COLUMBUS: Ohio State’s loss to Florida in the 2007 national championship is one game that has stuck with coach Thad Matta.
A question Friday about what he remembered about that game brought out a lengthy trip down memory lane punctuated with key decisive moments that denied the Buckeyes their first title since 1960.
Sunday, those programs met again in postseason play. The result was the same, even if the surroundings couldn’t be more different.
In a second-round NIT home game played in front of one-tenth the crowd that filled the Georgia Dome nine years ago, the Buckeyes (21-14) couldn’t overcome brutal starts to each half and closed a challenging season with a 74-66 loss to the Gators (21-14) Sunday at Value City Arena.