Ohio State-Florida: Buckeyes Get Season's First Statement Win Over Gators, 93-75

The Ohio State Buckeyes made a statement in Gainesville tonight. They came into this game a three-point underdog, but left a 93-75 winner and showed the nation they have once again reloaded.

Jared Sullinger is an anchor on both offense and defense and continues to be that presence in the paint that the Buckeyes just didn’t have last season. He’s a more athletic Dallas Lauderdale with a presence on offense.

Sullinger finished the night with 26 points and 10 rebounds, and came alive in the second half when Ohio State needed him the most. The true freshman has had two consecutive double-doubles to open the season.

Evan Turner will be hard to replace, but William Buford said before the season he was up to the task. He backed up his words tonight, finishing with 16 points and eight assists. His progression on offense will directly correlate to how well Ohio State does this season.

Jon Diebler entered his senior season as the all-time leader in three pointers made at Ohio State. He continues to distance that lead and poured in four more on his way to finishing with 14 points on the night.

David Lighty has been an unsung hero for the Buckeyes for several seasons now. Tonight he got another chance to bury some of the skeletons from the 2007 championship game loss to Florida three seasons ago. He finished the night with 26 points on the Gators' home court.

Lighty’s leadership, along with Buford and Sullinger’s continue progression, are keys for Ohio State this season.

Ohio State enters a soft part in the schedule before heading back down to Florida, this time to take on Florida State on Nov. 30.

The Buckeyes have started the season ranked fifth in the country, but have the talent to make some noise in this season’s NCAA tournament. The Big Ten will be a tricky road to navigate, but if OSU manages to do this successfully they will be battle-tested come tournament time in March.