COLUMBUS, Ohio — They posed around the Larry O’Brien Trophy on the outdoor turf fields of Ohio State’s football facility, champions from Cleveland and another group of players from Northeast Ohio with dreams of getting their own hardware. When the Cavs visited Ohio State earlier this season to play an exhibition game at Value City Arena and show off their shiny new NBA championship trophy to the football team, that was a thrill for every Buckeye, not just the guys from Cleveland. But it meant something extra to the Buckeyes from Northeast Ohio, the 15 scholarship players and handful of walk-ons who came to Columbus from Cleveland’s corner of the state. “When the Cavs came we made sure to let everybody know it’s Cleveland vs. everybody else,” said linebacker Jerome Baker, a sophomore from Benedictine. Cleveland vs. everybody. When Ohio State’s defense lines up on Saturdays, there’s a modicum of…
Continue Reading: How Ohio State football built a top-ranked defense on Northeast Ohio talent: Cleveland Tough
