacherReport.com) -- Expansion fever seems to finally be finding its footing, as Nebraska will in all likelihood find a home in the Big Ten. With the Huskers being one of possibly a handful of teams about to join the Big Ten Conference, one thing that is being largely overlooked is the effect this process has on the rivalries in the conference. The most specific of these might be the greatest rivalry in college football if not sports: Ohio ... Read More

By: Doug Lesmerises (Cleveland Plain Dealer) -- Columbus – With 36 sports and a $128 million budget for the next fiscal year, Ohio State has the largest, and one of the healthiest, athletic departments in the country. One of a handful of self-sustaining college athletic departments, Ohio State will turn a slight profit this year, just over $20,000, after losing money a year ago. At the moment, Athletic Director Gene Smith said the department is in the midst of ... Read More

By: Sean Jackson (Examiner.com) --  Ohio State center Michael Brewster was named to the spring watch list of favorites to win the Rimington Trophy. The trophy honors the nation’s top center. This is his second consecutive season being selected to the watch list. Brewster will have tough competition as fellow Big Ten counterparts David Molk from Michigan and Ben Burkett from Northwestern is just two of the many competitors Brewster is up against. The watch list is familiar territory ... Read More

From: BigTenNetwork.com -- COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The No. 19 Ohio State Buckeyes were carried to a 9-6 victory over the Northwestern Wildcats (36-12) by a strong performance from Sam Marder on Friday. Marder went 2-for-2 at the plate and drove in two Buckeyes (25-22) runners. Marder homered in the third inning scoring Alicia Herron. This year Marder has 43 hits in 120 at bats. She has driven in 42 runners and scored 39 runs. The Buckeyes scored the majority of their runs during a ... Read More

By: Adam Rittenberg (ESPN.com) -- The 2010-11 Big Ten bowl lineup is now set, with the Insight Bowl moving up in the pecking order and three new games -- Gator, Texas, Dallas Football Classic -- coming aboard. A ton of things can happen between now and Sept. 2, but there's no harm in taking a look at which teams likely will be packing their bags in late December or early January, and which teams will be staying home. The ... Read More

By: Damen Jackson (Examiner.com) -- Alex Wimmers pitched seven innings of one-run ball, and Ohio State used three home runs to bash their way to an 11-1 victory over the Northwestern Wildcats Friday at Rocky Miller Park. The 2010 home opener proved problematic from the start as Wildcats starter Francis Brooke (3-2) would give up four runs in the first inning off of a series of very hard hit balls by the Buckeyes (15-7, 1-0), including a Zach Hurley solo home run. Manager Paul Stevens ... Read More

From: BigTenNetwork.com -- COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State and Toledo passed the lead back and forth on Wednesday at Bill Davis Stadium. In the end, the Buckeyes pulled out a 4-3 victory over Rockets (13-9). There were six lead changes in the game. Ohio State (14-7) finally managed to stay on top after a strong eighth inning. After Michael Stephens doubled the game was tied when Ryan Dew came to the plate against reliever Matt Suschak with one out and a runner on second. ... Read More

From: BigTenNetwork.com -- COLUMBUS, Ohio - Backed by 13 bonus points, the fourth-ranked Ohio State wrestling team downed Northwestern, 37-6, Sunday in St. John Arena. The Buckeyes (16-1; 5-0 Big Ten) won seven matches and earned points on a Wildcat forfeit at 141 pounds. For the second-consecutive match, Nikko Triggas pinned his opponent. This time, the junior from Moraga, Calif., downed Levi Mele with just nine seconds left in the first period to give the Scarlet and Gray an early 6-0 advantage. Northwestern was able ... Read More

By: Kyle Nagel (DaytonDailyNews.com) -- ENTERVILLE — After leaving the Miami Valley without an Ohio State football recruit this year for the first time since 1998, the Buckeyes are increasing their desire for the area Class of 2011. Michael Bennett, a 6-foot-3, 275-pound Centerville High School junior offensive lineman, received a scholarship offer from OSU over the weekend. He is the second area player — after Wayne quarterback Braxton Miller — to whom the Buckeyes have extended a scholarship offer. Bennett was a first-team All-Greater ... Read More

BY: BRENDAN STILES (DailyIowan.com) -- Relinquishing a double-digit lead and falling to West Virginia may not have been the highlight of Ohio State’s weekend. But the Buckeyes managed to seize some positives from the 69-65 loss to the Mountaineers on Jan. 23. For one, the defeat didn’t knock Ohio State out of the AP top 25. Instead, it only helped the squad ascend to a No. 20 ranking after a week that also included a conference victory over Northwestern. “I thought we played, at times, some ... Read More

From: GoPSUSports.com -- STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, ranked No. 13 nationally, dropped a hard-fought 21-14 dual meet at No. 3 Ohio State. Head coach Cael Sanderson's squad won four of ten bouts, highlighted by majors from seniors Cyler Sanderson (Heber City, Utah) at 157 and David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio) at 184. Junior Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.), ranked No.12 at 125, got Penn State off to a good start with a strong 9-7 win over No. 19 Nikko ... Read More

By: Drew Gatewood (BleacherReport.com) -- The Ohio State Buckeyes have just put their Big Ten foes on notice: “We’re here, better than ever, and not scared of you.” The return of Evan Turner has sparked this new attitude exuding from Thad Matta’s team. The scariest thing about the Evan Turner situation is that they look dramatically better than they did before he left with the back injury. The Buckeyes have found a silver lining in what looked like a season ender. William Buford, who was ... Read More