Ohio State Buckeyes 2021-2022 ... Destination: Happy Valley

[pgb-ohio]

robertearle is to Math as pgb is to game recaps. If this was a normal "points" year, OSU and UW could rule by winning out. The percentages from a missing game won't change that. I think it is only in the case of what would normally be a tie on points (had no games been missed and the favorite had won those games) that the points percentage method will produce a different outcome.

Thinking out loud: Let's assume no further cancellations. I presume that having a denominator that's smaller by one game would give either OSU or UW a tiebreaking advantage over UofM. That is if the numerator - points earned - is an exact tie. That point total would be a slightly higher percentage of the smaller denominator. Which I think is just a different way of saying what you already said.

I don't ever remember a year where OSU was last; maybe one rung up from that in the Potter year. I also don't remember a stretch where BSU finished last repeatedly. Both SCSU and MSU have had stretches where they repeated in the spot that nobody wants to occupy.

Your memory is very good. The Buckeyes did, indeed, finish 7th of 8 in the Potter Year. They also finished 7th of 8 in 2008-09. But those are the low water marks. If my quick trip through memory lane yielded an accurate count, we've finished in 4th Place 7 times & 5th Place 7 times. So "middle of the pack" has been much more common than lower tier, and dead last has never happened. Of course the results have been markedly better under Coach Muzzerall: Top 3 finish in every season except the first.

 

[robertearle]

Minnesota right now has 50 points with six games remaining. If they win out, they will be at 68 points in 28 games; or 68 of 84 points won. That is, 0.8095

Prior to tonight's UW game, both Ohio State and Wisconsin were at 45 points with seven games left to play. If either wins out, they would be at 66 points in 27 games; or 66 of 81 points won. That is, 0.8148

Minnesota has the one additional game, but only got two of the three points available (68 points vs 66 points). So, only .666 for that game, dragging their overall percent down just a bit. (.8095 vs .8148)

Exactly the reason that tonight's win by Wisconsin has them in first place, 0.762 vs 0.758. One fewer game played but only two of the possible three points gained from the extra Minn game.

(Think of a baseball player's batting average: say he's hitting .350 for the season, and then plays a game where he only goes 1-for-3. He hit .333 for the game, lower than the .350. His season average is going to be pulled down a bit by the 1-for-3. Maybe .348 or some such. Same thing for Minn only going two-for-three in the extra game.)

 

[osualum86]

Minnesota right now has 50 points with six games remaining. If they win out, they will be at 68 points in 28 games; or 68 of 84 points won. That is, 0.8095

Prior to tonight's UW game, both Ohio State and Wisconsin were at 45 points with seven games left to play. If either wins out, they would be at 66 points in 27 games; or 66 of 81 points won. That is, 0.8148

Minnesota has the one additional game, but only got two of the three points available (68 points vs 66 points). So, only .666 for that game, dragging their overall percent down just a bit. (.8095 vs .8148)

Exactly the reason that tonight's win by Wisconsin has them in first place, 0.762 vs 0.758. One fewer game played but only two of the possible three points gained from the extra Minn game.

(Think of a baseball player's batting average: say he's hitting .350 for the season, and then plays a game where he only goes 1-for-3. He hit .333 for the game, lower than the .350. His season average is going to be pulled down a bit by the 1-for-3. Maybe .348 or some such. Same thing for Minn only going two-for-three in the extra game.)

You and the others are correct. I keep forgetting that we have seven games left (keep forgetting about the makeup game vs St. Cloud), so it's not over yet. We can't get ahead of ourselves, though. We need to take care of business this weekend vs Minnesota State, who has beaten us in Mankato in previous years. We stub our toes against Mankato, Bemidji, or St. Cloud and the regular season crown goes out the window. Hope Saturday's game taught our kids that you have to play a full 60-minute game, not just 50. Winning the regular season would be another first for Ohio State, just as the tournament title was in 2020, and it might actually get us a 1-seed in the NCAA Tournament as historically the committee has valued the WCHA regular season championship over the tournament championship. This was evident two years ago when we knocked off Minnesota and Wisconsin in the WCHA Tournament to win it, then the NCAA selection committee was going to send us up to Minneapolis to play the Gophers up there in the NCAA Quarterfinal. Thankfully, we should not have to worry about having to go on the road for a quarterfinal this season.

