OHIO STATE YEAR IN REVIEW: 2007-2008

	BUCKEYES: YEAR IN REVIEW

Team	Big Ten finish
W Soccer	Season: T-5th Record: 12-10-1, 5-5-0
M Soccer	Season: 2nd Record: 17-4-5, 4-1-1
Cross country	Men: 3rd Women: 11th
Football	Season: 1st Record: 11-2, 7-1
Field hockey	Season: 5th Record: 6-12, 2-4
Volleyball	Season: 7th Record: 13-16, 7-13
Swim. & diving	Men: 4th Women: 8th
Gymnastics	Men: 3rd Women: 7th
Indoor T&F	Men: 3rd Women: 10th
Wrestling	Big Ten's: 5th
Ice hockey	Season: 11th - CCHA Record: 12-25-4
M basketball	Season: 5th Record: 24-13, 10-8
W basketball	Season: T-1st Record: 22-9, 13-5
Outdoor T&F	Men: 3rd Women: 5th
Golf	Men: 6th Women: 3rd
Rowing	Big Ten's: 3rd
Tennis	Men: 1st Women: 5th
Baseball	Season: 5th Record: 30-26, 15-15
Softball	Season: 6th Record: 33-23, 7-13
M lacrosse	Season: T-1st - GWLL Record: 11-6, 4-1

Men's cross country
The Ohio State men's cross country team placed third at the Big Ten Championships. The Buckeyes have finished in the top 3 at the conference meet in four of the last six seasons. Junior Jeff See raced his way to first-team All-Big Ten honor, leading the Buckeyes and coming in sixth in a time of 23:56.43.

After a successful run at the Big Ten's and NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championships, the team was selected to run at the NCAA Championships. They finished tied with Iowa State for 30th place bringing their season to an end.

Women's cross country
The Ohio State women's cross country team played host to the 2007 Big Ten Women's Cross Country Championships. Ashley Chirco and Ellen Birmingham, both freshmen, were the top finishers for the Buckeyes.

As a team, Ohio State finished 11th.

Field hockey
Ohio State entered the Big Ten tournament on a rough note, dropping five of its last six games to finish fifth in the Big Ten with a 2-4 record.

The team hoped to turn things around in the tournament but, ultimately, it fell to No. 4 Penn State by a score of 3-0 to conclude the 2007 season.

Despite their conference record, Yesenia Luces, a senior midfielder, was named Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Year.

Men's soccer
Owning the No. 2 seed in the Big Ten Championship for the fourth consecutive season, the Buckeyes cruised their way into the Championship game with early-round wins over Michigan and Northwestern.

The championship game was a rematch of the 2007 championship against Indiana, that the Hoosiers won 1-0. This year, though, it was quite different. The game went scoreless through two overtimes that saw the game come down to penalty kicks. The Buckeyes won the shootout 5-4 and the Buckeyes were the Big Ten champions.

Next up was the NCAA Tournament where the team earned the No. 5 seed with a first-round bye. Wins over Louisville, UC Santa Barbara, Bradley and Massachusetts saw the team in the NCAA College Cup national championship game against Wake Forest.

The Buckeyes led 1-0 at halftime, but Wake Forest scored twice in the second half to win, 2-1, and end Ohio State's national title dreams.

Women's soccer
The Ohio State women's soccer team lost its regular-season finale to Penn State, 1-0. Following their opening round win against Indiana in the Big Ten Championship, the Buckeyes met the Nittany Lions again and the outcome was different. Ohio State topped Penn State 5-4 on penalty kicks to advance to the championship game. A Big Ten title was not to be had as the Buckeyes lost a hard-fought match to Purdue, 3-1.

Following the tournament, the Buckeyes were selected as an at-large team to the NCAA Tournament and were set to face Hofstra in round one. Hofstra got a second-half goal by Adel Malone and, by limiting Ohio State to just one shot on goal in the second half, defeated the Buckeyes, 1-0, bringing their season to an end.

Football
Few teams have turned in more dominant regular seasons over the past two years than Ohio State, and that explains how the Buckeyes have played in back-to-back BCS national championship games.
Here's to hoping the third time's the charm.

Despite entering the BCS title game at 11-1, a clip that included wins over Michigan, Wisconsin and Penn State, Ohio State was embarrassed in its second consecutive title game, this time in a 38-24 loss to LSU.

But, as was the case in 2006, it's hard to be disappointed in national runner-up campaign. There was simply too much that went right during the season for Jim Tressel or any Buckeye, for that matter, to view 2007 as a failure. The successful season was highlighted by a 10-0 start, in which the Buckeyes outscored their opponents, 349-97. That stretch of dominance saw Ohio State ascend to No. 1 in all the major polls, including the BCS standings.

