Buckeyes "Refuse to Lose"™

Sorry, folks. The Cinderella team in this year's NCAA Basketball Tournament is Ohio State. Yes, even though they are a #1 seed. The Buckeyes have been the victims of trashtalking from virtually every quarter all season. In their past two games with the Buckeyes facing seemingly impossible odds, even their stoutest fans (myself included) had given up hope. The sting of the Buckeyes' loss in the BCS National Championship game back in January still hangs in the air in Columbus. And yet it's clear that Thad Matta is the kind of coach that can show his team how to believe.

The heartstopper last Saturday against Xavier was a clear-cut case of finding a way to win. And they needed a little help to find their way. Tonight, however, in the Sweet 16 match against Tennessee, the Buckeyes refused to lose™. It was a game for the ages as well as the highlight reel. No #1 seed has come back from a greater deficit in a Sweet 16 game in the past 20 years (to the day, in fact, when UNLV came back from 16 down). Tonight's game was the tale of two halves: in the first, the Vols couldn't miss and the Buckeyes looked like a team that would be home on Friday; in the second, the Buckeyes rallied from the start, quickly cut the Vols' lead and took control of the game. Refusing to lose™, they did what they had to do to win. If the Buckeyes can ever get all cylinders clicking (particularly Oden's play), they have a real shot at the National Championship.

Hats off to the Tennessee Vols, who played a great game and clearly deserved to be there. The sting of losing two razor-thin close games against Ohio State this year will surely be felt in Knoxville. Couldn't happen to nicer fans. The difference between a good team and a great team is winning the close ones. Good luck next year!

Ohio State 85, Tennessee 84.

Go Bucks! Beat Memphis!

UPDATE: Signals to Noise has this to say:

What kind of deal did Thad Matta make with the devil at the crossroads before the tournament began? Did he go to the river Styx and send a message to Hades that he would be his as soon as the national championship trophy was in his arms? Did he hand his soul over before the Big Ten tournament, or was it before the season even started? Or did he have to do it to get Greg Oden and Mike Conley, Jr. in the first place?

Here's another shot of the block heard 'round the world.