 

[osualum86]

(Still) No inside information, on either a possible banner or the latest theory.

I can understand not wanting any distractions during this year's campaign. But eventually I hope that some way is found to commemorate last year's FF appearance. Being one of the last four teams standing is recognized as a major accomplishment across many college sports. Another way to look at it is that we prominently honor all Buckeye Olympians -- with banners -- even if their country didn't win Gold during their participation.

If the powers-that-be don't want to raise a banner in this case, they'll get no complaint from me. But I personally enjoy sports history and won't be forgetting last year's accomplishments. Particularly the NCAA win over BC. I'm just completely flexible as to how that history is displayed.

Pgb, regarding the banner thing, I see both sides of it. If the reason for not hanging a Frozen Four banner is that we're no longer recognizing just getting there, I am fine with that. However, I agree with you that being one of the Final Four teams left in your sport is a great accomplishment. When the football team won the Rose Bowl last month, I am sure they put that trophy in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center lobby (or whatever they call that glass corner that faces Olentangy River Road where anyone driving by in their car can clearly see all the trophies) even though it was a meaningless bowl game after an inexcusable loss to Michigan. If one of our hoops teams makes the NCAA Final Four, I am pretty sure a banner will be raised for that. So, yeah, count me as one of those who would like to see the 2021 Frozen Four recognized. You mentioned Olympians. That banner needs to be updated, as well as the All-Americans banner.

 

[pgb-ohio]

Pgb, regarding the banner thing, I see both sides of it. If the reason for not hanging a Frozen Four banner is that we're no longer recognizing just getting there, I am fine with that. However, I agree with you that being one of the Final Four teams left in your sport is a great accomplishment. When the football team won the Rose Bowl last month, I am sure they put that trophy in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center lobby (or whatever they call that glass corner that faces Olentangy River Road where anyone driving by in their car can clearly see all the trophies) even though it was a meaningless bowl game after an inexcusable loss to Michigan.

I'm very old school on the Rose Bowl. As long as there's a B1G Team involved, it's very meaningful to me. Not just Buckeyes, Big 10. And if there's no B1G team, then it's probably a Playoff game. And of course that's meaningful.

I've been out to Pasadena 3 times for Rose Bowls/Rose Parades. Great experiences all. Everything from getting up before sunrise to get your spot on the parade route to the sun setting in the Arroyo Seco during the game. I'm never going to budge an inch on Rose Bowl greatness. I don't mind that you & others feel differently. But this is one those "My Grandpa Loved The Rose Bowl, My Dad Loved The Rose Bowl, I Love The Rose Bowl" deals. (winking emoticon here)

If one of our hoops teams makes the NCAA Final Four, I am pretty sure a banner will be raised for that. So, yeah, count me as one of those who would like to see the 2021 Frozen Four recognized. You mentioned Olympians. That banner needs to be updated, as well as the All-Americans banner.

I didn't even realize the Olympic & All-American banners needed updating. Which kind of proves your point about not getting overly excited about non-championship banners!

Note that at the Schott -- for Men's Hockey and the 2 Hoops teams -- NCAA Tournament participation is noted on just a single banner for each team. The various years listed in one place. Maybe that's a good compromise for great seasons that fall short of the ultimate championship.

 

[osualum86]

I'm very old school on the Rose Bowl. As long as there's a B1G Team involved, it's very meaningful to me. Not just Buckeyes, Big 10. And if there's no B1G team, then it's probably a Playoff game. And of course that's meaningful.

I've been out to Pasadena 3 times for Rose Bowls/Rose Parades. Great experiences all. Everything from getting up before sunrise to get your spot on the parade route to the sun setting in the Arroyo Seco during the game. I'm never going to budge an inch on Rose Bowl greatness. I don't mind that you & others feel differently. But this is one those "My Grandpa Loved The Rose Bowl, My Dad Loved The Rose Bowl, I Love The Rose Bowl" deals. (winking emoticon here)

