Liveblog: Michigan vs. tOSU, Big 10 quarterfinal

We're back in Chicago, at a still somewhat empty United Center, with Dave O'Brian, Steve Lavin, and the lovely Erin Andrews. No Brent Mussberger!? Dave says Brent is in Vegas for the weekends NASCAR festivities. I am NOT happy about this, as Brent Mussberger IS the voice of the Big 10 on the WWLiS.. At least we won't hear Brent's constant football analogies.

tOSU is in their strange new Nike uniforms. A tight spandex top, with what looks like coolots/kilt/bloomers/capris/skirt instead of shorts. Nike is a scourge upon the sports landscape. Save your uniform blight for the Oregon Ducks...

18:00 left, 4-2 Michigan. But Greg Oden gets an easy hoop to tie. That kid, who looks like a 35 year old, is a monster. tOSU stays with what works, dumps it into Oden, guarded by a totally overwhelmed Courtney Sims, and get the foul. He makes the 2 freebies with his getting healthier by the day right hand.

Michigan has its first turn over, a steal by Mike Conley, whom Lavin compares to both Batman and the Trix rabbit. Batman?

8-6 tOSU with 16:00 left. tOSU with the trey, 11-6. And we have our first TV TO. I have a feeling that this is going to be a long afternoon for the maize and blue.

Oden is on the bench. Let's see if Amaker can take advantage. Yeah, right... So what does Michigan do? Take a long 3 pointer, which misses badly. Smart basketball and Michigan, never the twain shall meet.

7-0 run for the bucknuts. Michigan misses another trey, badly. Get the board, but turn it over. Christ almighty.

Brent Petway using his only offensive move, slams home the fast break hoop, and stops the bucknut run. Ron Coleman tried to enter the game for Michigan. Oops, he still has his warmup pants on. The entire arena chuckles...

Michigan's offense looks totally out of sync, even with Oden on the pine. Wait, my bad, that is how Michigan always runs their offense. Thankfully, we have another TV TO. 13-8 tOSU with 11:00 left in the 1st.

Michigan misses another 3, get the board, take another jumper, an AIR BALL that tOSU kicks out of bounds. tOSU is trying to play down to Michigan's level.

tOSU on a 5+ minute long scoring drought. Oden is back in the game, by the way. Why he doesn't touch the ball every time down is an absolute mystery to me.

Look, there's a gold medal winner in the stands! Mike Conley Sr. Junior plays for tOSU. Conley won the gold in one of those bizarre events that we only see every 4 years, the triple jump.

Michigan with their 7th turnover! Yep, that's the Amaker coached team we know and question.

Oden with the follow, 18-12 tOSU. He's at 6 points, 2 boards. We have another turnover by Michigan, fast break layup at the other end for tOSU.

Michigan with the followup hoop, and one! O'Brian tells us that was a BIG hoop for the Wolverines.

One thing I've noticed about the game so far, O'Brian and Lavin have cut the small talk to an absolute minimum. Not nearly as entertaining as Brent Mussberger's off the cuff musings about anything and everything. It's been a very straightforward broadcast.

We see Michigan's iffy resume! Lavin talks about the lousy out of conference schedule, just as yesterday. O'Brian says, for the 10th time, Michigan needs this game to be considered by the NCAA selection committee. We know, we know...

22-17 bucknuts, 7:00 left in the half. Oden is on the bench. Lewis with the jumper for tOSU, Abram counters with a trey for Michigan. 4 point game!

Nice alley oop to Petway! 2 point game! tOSU with the miss, Michigan on a 10-4 run! But Sheppard gets a questionable offensive foul, at least according to Lavin, and the Wolverines turn the ball over. Again.

Oden misses a baby hook! Still a 4 point tOSU lead. Dion Harris buries the 3! Michigan is suddenly playing well. Can it last?

Courtney Sims misses the bunny, with turned into more of a fadeaway hook thanks to Oden's monster presence, which leads to a tOSU layup at the other end. And we have a TV TO.

Michigan is hanging in with the buckeyes, and I'm not sure how.

31-25 tOSU, 2:00 to go. Woah, Sims with a jumper at the end of the shot clock, back to a 4 point game. Oden gets fouled, O'Brian starts with the Superman analogies. Then says the same thing about Mike Conley Jr. So far we've heard mention of 2 members of the Justice League...

Harris takes it to the hoop. runs into the brick wall that is Oden, but gets the call, 2 free throws. Oden to the bench, and after the feebies, it's 32-29 tOSU.

tOSU misses the jumper, and also gets called for what we used to call a player control foul. Michigan back at the line for the 1 and 1, DeShawn Sims misses the front end. Figures.

Mike Conely hits a floater at the buzzer. Damn. 34-29 tOSU.

Hey, it's Erin! She's talking to tOSU's Thad Matta, whom she asked about the huge rebounding edge for the Wolverines. Matta gives her a minute of mumbo-jumbo coachspeak, There's nothing worse than those end of the half interviews, as nothing much of value is ever said. Unless it's Lloyd Carr getting pissy with a sideline reporter, of course...

Michigan has played much better than yesterday, while tOSU has looked a tad out of sorts. Yet Michigan is still down 5. It doesn't bode well for their chances in the 2nd half.