The 16th ranked Ohio State Buckeyes are off to a very surprising 7-0 start. They have already picked up two big wins as they knocked off #21 ranked Miami (FL) and #7 Notre Dame in back-to-back games to catapult them into the Top 25.

Not much was expected this season from the defending NIT champions. The Buckeyes lost three starters from that team. One and done Center/Power Forward Kosta Koufos is now playing for the Utah Jazz, starting point guard Jamar Butler, power forward Othello Hunter and 6th man Matt Terwilliger.

The Buckeyes brought in another good recruiting class this season with the biggest name being 7’0” center BJ Mullens, a hometown kid who committed to the Buckeyes before he even played a high school game as a ninth grader. Three-year starter Junior David Lighty is back as the only guy with any significant experience. Unfortunately, he broke his foot in their last game, an 81-68 victory over the Jacksonville Dolphins. He will be out anywhere from 6-12 weeks.

Freshman William Buford will step in place of Lighty until he is back. Buford is averaging 5.9 points a game and has a ton of potential given the playing time. 6’8” Sophomore Dallas Lauderdale has been solid in the post and at the four. He has challenged anything near him this year and is averaging 4 blocks a game. Sophomore Jon Diebler is back in the starting lineup this season after getting pulled about half-way through last season. He is doing this season what he couldn’t last year and that is shoot it from long range. He is hitting 42 percent from beyond the arc and averaging 10.7 PPG, good enough for second on the team. The biggest surprise has had to be 6’7” Sophomore Evan Turner who is leading the team in many categories. He is averaging 16.3 PPG, 7.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 3.3 steals, 54.3% from the floor, 60% on three-pointers and nearly 82% on free throws.

The Buckeyes will also be bolstered by the addition of Nikola Kecman, a sophomore junior college transfer from Eastern Arizona College. Kecman, a native Serbian, was punished by the NCAA for playing on a summer team with a player who was deemed a “professional” and will be eligible to play when the Buckeyes travel to East Lansing to face a very tough Michigan State squad. Ohio State will not stay undefeated this season, but should challenge the Big Ten’s elites for conference supremacy. Expect the Buckeyes to make the “Big” tournament this year and possibly win a game or two.

The 2008 NFL betting season is here, and if you like winning NFL Football Picks, then Vegas Experts is your home for Sports Handicapping. The Vegas Experts have you covered with, free betting trends, free NFL picks, free college football picks and Guaranteed Winners all the way up until the 2009 BCS Title Game and Super Bowl XLIII.