10 REASONS WHY OHIO STATE WILL BEAT FLORIDA THIS TIME AROUND
10. This game will not be played at the O-Dome. Ohio State head coach Thad Matta called the previous meeting in Gainesville, "one of the best atmospheres" he's ever seen. Although the rowdy reptile fans were out in numbers in Atlanta this weekend, Florida will not have the homecourt advantage.
9. Ohio State is mentally tougher than three months ago. With 17 minutes left in the game, Ohio State had used a 9-0 run to tie the game at 40-40 back in December. From there, Florida went on a 12-0 run and the floodgates opened for a convincing 86-60 win. Since that time, Ohio State has escapped last second shots against Tennessee (twice), Michigan State, Wisconsin and Penn State. In addition, the Buckeyes survived a 20-point deficit to the Volunteers and rallied from a 9-point deficit against Xavier in the second round.
8. The not-so-lumbering-limb of Oden is alive and well. With a healthy right wrist, Oden has a wider arsenal of go-to moves in the post. Also back in December, Oden was lumbering a bit with coordination and still getting into game shape. Now that Oden is confident and on top of his game, double teams and help-offs won't be nearly as effective this encounter.
7. Florida knows they beat Ohio State badly. For a team that uses slights and disrespect as motivation, will Donovan be able to trick a team's psyche into thinking it's an underdog against a team it beat by 26 points? Likely not. Florida regained the mental edge after losing to Vanderbilt, Tennessee and LSU and has since been picking up steam. However, Ohio State has won 22 games in a row and there's a whole lot of reasons (26 of them) for the Buckeye players to play with a chip on their shoulders.
6. Fate. This can be a two-sided argument as Florida fans (rightfully so) probably feel like they're destined to win another title. But this game is nearly the polar opposite of the situation in football where Ohio State was the heavy favorite and Florida just kept winning and winning, despite no one believing they were as good. Ohio State fans feel like something's meant to be, and for the football comparisons - where Ohio State has not fared well against the SEC in bowl games, it's done remarkably well against the SEC in the NCAA Tournament.
5. Since December, a lot has changed with Ohio State. Lewis has improved shot selection, David Lighty's defense and all-around play has improved ten-fold while Conley has become one of the most unstoppable players in the nation. The 22-game win streak doesn't do justice how much more complete a team Ohio State has become since they last met Florida. The Gators are playing better basketball, but beyond the emergence of Chris Richard, the dynamic of the team hasn't changed.
4. Ivan Harris and Terwilliger mean business. Not to ruin an objective analysis, but mother mary button down the hatches - when Harris and Terwilliger both come to play with intensity and a sense of focus, something's gone terribly awry in the cosmic universe.
3. Oden has something to prove. No, he doesn't have to "prove" anything to be the No. 1-pick in the NBA draft this June. He also doesn't have to do anything more to justify his worth to any casual observer. That said, Oden has been watching half of Ohio State's tournament jog from the bench and if there's one thing you should know about Oden, it's that he holds himself to a higher standard than that of your average bear. Whether or not this will be Oden's last college game is officially undetermined, but if in fact he's leaning that direction, don't discount him going out with a bang.
2. Both Florida and Ohio State are "battle tested." That said, Florida's M.O. all year has been rally from early deficits to pull away in the second half or later in the game. What happens if Florida is in a tie game or within a few points in the game's final minute? Ohio State has already survived those situations but it remains to be seen how the Gators will react.
1. Ohio State is no longer a jump-shooting team. The Buckeyes have morphed into a team that attacks defense off the dribble, have a better blend of inside-outside play and have improved defensively. The Buckeyes are likely to learn lessons from the hedging nightmare on screens created by Noah and Horford the first time around.
Stay tuned early Monday for 10 reasons why Florida will win