Then came the season's one hiccup, when an upstart Illinois team strolled into Columbus on Nov. 10 and shocked the Buckeyes, 28-21. The defeat to the eventual Rose-Bowl bound Illini may have knocked Ohio State out of the No. 1 ranking in the polls, but it also snapped Ohio State's streak of a school-record 28 straight regular-season wins, in addition to its 20-game Big Ten winning streak.

The Buckeyes had no trouble bouncing back the next week in a 14-3 season-finale victory at Michigan. Far from a thing of beauty, the win at the Big House proved to be enough to seal Ohio State's second BCS title game appearance in as many seasons. The invite, however, didn't come without its share of controversy. Naysayers said Ohio State played no one and that Georgia deserved a chance to play for the title. No matter.

With talent such as Todd Boeckman, Brian Robiskie, Beanie Wells, Brian Hartline, James Laurinaitis, Marcus Freeman and Malcolm Jenkins, to name a few, all back for another season, we could be talking about another BCS title game for OSU in seven months.

Volleyball
It was announced early in the volleyball season that after 26 seasons with the team, head coach Jim Stone was going to retire, effective July 31, 2008.

Needless to say his team went on to have a solid season in conference play finishing at 7-13. It was unfortunate, however, that the team couldn't send him off on a winning note, when they dropped their season finale to Michigan.

All was not lost though, as middle blocker Danielle Meyer was one of four unanimous selections to the 2007 All-Big Ten team.

Men's swimming & diving
The 13th-ranked Ohio State men's swimming and diving team finished in fourth place at the 2008 Big Ten Swimming and Diving Championships. Highlighting the final day of competition were the performances of junior Wes Wieser and freshman Sean Moore on the platform. The pair earned the top two spots after Wieser captured first with 415.50 points and Moore took second with a score of 400.95.

Six members of the Ohio State swimming and diving team compete at the the NCAA Zone C Diving Championships and all six members qualified for the NCAA Championships.

Ohio State's Sean Moore claimed the top spot on the platform at the 2008 NCAA men's swimming and diving championships. The nationally-ranked Buckeyes finished in 16th place with a score of 63 points.

Women's swimming & diving
The Ohio State women's swimming and diving team finished in eighth place at the 2008 Big Ten Swimming and Diving Championships. The events were highlighted by the performance of freshman Kristen Asman on the platform. After a solid showing in the preliminaries, Asman scored 288.15 points to earn a second-place finish.

After a successful showing at the NCAA Zone C Diving Championships, Ohio State's Chelsea Davis and diving Head Coach Vince Panzano were named Tri-Diver of the Year and Diving Coach of the Year, respectively, at the conclusion of the 2008 NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championships.

Behind the Buckeye divers, Ohio State finished 15th at the national championships, its best finish since placing 12th in 1991.

Men's indoor track and field
The Ohio State men's track and field team finished third at the 2008 Big Ten Indoor
Championships with 82 points. The third-place finish is the best for the Buckeyes since finishing third in 2001.

Four members of the team made the trip to the 2008 NCAA Indoor Championships. Highlights included Jeff See becoming the first Ohio State miler to earn All-American honors since Rob Meyers in 2003. See took seventh in the NCAA mile final with a time of 4:05.75. Lenny Jatsek grabbed 10th in the weight throw with a toss of 68 feet, 1 3/4 inches. With the toss, Jatsek earned All-American honors for the second time in his career.

Women's indoor track and field
The Ohio State women's track and field team came in 10th at the 2008 Big Ten Indoor Championships. The Buckeyes were led by senior Veronica Jatsek. Jatsek won the weight throw title with a career-best toss of 70 feet, 7 3/4 inches.

Jatsek scored her second indoor All-America honor of her career Friday with her fourth-place finish in the weight throw at the 2008 NCAA Indoor Championships.

Wrestling
Mike Pucillo, a redshirt-sophomore on the wrestling team, became a Big Ten champion at 184 pounds in the 2008 Big Ten Conference Championships.

As a team, the Buckeyes finished fifth with 92.5 points and qualified seven wrestlers for the 2088 NCAA Wrestling Championships.

J Jaggers and Pucillo, were crowned 2008 NCAA National Champions to give the Buckeyes their first individual national championship since 2004. As a team, Ohio State finished second with 79 points. The second-place finish is the best standing for the Buckeyes in program history.

Men's basketball
One year after losing standouts Greg Oden, Michael Conley and Daequan Cook to the NBA, Thad Matta would have been excused for a down year. Matta would have none of that, however.