Yeah, I probably shouldn't have dissed the Rose Bowl as I am definitely old enough to remember when it was the be-all, end-all for the Big Ten Champion. Heck, I can remember crying my eyes out as an 11-year-old when that 1975 team was upset by Dick Vermeil's UCLA Bruins in the Rose Bowl, so I guess it did mean something, didn't it? Of course, that loss cost Ohio State a National Title as they were ranked #1 going in. I just know this year's group (2021 Team) had loftier goals. I was happy that they won the Rose Bowl because they didn't want to be there, so I was concerned regarding whether they would be motivated or not. And for anyone who watched it, they certainly didn't look motivated in the first half. Thankfully, they righted the ship in the second half and pulled it out. Enough about football, though. We have a big series coming up vs the Mavericks this weekend! That team is dangerous. They remind me of us five or six years ago; hovering around the .500 mark, but with the ability to pull off the upset if you don't respect them and bring your A game. Hope Coach Muzerall and the girls recognize that and bring their A game for 60 minutes.

 

[pgb-ohio]

We have a big series coming up vs the Mavericks this weekend! That team is dangerous. They remind me of us five or six years ago; hovering around the .500 mark, but with the ability to pull off the upset if you don't respect them and bring your A game. Hope Coach Muzerall and the girls recognize that and bring their A game for 60 minutes.

Absolutely. Browsing through their 2021-22 resume, you quickly notice they've recorded a win against UMD, and a win against Minnesota. This isn't a team to overlook; that's for sure.

 

[osualum86]

Absolutely. Browsing through their 2021-22 resume, you quickly notice they've recorded a win against UMD, and a win against Minnesota. This isn't a team to overlook; that's for sure.

Thankfully, the girls did not overlook the Mavericks tonight, winning the first game of the series by a final score of 5-0. The Buckeyes got a goal in the first period from Paetyn Levis and took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission. Ohio State would add two more goals in the second period from Paetyn Levis and Jenna Buglioni and went into the second intermission with a 3-0 lead. The Bucks added two more goals in the final frame from Gabby Rosenthal and Jenna Buglioni and that is how it ended. Ohio State outshot the Mavericks 44-23 in this one with Buckeye netminder Amanda Thiele stopping all 23 shots she faced to get the shutout win. Maverick goaltender Calla Frank went the distance for Minnesota State and stopped 39 of the 44 shots she faced. The two teams are back at it tomorrow with game time at 3:00 pm EST (2:00 pm CST).

 

[pgb-ohio]

Based on your post & the story on the OSU Website, it sounds like this was a very strong performance in all phases of the game. Offense, Defense, Special Teams. Well done, Buckeyes!

 

[osualum86]

Based on your post & the story on the OSU Website, it sounds like this was a very strong performance in all phases of the game. Offense, Defense, Special Teams. Well done, Buckeyes!

Yes, having watched some of the game on BTN+ and also listening to Coach Muzerall's postgame interview, it sounded like we played a solid game tonight in all phases. From what I saw on BTN+, Minnesota State did not get many quality scoring chances in this one.

 

[osualum86]

The Buckeyes completed the sweep of Minnesota State on Saturday afternoon by a final score of 7-1. Six different Buckeyes scored goals in this one. Ohio State opened the scoring on a goal from Lexi Templeman to take a 1-0 lead. Later in the first period, the Bucks got a goal from Jenna Buglioni to take a 2-0 lead into the first intermission. The teams traded goals in the second period. Gabby Rosenthal scored for the Buckeyes, then Minnesota State's Jessica Kondas answered to get the Mavericks on the board. The second period ended with Ohio State leading Minnesota State 3-1. The third period was all Ohio State as they tacked on four more goals. The Buckeyes' third period goals were scored by Madison Bizal, Liz Schepers, Jennifer Gardiner, and Gabby Rosenthal, making the final score 7-1. Ohio State outshot Minnesota State 47-19 with Buckeye netminder Amanda Thiele stopping 18 of the 19 shots she faced to get the win. Maverick goaltender Calla Frank stopped 40 of the 47 shots she faced. One other note on this game, with three assists, Buckeye defender Sophie Jaques is now the single-season points record holder for defenders at Ohio State with 47 points. Sophie broke the previous record of 45, which was set by All-American and Olympic Gold Medalist Tessa Bonhomme in the 2007-08 season. Ohio State will play a rescheduled game against St. Cloud on Tuesday 2/8 before heading north to take on Bemidji State next weekend. Minnesota State will travel to Madison next weekend to take on the Wisconsin Badgers.

