All the big Ohio State World Cup news in one easy to read format.
If you're looking for your regularly scheduled "Why is This News?" I have, well, bad news. Today has been coopted by the greatest non-college football sporting event in the world. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and only getting one global battle royal every four years makes the biggest soccer tournament in the world that much more appetizing.
If you came for the Ohio State news though, let's run through that real quickly for posterity's sake:
Troy Smith and Antoine Winfield are amongst 11 former student-athletes and two coaches inducted into the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame. How would those two have fared head-to-head? We thought you'd never ask.
The inaugural Big Ten's men's and women's lacrosse tournaments will be hosted by the (soon to be) two newest members of the Big Ten. Maryland will host the 2015 men's tournament from April 30 to May 2 in College Park, MD, while Rutgers will host the women's event from April 30 to May 3. The 2016 men's tourney will be hosted by future lacrosse only members Johns Hopkins May 5-7 in Baltimore while the 2016 women's event will take play May 5-8 in Evanston, IL.
Per The Oklahoman (via College Football Live), Ohio State has the fifth hardest non-conference schedule in the country this fall trailing the likes of UCLA, USC, Clemson, and Florida State.
Now, to the main event:
"In the United States, you have a few options for watching the game online. If you want to watch in English, ESPN will will have the game on their Watch ESPN service, if you have access through your television or internet provider."
-Kevin McCauley, SB Nation
From Brazil's 3-1 win through the final, WatchESPN is a godsend (for cable subscribers). Speaking of Brazil, the home side are the heavy betting favorites to emerge victorious from this year's tournament. The knock on Brazil used to be their inattention to defense, but they've sured that up in building one of the best sides in the world. And they haven't lost at home in ages. But what if you're not super into soccer already?
"Soccer -- more commonly known as football (but we'll stick with 'soccer' here to avoid confusion) -- is the most popular team sport on the planet. Originating in England in the 1800s before spreading rapidly around the globe, soccer is played with two teams of eleven players each, the objective generally being to score more goals than the other team in 90 minutes, split into two 45-minute 'halves'."
-SB Nation's World Cup Glossary
Don't feel down if you'd long subscribed to a "soccer sucks" type ideology. It's never too late to get on the bandwagon and get precisely why it's the world's game..
While the Brazil-Croatia opener's contentious second half left much to be desired, there's plenty to look forward to yet. SB Nation's complete guide to the World Cup is like soccer CliffNotes on steroids, and hell, if you're still not sure who to root for, I've got an adorable corgi that can get you squared away.
So who are some of the players to know in this year's World Cup?
From Gökhan İnler to Paulinho, SB Nation's soccer blogs have some of the sneaky good and elite players alike to be mindful of as you watch soccer for the next several weeks.
If this is all old hat to you, let's get down to brass tacks.
All the links you need for the 2014 World Cup:
World Cup predictions, according to math
How to treat women soccer fans like actual human beings during this World Cup
A college football fan's guide to the World Cup
Why against your better judgement, you should adopt France as your second team
All 32 World Cup uniforms ranked
