Despite another down year for Ohio State's men's basketball program and a shocking loss for Urban Meyer's football team to Michigan State on Senior Day, Gene Smith still has his Buckeye realm close to the top of college athletics.
The Buckeyes finished second to only Stanford in the Director's Cup Challenge, rewarded to the most successful athletic department in the country. The money keeps flowing in too, as Ohio State collected $170.9 million in revenue and is set up for plenty more on the way with a new Big Ten television deal in 2017 with both FOX and ESPN.