St. John Arena is the perfect venue for a revived Ohio State program

Photo by Patrick MayhornIt was a throwback night in more ways than one at St. John Arena on Friday night. Sure, the awesome uniforms, the pregame music — led by Toto and other 80s stalwarts —, the Jumbotron graphics, and Chris Holtmann’s beautiful suit were all wonderfully nostalgic. But, that wasn’t what made No. 23 Ohio State’s 89-62 win over Cleveland State feel so classic.

That distinction goes, rather, to the venue itself. For the first time since 2010 (it was a one-off then too), Ohio State returned to its rightful home in St. John Arena, to a sold-out crowd. That last part, “sold out crowd” is crucial here, and should be explained further. This game wasn’t sold out because of the…