It’s a relatively quiet time for the OSU football program, if there is such a thing anymore. The players are working at winter conditioning under the demanding direction of new OSU "toughness" guru Mickey Marotti. If you can go by their plaintive tweets, they are being taxed to the max, and living for the blessed relief of the weekend. It’s no secret that Meyer was not happy with what he saw in the OSU players’ overall conditioning in 2011, and everyone is expecting a leaner, more fit group of Buckeyes in the fall....those that survive, that is.

The coaching staff has turned their recruiting focus to the class of 2013, and the program is playing host to a number of top junior recruits this weekend. The other Big Ten coaches have been spotted cowering in dark corners across the Midwest. Tickets are already on sale for the Spring Game on April 21st, and I understand they are moving briskly. Don’t underestimate the appeal of a football season that promises to be primarily about football.

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The dominoes continue to fall and now it won't be long before college football finally has a legitimate playoff to determine its national champion. The news that the Big Ten is noodling various playoff scenarios carries with it the significant implication that it not only can be swayed but that it will. To this point the Big Ten served as both the enemy of progress and the 10,000 pound elephant in the playoff advocates' ointment.

There is this overwhelming unmet need of so many to crown a national champion in Division I football on the field. Initially it stemmed from the distinct possibility that the two ranking groups, the Associated Press and the United Press International Coaches Poll, since taken over by USA Today, left open the possibility that there could be, God forbid, a difference of opinion on which team really was the theoretical best for that year. Indeed they did disagree at various times, though it should be noted that it didn't result in rain falling upward or dogs playing with cats.

Despite all the supposedly smart men in hideous blazers paid by universities to wring hands and scratch brows over all things related to college football, no one could quite figure out how to deal with an incredibly antiquated and increasingly irrelevant bowl system that seemed to be an insurmountable hurdle to a national playoff system.

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What an unexpectedly close and entertaining game.

The Purdue Boilermakers came into Columbus tied for sixth place in the conference to take on the league leading and No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes Tuesday night. It was supposed to be an easy layup for the Buckeyes before playing the conferences second place team in Michigan State on Saturday, but the Boilermakers came in and gave Ohio State a fight it barely survived.

With under five minutes to play, a Purdue free throw tied the game at 73. Ohio State’s best offensive player (Jared Sullinger) and best defensive player (Aaron Craft) were on the bench with four fouls. The crowd was caught between that anxious and expectant roar while desperately looking for someone to step up for the Buckeyes.

William Buford answered their call.

The only senior on the team curled and caught a nice pass from freshman point guard Shannon Scott and drilled a 15 foot jumper. Purdue’s Kelsey Barlow drove the lane on the next possession, but his shot was emphatically blocked by Sam Thompson. It only took 10 seconds for the Buckeyes to reverse the court and Buford hit another jumper to put Ohio State up by four. The Buckeyes got a stop on the other end and looked to be struggling to find a good look on offense. That’s when Buford ran around a perfectly set screen and nailed a dagger 3-pointer that put Ohio State up by seven.

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Wisconsin’s Kohl Center has been Ohio State’s house of horror over the years. The last time the Buckeyes walked away from Wisconsin as victors was over 10 years ago -- and maybe the most painful loss during that stretch came last year when Jordan Taylor and the Badgers came from 15 back to upset the undefeated and top-ranked Buckeyes.

Ohio State finally put an end to their Wisconsin-road woes, defeating the Badgers 58-52 on Saturday afternoon.

After the game, Thad Matta (who was 0-6 at Wisconsin as Ohio State’s head coach) was thrilled, “I’m going to state the obvious: it’s a great win.” He later added, “How many times we, and a lot of other teams, have come in here and gone home without a win? It definitely is a good win for our program.”

Jared Sullinger led the Buckeyes, scoring 13 of Ohio State’s first 17 points on his way to a 24 point, 10 rebound game. Deshaun Thomas played well too, scoring 16 points to go along with six rebounds (four of which came off the offensive glass). William Buford struggled mightily, going 4-15 from the floor for just 11 points, but the only senior on the team made the biggest play of the game.

Wisconsin had snatched Ohio State’s momentum away and ignited the crowd with a 7-2 run late in the game. The Buckeyes led just 51-50 with under three minutes to play when Wisconsin’s Jordan Taylor threw an errant pass that was picked off by Jared Sullinger. Coach Matta then called for a play that would give Buford, who was just 3-14 from the field at this point, a wide open look from three. Craft set it up perfectly, screened Buford’s defender and the senior drilled a clutch 3-pointer to give Ohio State a 54-50 lead with 2:27 to go.

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