ATLANTA - Not even three minutes into the game, and the whistle blew. Greg Oden dropped his head and started a slow walk to the bench.

Two quick fouls, and he was done for the half. The turning point in the game, for sure. But not in the way anyone expected.

Take Oden away from Ohio State and the Buckeyes still play for the national championship. Take Roy Hibbert away from Georgetown and . . . the Buckeyes still play for the national championship.

That much-anticipated matchup between Oden and Hibbert fizzled because of foul trouble. Instead, it was Mike Conley and the rest of the Buckeyes who carried Ohio State to its first national title game since 1962 with a 67-60 win over Georgetown on Saturday night.