Yahoo Sports/Rivals.com: Grading the Big Ten plus Sorenson's thoughts

It was the Big Ten's turn to receive their report card from Yahoo Sports and Rivals.com college baseball writer Kendall Rogers.

Here is what Rogers said of the Buckeyes:

Ohio State

Grade: A

Season analysis: After finishing in the middle of the pack in the Big Ten two seasons ago, the Buckeyes entered this past season with something to prove. They rose to the occasion in impressive fashion. Ohio State won the Big Ten regular season title with a record of 18-6. They also reached the Tallahassee Regional final against Florida State and ended the campaign with an overall record of 42-19. The Bucks won some games in the postseason and captured 40-plus victories. That’s a successful season.

You can read the rest of the Big Ten and the grades they received from Rogers here

Rogers would say overall about the Big Ten:

"The Big Ten finally had an opportunity to make a huge statement.

The conference has long tried to make significant gains in college baseball. But until this past season, that hadn’t happened.

That was until Ohio State, Minnesota and Indiana each made an NCAA regional.

The Buckeyes won the conference regular season title and played Florida State in the Tallahassee Regional final, Minnesota finished second in conference and played LSU in the Baton Rouge Regional final. Then there’s Indiana, which played well down the stretch and earned a trip to the Louisville Regional.

Other teams such as Illinois and Michigan weren’t so lucky.

The Illini made a statement early in the season with a road series win over LSU, but were unable to do enough down the stretch to make a regional. Michigan, meanwhile, was a huge disappointment with a 9-15 Big Ten record."

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You can't disagree with his sentiments on Michigan and Illinois, but I personally take issue with his view of the Big Ten just now making a statement thought. You only have to go back to 2007 to see 3 Big Ten teams in Regional play as Michigan, Ohio State, and Minnesota made the NCAA's. In fact Michigan went down to Vandy and WON the Regional that was hosted by the #1 team in the country Vanderbilt, and beat #1 draft pick David Price in his final collegiate start. Oh and Michigan also was no hitting eventual CWS Champ Oregon State at home in Supers through 8.2 before falling. Combine OSU and Minny's 3rd place performances, 2009 is more of vindication that the Big Ten is on the up and up, not some rise out of nowhere.

Nothing against Rogers, he is great for the sport, but for a Big Ten perspective in how the conference is doing nationally, we turn to our main man Eric Sorenson for his views.

In an email exchange Eric said:


"Oh, and I almost forgot... I think the Big Ten is making the right strides - despite OSU's horrid losses in Tallahassee. With nearly every team building/improving their facilities, the conference is on the right track. We'll see how that transpires in the next year or two.

But this was a conference that REALLY needed to upgrade everything, while also needing to lighten up the non-conference death marches. That's why, despite Illinois' successful trip to LSU, the Big 10-Big East challenge was a great idea. No sense in opening your season playing teams that have had three weeks of outdoor practices and you've had none.

It's still all about money and commitment. If the Big 10 and northern teams put more money into programs and emphasize them, they'll get better and better and eventually make more national noise. If not, they won't."

I'll pass along more of Sorenson's words and thoughts as he also touched on Coach Todd's tenure and the current state of the Buckeyes, as I'm working on a "state of the program" for you guys to piece apart in getting the most thorough scope of all things Ohio State baseball.