 

[pgb-ohio]

Nice to see Lexi Templeman's hustle and hard work pay off with the opening goal. Not that she's been in a drought; Saturday's goal was her 6th on the season. But given the way she flies around the rink, it seems like she should be rewarded a little more often.

Go Lexi Go!


EDIT: And Lexi Keeps It Going! A Goal & An Assist This Afternoon Against St. Cloud.

 

[pgb-ohio]

2/8/22: Liz Schepers Scores 4 Goals!!

I'll leave the rest to osualum86, but I couldn't resist this one. 4th Time in program history that this has been accomplished. 1st Buckeye Hat Trick for Liz. Guess she was having so much fun, she decided to make it a Grand Slam.

 

[osualum86]

Nice to see Lexi Templeman's hustle and hard work pay off with the opening goal. Not that she's been in a drought; Saturday's goal was her 6th on the season. But given the way she flies around the rink, it seems like she should be rewarded a little more often.

Go Lexi Go!


EDIT: And Lexi Keeps It Going! A Goal & An Assist This Afternoon Against St. Cloud.

I am very happy for all the RMU girls that they have found a home here in Columbus! Lexi flies around the ice and it is great to see her get rewarded! Raygan Kirk has been staunch in net when she has been called on, and it is always nice to see Emily Curlett out there. For those who are not aware, Emily actually switched from forward to defense when she came to the Buckeyes, not an easy thing to do. That is a team player for sure!

 

[osualum86]

2/8/22: Liz Schepers Scores 4 Goals!!

I'll leave the rest to osualum86, but I couldn't resist this one. 4th Time in program history that this has been accomplished. 1st Buckeye Hat Trick for Liz. Guess she was having so much fun, she decided to make it a Grand Slam.

Pgb!!! I cannot tell a lie, Liz is one of my favorites! Great player, great leader, just a wonderful young lady. It has been a privilege to watch her play at tOSU for five seasons! So glad Liz decided to utilize that extra year of eligibility and come back this season! Going to be hard to say goodbye in another month and change! (Frown emoji)

 

[osualum86]

Onto the game recap! As Pgb said, Liz Schepers kinda had herself a day!! Let me give St. Cloud some credit, though, as this game was anyone's game for two periods. The Buckeyes put it away in the third period but it was a competitive game for the first two periods on the big sheet of ice at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center! Liz Schepers started the scoring for the Buckeyes with two first-period goals to get Ohio State out to a 2-0 lead. St. Cloud was not phased and got a goal of their own from Emma Gentry to cut the lead in half. That is how the first period ended and the teams went to the break with the Buckeyes leading the Huskies 2-1. Liz Schepers scored in the second period to add to Ohio State's lead at 3-1. St. Cloud answered with a goal from Taylor Lind to cut Ohio State's lead to 3-2 and that's how the teams went into the final intermission. The Buckeyes got three goals in the third period from Lexi Templeman, Brooke Bink, and who else ... Liz Schepers, to finish the game with a 6-2 win. Ohio State outshot the Huskies 45-19. Buckeye backstop Amanda Thiele stopped 17 of the 19 shots she faced to get the win. Sanni Ahola got the start in net for the Huskies and saved 39 of the 45 shots she faced. The Bucks will continue their road trip and visit Bemidji State for a pair of games this weekend. St. Cloud State will have a home-and-home with the Minnesota Gophers this weekend.

 

[pgb-ohio]

As of right now, we're in first place in terms of percentage of points won. The stat that determines the regular season champ this season. Just saying.

Ohio State .783
Minnesota .778
Wisconsin .739
UMD .652

We still have 4 difficult and vitally important games to play. But Wisconsin's recent loss to UMD leaves the Buckeyes as the only team "in control of their own destiny."

 

[ARM]

I wonder if OSU gave any thought to playing SCSU twice this week. If that second game had taken place, then the Buckeyes, like the Gophers, would have played the full complement of games if both teams final four games take place as scheduled. As pgb calculated, the title is OSU's alone if it wins out. However, if Minnesota wins out and the Buckeyes lose a single point along the way, then the teams would tie on points if OSU had faced (and defeated) SCSU for a second time this week. As it stands, looked at just by a straight points percentage with an unequal number of games, if UM takes 12 more points while OSU earns only 11 the rest of the way, UM would have the higher percentage. That's because 68/84 > 65/81.

