So, OSU vs. Florida. Florida wins 85-74. Well, I was rooting for OSU; that makes the Big 10 and the Iowa Hawkeyes look better. I wasn’t too upset with the outcome of the game. Florida has the experience of playing together for two seasons, and OSU has only been together with Oden at full strength for about two months. In a team game like basketball, there are no replacement for experience and teamwork. In the years I played league basketball, we beat teams with better players simply because we knew how to win and we knew what each other would do on the floor. It’s the difference between throwing the ball to a spot where you KNOW your teammate will be versus throwing the ball to your teammate after he gets to the spot.

Some thoughts on the game:

• Greg Oden was an unstoppable force for OSU. Florida had no answer. In the end, Noah had 4 fouls, Horford had 4 fouls and Richard fouled out trying to guard him.
• It only makes sense that CBS carried the game - it’s got the worst reception on our cable provider of ANY channel. I swear we get static channels that come in clearer!
• I just love those Mac and PC commercials (which they showed a few times during the game). The funniest thing to me is that while they are actually humorous, they are all true.
• Is Billy Packer the WORST announcer of all time or what? First he’s telling us what the coaches SHOULD do (and they don’t thank God!), then he’s telling us that the players are tired (which they aren’t), then he’s telling us what the coaches are doing wrong, then he’s telling us what the players SHOULD be doing, then he’s telling us how the refs are making bad calls…. well, you get the idea.
• Shouldn’t Joakim Noah get his hair cut or braided just so it doesn’t hit an opponent in the face and put an eye out?
• OSU couldn’t hit a trey to save its collective life. It has to be one of their worst outings, which is a credit to the Florida defense.
• How dirty did Billy Packer’s knees get in order to have this job? (Yeah, that’s kinda gross, but he is truly awful)
• The NBA draft should be very talent-laden this year. Most of the Florida team, along with Oden and Conley (if they go pro) should go in the two rounds. Then there’s Durant, Hibbert, and a host of other players.
• Why is it that Billy Packer does everything but openly root for the east coast teams?

Don’t know if you can tell or not, but I think Helen Keller would be a better basketball announcer than Billy Packer.