On the heels of national runner-up campaign, the Buckeyes racked up 24 wins, including victories in their final five contests, en route to claiming the 2008 NIT title over Massachusetts. It was a surprising season for a team that had lost so many dynamic talents from the year before, but it was even more impressive considering the way the regular season ended.

Ohio State lost to Michigan State in its first game of the Big Ten Tournament, and despite beating the Spartans in the regular-season finale, the Buckeyes were one of the last teams left out of the NCAA tournament.

Such a fate didn't seem to bother the Buckeyes, thanks in large part to senior point guard and captain Jamar Butler, who was the heart and soul of the team. Butler guided a youthful team to the top half of the Big Ten standings, led the team in scoring and assists and became the program's all-time assist leader during a memorable senior season.

Come the NIT, though, it was freshman Kosta Koufos' time. Koufos saved his best for the tournament, as evidenced by him winning the event's MVP. Soon thereafter, Koufos, who poured in 22 points and grabbed nine rebounds in the title game, announced his intentions to enter the NBA Draft.

Despite losing Butler and Koufos, Matta and the Buckeyes should have a bright future in store. David Lighty, Evan Turner and Jon Diebler are three of the top returners, while incoming freshman B.J. Mullins is expected to make an immediate impact in the frontcourt.

Women's basketball
Ohio State finished tied with Iowa in the Big Ten standings with an identical 13-5 conference record to finish the season as co-champions.

Ohio State made its sixth consecutive trip to the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament earning a No. 6 seed and a round one meeting with No. 11 Florida State. Jantel Lavender's 21 points and Marscilla Packer's 13 weren't enough for the Buckeyes as they dropped a 60-49 decision to Florida State.

Of note, Jantel Lavender was named the conference's Player of the Year and finished her freshman season by becoming the Big Ten's rebounding champion. And Packer was selected in the 2008 WNBA Draft by the Phoenix Mercury in the third round.

Ice hockey
To open the Central Collegiate Hockey Association tournament, the Buckeyes faced the Northern Michigan Wildcats for a best-of-three series. The two teams met in the regular season, splitting a home series. Ohio State lost the opener, 2-0, and came from behind for a 3-2 victory in game two.

The Buckeyes lost to Northern Michigan, 6-1, in game three of the CCHA first-round playoff series. The Buckeyes won the first game (4-3), but the Wildcats won games two (4-2) and three to clinch the best-of-three series.

Men's gymnastics
With a score of 354.35, the Ohio State men's gymnastics program finished third at the 2008 Big Ten Men's Gymnastics Championships.

The Buckeyes placed fourth at the first of two NCAA qualifying sessions with a team total of 351.8. The fourth-place finish knocks the Buckeyes out of contention for the 2008 national team title.

Women's gymnastics
At the Big Ten Championships, the Ohio State women's gymnastics team finished with a team score of 194.075 to place seventh. Freshman Rebecca Best led the Buckeyes with a sixth-place all-around finish and a pair of fourth-place event finishes.

The gymnastics team proceeded to enter third-consecutive year in the NCAA Central Region Championships. With a 195.125 team total, the Buckeyes finished third at the NCAA Central Region Championships, and senior Kaylan Clevinger represented the Buckeyes at the national championships for the second-consecutive year.

Clevinger competed in the all-around event in her second-consecutive national appearance. After posting a 9.90 on bars in the national meet, Clevinger earned second-team All-American honors as only the fifth Ohio State gymnast to claim the title. Rebecca Best traveled to the championships as one of six alternates in the all-around after she posted a 39.150 all-around score at regionals.

Men's golf
The Ohio State men's golf team led the field in scoring during the final round at 4-over 292 to finish tied with Northwestern for sixth at the 2008 Big Ten Championships with a four-round total of 1196 (+44).

After a three-year hiatus, the Buckeyes returned to NCAA tournament action in the NCAA Central Regional as the No. 19 seed. The team ultimately concluded its season by tying for 16th at the Regionals. The Buckeyes closed out the tournament with a team score of 309 (+25) during the final round.

Women's golf
Three Buckeyes finished in the Top 10 as the Ohio State women's golf team took third at the 2008 Big Ten Championships. The Buckeyes shot a final team round of 299 to bring its tournament total to 1202 (+50). The Buckeyes third place finish marked their 14th Top 3 finish in the last 16 years.

Having earned the No. 12 seed in the 2008 NCAA West Regional, the Buckeyes made their 14th-consecutive appearance at an NCAA regional.

Ohio State had an exciting final round of the 2008 NCAA West Regional, tying for eighth with a score of 892 (+28) after a third-round total of 7-over 295. Upon the conclusion of the round, the Buckeyes battled UC Davis and Stanford for the final place to advance to the NCAA championships. Ohio State and Stanford completed the five-hole playoff 1-over while UC Davis won it at 1-under. The loss in the playoff marked the end of the season for the Buckeyes.

