FOX broadcaster Gus Johnson sounds off about the state of Ohio State athletics during the Buckeyes' game against Virginia.
Gus Johnson got a little off his chest on Saturday night!
During the first half of the Ohio State and Virginia men's basketball game on Saturday night, popular broadcaster Gus Johnson had some things to say about Ohio State. While discussing the state of the Virginia Cavaliers and how they flipped their program completely around, Johnson explained what's going on at Ohio State.
"The difference between UVA and Ohio State is that UVA paid for it. Ohio State has given all of their money to Ryan Day!"
His color commentator, Jim Jackson, then noted that it is the current challenge with a lot of these football schools, which basically are having to choose between the basketball program and the football program.
The effects of the NIL era are endless, and the issues that it creates continues to pile up. And while outwardly, Ohio State would never say that they give all of their money to football, it is just a reality that they spent roughly $35 million for their football roster, and their basketball roster is still undisclosed.
Now, the football numbers are relative. For example, the No. 1 team in the country, the Arizona Wildcats have an estimated roster value of $4.15 million. That seems like a drop in the bucket compared to $35 million for football, but, obviously, football rosters have 10 times the number of players that a basketball roster has.
The tough part to balance is that whatever you spend on a roster, the team still has to perform, and the Buckeyes are not doing it.
I would find it very hard to believe that athletic director Ross Bjork would come out and challenge the team and the head coach to get in the tournament if he didn't give that program enough resources to compete.
Regardless of what Ohio State is spending on its roster, it has become a painful bunch to watch. This season, they have been so close to several wins against major programs.
They had one-point losses to both North Carolina and Pitt, a three-point loss to No. 10 Nebraska, and less than 10-point losses to No. 3 Michigan, No. 13 Illinois, and No. 15 Virginia.
If one or two of those games flip, we are looking at a totally different team. Instead, they all went the wrong way, and there were a couple of other horrible losses that have this Ohio State team limping towards the offseason.
Whether it is spending or coaching, the team is not getting the job done and not even coming close to it. Changes need to be made in Columbus for this basketball team, and they need to get back to national relevance.
Buckeye Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Buckeyes. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.