Ohio State football: Extent of the accomplishment still ‘surreal’ for some players

Kyle Robertson | Dispatch

The Buckeyes savor their Nov. 29 victory over the Michigan Wolverines in Ohio Stadium.

For the seniors on the 2014 Ohio State football team, it’ll be one last big to-do at the ’Shoe. They thought that the Nov. 29 regular-season finale against Michigan would be their last appearance at Ohio Stadium. Then came the magical postseason, culminating in the Buckeyes’ first national title in 12 years. Ohio State defeated Alabama on Jan. 1 and Oregon on Jan. 12 to win the first-ever College Football Playoff.

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Ohio State football: Fans showed up ‘in droves’ to cheer team

ADAM CAIRNS | DISPATCH

College Park, Md: Showing his true colors against a conference newbie

"Where there’s a will, there’s a way." The adage aptly describes the Ohio State football team’s run — amid plenty of adversity — to the 2014 national championship. Just as fittingly, it also applies to the fans who followed the Buckeyes on their improbable journey under the new College Football Playoff format.

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Rob Oller commentary: By season’s end, Ohio State stood alone

Eamon Queeney | Dispatch

The Buckeyes relied on a selfless approach to win the 2014 national championship.

As the college football season sailed along in 2014, one thing began to stand out: Good teams dotted the landscape, but missing was that undeniably great team. 

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NHL All-Star Game notebook: Nick Foligno makes Blue Jackets' Ryan Johansen first pick in draft

Eamon Queeney | DISPATCH

Phillip Bafunno of Milwaukee holds up his hand to the hand mold of the Blackhawks’ Patrick Kane as Nick DeLucio of Grandview looks on at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.

Nick Foligno won the opening puck flip and selected Blue Jackets teammate Ryan Johansen with the first pick of the NHL All-Star Game player draft, solidifying Team Foligno’s home-ice advantage for the game on Sunday at Nationwide Arena.

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Injuries have thinned ranks for NHL All-Star Game

Barbara J. Perenic | DISPATCH photos

Nick Foligno of the Blue Jackets helped draft the All-Star team that bears his name, even with some of the NHL’s bigger stars absent.

Sidney Crosby is the NHL’s most recognizable player, but the Pittsburgh Penguins star has played in one NHL All-Star Game during his 10-year career. Along with several other stars, Crosby will miss the 60th NHL All-Star Game on Sunday at Nationwide Arena.

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The Latest From

The Locker Room

All-Star Game notebook: Bobrovsky, Crosby, Malkin out for weekend

Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky was ruled out of the NHL All-Star Weekend because of a groin injury suffered on Wednesday in a loss to the Winnipeg Jets. The Blue Jackets would not say yesterday how long Bobrovsky will be out, but it is not expected to be short-term.

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Men's basketball: Ohio State survives at Northwestern

Nam Y. Huh | Associated Press

Northwestern center Alex Olah and Ohio State center Trey McDonald wrestle over a loose ball during the first half.

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Six points ahead of Northwestern after a pair of three-pointers by D’Angelo Russell, Ohio State withstood three missed one-and-one free-throw opportunities and a turnover in the final minute last night to beat Northwestern 69-67 at Welsh-Ryan Arena.

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Bob Hunter commentary: NHL All-Star Game deserves spot among city’s great events

Thirteen years ago, the Greater Columbus Convention and Visitors Bureau conducted a vote to determine the top sports moment in the city’s history, but the results made a lot of us glad that the hard-working people at the convention bureau weren’t handling the fall elections.

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NHL All-Star Game: New dad Nash expects to enjoy weekend here

KYLE ROBERTSON | Dispatch

At the All-Star break, the Rangers’ Rick Nash has 28 goals — tied for the NHL lead.

Rick Nash knows there will be boos this weekend when he represents the New York Rangers in the Skills Competition on Saturday and in the NHL All-Star Game on Sunday. “It’s awkward,” Nash said, with a chuckle.

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Blue Jackets: Foligno taps into potential

Lynne Sladky | Associated Press

The encouragement of coach Todd Richards helped Nick Foligno realize he can be a star player in the NHL.

Above the main entrance of Nationwide Arena hangs the supersize images of four NHL All-Stars: Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos, Chicago’s Patrick Kane, Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby and the Blue Jackets’ Nick Foligno. That Foligno would ever be clustered with players of that ilk — much less part of an NHL marketing scheme — was unthinkable even three months ago.

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NHL All-Star Game players

Note: Players will be drafted by team captains at 8 tonight in the Greater Columbus Convention Center. TV: NBC Sports Network

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NHL All-Star Game: Format changes with times

Steven Senne | ASSOCIATED PRESS

Hockey greats Gordie Howe, left, and Wayne Gretzky enjoying a moment during All-Star Weekend in 1999 in Tampa, Fla.

The NHL All-Star Game in Nationwide Arena on Sunday won’t look anything like a regular league game. There will be no hits, very few penalties, only a sprinkling of blocked shots — most of them by accident — and absolutely, positively no fights.

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