The other way that this could have been more fair with OSU playing one game fewer is if the points percentage was calculated by each opponent and summed. Both OSU and UM would then earn 100% of the points versus SCSU in that hypothetical situation and would be tied overall, even though OSU had one fewer game against that opponent.

The WCHA didn't run their league fairly in 2020-21, and it looks like they're repeating the mistake this year. The losers with this approach are the teams that play a smaller percentage of their games versus bottom-half opponents. I imagine that the converse is true at the bottom of the league, where St. Thomas and St. Cloud have fewer games versus contenders. That's less of an issue because the teams are more spread out in the standings. For representing institutions of higher learning, the NCAA is consistently overmatched as soon as the arithmetic problems progress beyond a 4th-grade level.

 

[pgb-ohio]

I wonder if OSU gave any thought to playing SCSU twice this week. If that second game had taken place, then the Buckeyes, like the Gophers, would have played the full complement of games if both teams final four games take place as scheduled.

No idea if the powers-that-be gave it any thought. But as an individual, I certainly did. The following is pure speculation, but I'd imagine that it played out something like this:

1. OSU would have wanted the games. In terms of logistics, 5 games in 9 days sounds reasonable enough. But 6 games in 9 days? Not so much. And even had we proposed the latter, no single school was in a position to dictate the outcome.

2. St. Cloud's reaction probably ran something along the lines of: We don't want to duck a challenge, but why are we making up games that were cancelled for medical reasons? On our end, we have nothing to gain by playing these games. And the more games we have to make up, the less we like it.

From there, my sense is that the decision-makers split the difference, and settled on the "least objectionable" plan. A pragmatic compromise. But as you point out below, it doesn't really qualify as fair competition.

As pgb calculated, the title is OSU's alone if it wins out. However, if Minnesota wins out and the Buckeyes lose a single point along the way, then the teams would tie on points if OSU had faced (and defeated) SCSU for a second time this week. As it stands, looked at just by a straight points percentage with an unequal number of games, if UM takes 12 more points while OSU earns only 11 the rest of the way, UM would have the higher percentage. That's because 68/84 > 65/81.

Don't give me too much credit for calculating. I didn't continue on & figure out that the Buckeyes didn't have a single point to spare. Good contribution by you.

The other way that this could have been more fair with OSU playing one game fewer is if the points percentage was calculated by each opponent and summed. Both OSU and UM would then earn 100% of the points versus SCSU in that hypothetical situation and would be tied overall, even though OSU had one fewer game against that opponent.

That's actually very clever. Here's to hoping that game cancellations are a non-issue in 2022-23. But the powers-that-be should add this idea to their arsenal, just in case.

The WCHA didn't run their league fairly in 2020-21, and it looks like they're repeating the mistake this year. The losers with this approach are the teams that play a smaller percentage of their games versus bottom-half opponents. I imagine that the converse is true at the bottom of the league, where St. Thomas and St. Cloud have fewer games versus contenders. That's less of an issue because the teams are more spread out in the standings. For representing institutions of higher learning, the NCAA is consistently overmatched as soon as the arithmetic problems progress beyond a 4th-grade level.

Made me smile!

Still, if the NCAA operates at a 4th Grade level, I can think of other institutions that are stuck at the Terrible Twos.

 

[ARM]

1. OSU would have wanted the games. In terms of logistics, 5 games in 9 days sounds reasonable enough. But 6 games in 9 days? Not so much. And even had we proposed the latter, no single school was in a position to dictate the outcome.

2. St. Cloud's reaction probably ran something along the lines of: We don't want to duck a challenge, but why are we making up games that were cancelled for medical reasons? On our end, we have nothing to gain by playing these games. And the more games we have to make up, the less we like it.

The issue is more complicated on the SCSU side, because the Huskies were also needing to make up a postponed series versus UMD. They will have the second of those make-up games next week. Obviously, there is a "slightly" more manageable commute to consider between St. Cloud and Duluth.