Men's tennis
The Ohio State men's tennis team (32-1, 13-0) successfully defended its 2006 and 2007 Big Ten Tournament titles when it beat third-seed Illinois in the final of the 2008 Big Ten Tournament. Ohio State claimed its fourth Big Ten Tournament title in the last seven years. The Buckeyes also were the 2008 regular-season league champions.

The team had its record-setting season cut short when it lost to seventh-seed Texas, 4-2, in the quarterfinals of the 2008 NCAA Men's Tennis Championships following a run that included wins over Cleveland State, East Tennessee State and Illinois.

Women's tennis
Ohio State entered the 2008 Big Ten Championship as the No. 5 seed, the same spot it occupied in 2007. And like 2007, the Buckeyes were topped in their opening round. This time it was by Illinois, 4-3.

The team still received an at-large bid to the field of 64 teams for the 2008 NCAA Women's Tennis Championship and an opening-round match with Auburn.

The Tigers were too much for the Buckeyes, defeating them 4-3 to end Ohio State's season on a losing note. 

Softball
The Ohio State softball team traveled to Evanston, as the No. 8 seed to face host and No. 1 seed Northwestern in a quarterfinal game in the Big Ten tournament.

The top-seeded Wildcats were too much for the Buckeyes. Northwestern scored all eight of its runs in the fourth inning and Big Ten Pitcher of the Year Lauren Delaney held the Ohio State softball team to one hit as they eliminated the Buckeyes, 8-0, from the Big Ten tournament.

Rowing
With its third-place finish in the 2008 Big Ten Championship, the Ohio State rowing team has now finished in the Top 3 of every championship since its inception in 2000.

It was the second-place finish in a time of 6:33.64 by the First Varsity Eight in the Grand Final that propelled Ohio State to its ninth top 3 finish in the Big Ten championships.

At the 2008 Aramark Central/South Region Sprints the rowing squad finished third overall earning them a trip to the NCAA Championship.

Behind a second-place finish in the Grand Final by the Second Varsity Eight, the Buckeyes finished seventh overall with 34 points at the 2008 NCAA Championships. The runner-up finish by the Buckeye 2V8 is the best national finish for the crew in Ohio State history. The First Varsity Four won its Petite Final race for an overall seventh-place standing. The First Varsity Eight came in third in the C Final for 15th overall.

Men's outdoor track and field
The Ohio State men's track and field team completed action at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships, finishing in third place with 100 points.

The biggest event for the Buckeyes was the javelin throw as Ohio State swept the top two spots. Freshman Bryan Bunnell made his case for Big Ten freshman of the year, dominating the event with a winning toss of 219 feet, 1 inch. Patrick Filipi finished second with a toss of 216-11.

Women's outdoor track and field
The Ohio State women's track and field team closed action at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships in fifth place with 74 points.

The 4x100-meter relay team of Bever-Leigh Holloway, Ayrizanna Favours, Letecia Wright and Jenna Griffin claimed the Big Ten title with the second-best time in Ohio State history with a mark of 44.63.
Men's lacrosse
Finishing the regular season in the Great Western Lacrosse League (GWLL) in a three-way tie for first, the Buckeyes headed to the GWLL tournament and made their way to the championship game against Notre Dame. Notre Dame was too much for the team, as they topped Ohio State 9-2.

The team received an at-large bid into the 16-team 2008 NCAA Championship. Following a first round win against Cornell, the Buckeyes were eliminated 21-10 by top-seed Duke. The Buckeyes, who made their first appearance in the round of 8, end their season 11-6 (4-1/t-1st GWLL).

Baseball
Ohio State began defense of its Big Ten Conference tournament championship against Illinois.
Illinois pitcher Kevin Manson pitched a complete game and Joe Bonadonna's seventh-inning home
run was the difference in Illinois' 3-2 win over Ohio State.

Next up was a tournament elimination game against Indiana. The game featured six ties and lead
changes as the Buckeyes fell to the Hoosiers 10-8.

The 125th season of Ohio State baseball came to a close with the loss. Ohio State finished
with a 30-26 record. 

Information for this report provided by ohiostatebuckeyes.com and bigten.org.

• Ohio State
• Ohio State home
• Ohio State Scores & Schedule
• Ohio State Football Statistics
• Ohio State Basketball Statistics (M)
• Ohio State Basketball Statistics (W)
• Ohio State Video & Ohio State Highlights
• OhioStateBuckeyes.com
• Ohio State University
• Alumni Association
• Subscribe to RSS
• Visit our Ohio State Store