A week in the favela, Brazil's best worst place
And what's the slate look like for the rest of this weekend's action? Here's a complete list along with all of the respective announcers:
2014 World Cup TV schedule
Friday, June 13
12 p.m. - Mexico vs. Cameroon, ESPN2. Announcers: Fernando Palomo, Alejandro Moreno
3 p.m. - Spain vs. Netherlands, ESPN. Announcers: Jon Champion, Stewart Robson
6 p.m. - Chile vs. Australia, ESPN2. Announcers: Daniel Mann, Kasey Keller
Saturday, June 14
12 p.m. - Colombia vs. Greece, ABC. Announcers: Adrian Healey, Taylor Twellman
3 p.m. - Uruguay vs. Costa Rica, ABC. Announcers: Champion, Robson
6 p.m. - England vs. Italy, ESPN. Announcers: Darke, McManaman
9 p.m. - Ivory Coast vs. Japan, ESPN. Announcers: Derek Rae, Efan Ekoku
Sunday, June 15
12 p.m. - Switzerland vs. Ecuador, ABC. Announcers: Healey, Moreno
3 p.m. - France vs. Honduras, ABC. Announcers: Mann, Keller
6 p.m. - Argentina vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina, ESPN. Announcers: Rae, Roberto Martinez
Monday, June 16
12 p.m. - Germany vs. Portugal, ESPN. Announcers: Champion, Robson
3 p.m. - Iran vs. Nigeria, ESPN. Announcers: Rae, Ekoku
6 p.m. - Ghana vs. United States, ESPN. Announcers: Darke, Twellman
Tuesday, June 17
12 p.m. - Belgium vs. Algeria, ESPN. Announcers: Healey, Ekoku
3 p.m. - Brazil vs. Mexico, ESPN. Announcers: Palomo, Moreno
6 p.m. - Russia vs. South Korea, ESPN. Announcers: Mann, Keller
Wednesday, June 18
12 p.m. - Australia vs. Netherlands, ESPN. Announcers: Champion, Robson
3 p.m. - Spain vs. Chile, ESPN. Announcers: Darke, McManaman
6 p.m. - Cameroon vs. Croatia, ESPN. Announcers: Rae, Keller
Thursday, June 19
12 p.m. - Colombia vs. Ivory Coast, ESPN. Announcers: Healey, Moreno
3 p.m. - Uruguay vs. England, ESPN. Announcers: Darke, McManaman
6 p.m. - Japan vs. Greece, ESPN. Announcers: Mann, Ekoku
Announcers from June 20, onwards are to be determined.
Friday, June 20
12 p.m. - Italy vs. Costa Rica, ESPN
3 p.m. - Switzerland vs. France, ESPN
6 p.m. - Honduras vs. Ecuador, ESPN
Saturday, June 21
12 p.m. - Argentina vs. Iran, ESPN
3 p.m. - Germany vs. Ghana, ESPN
6 p.m. - Nigeria vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina, ESPN
Sunday, June 22
12 p.m. - Belgium vs. Russia, ABC
3 p.m. - South Korea vs. Algeria, ABC
6 p.m. - United States vs. Portugal, ESPN
Monday, June 23
12 p.m. - Netherlands vs. Chile, ESPN
12 p.m. - Australia vs. Spain, ESPN2
4 p.m. - Croatia vs. Mexico, ESPN
4 p.m. - Cameroon vs. Brazil, ESPN2
Tuesday, June 24
12 p.m. - Italy vs. Uruguay, ESPN
12 p.m. - Costa Rica vs. England, ESPN2
4 p.m. - Japan vs. Colombia, ESPN
4 p.m. - Greece vs. Ivory Coast, ESPN2
Wednesday, June 25
12 p.m. - Nigeria vs. Argentina, ESPN
12 p.m. - Bosnia-Herzegovina vs. Iran, ESPN2
4 p.m. - Ecuador vs. France, ESPN
4 p.m. - Honduras vs. Switzerland, ESPN2
Thursday, June 26
12 p.m. - United States vs. Germany, ESPN
12 p.m. - Portugal vs. Ghana, ESPN2
4 p.m. - South Korea vs. Belgium, ESPN
4 p.m. - Algeria vs. Russia, ESPN2
Saturday, June 28
12 p.m. - Round of 16, 1A vs. 2B, ABC
4 p.m. - Round of 16, 1C vs. 2D, ABC
Sunday, June 29
12 p.m. - Round of 16, 1B vs. 2A, ESPN
4 p.m. - Round of 16, 1D vs. 2C, ESPN
Monday, June 30
12 p.m. - Round of 16, 1E vs. 2F, ESPN
4 p.m. - Round of 16, 1G vs. 2H, ESPN
Tuesday, July 1
12 p.m. - Round of 16, 1F vs. 2E, ESPN
4 p.m. - Round of 16, 1H vs. 2G, ESPN
Friday, July 4
12 p.m. - Quarterfinals, ESPN2
4 p.m. - Quarterfinals, ESPN
Saturday, July 5
12 p.m. - Quarterfinals, ESPN2
4 p.m. - Quarterfinals, ESPN
Tuesday, July 8
4 p.m. - Semifinals, ESPN
Wednesday, July 9
4 p.m. - Semifinals, ESPN
Saturday, July 12
4 p.m. - Third-place match, ESPN
Sunday, July 13
3 p.m. - Final, ESPN