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LGHL Ohio State Men’s Basketball vs. Penn State: Game Preview and Prediction

Ohio State Men’s Basketball vs. Penn State: Game Preview and Prediction
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch

Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Buckeyes hit the road for the first time in Big Ten play this year, traveling to State College to battle Penn State.

After playing their last three games at home, Ohio State hits the road tonight for the first time since they played in the Emerald Coast Classic two weeks ago. The Buckeyes will head to State College to take on the Penn State Nittany Lions, who have bested Ohio State in each of the last two meetings between the schools. Following a loss to the Nittany Lions in the 2022 Big Ten Tournament, Penn State came to Columbus last year and beat Ohio State 75-71 in their only meeting during the 2022-23 season.

The Buckeyes head into tonight’s game riding a seven-game winning streak. The last time Ohio State was on the court they beat Miami (OH) 84-64 on Wednesday night. Roddy Gayle Jr. was one of six Buckeyes to reach double figures in scoring, netting a team-high 15 points against the RedHawks. Zed Key notched his second double-double of the season, finishing with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Bruce Thornton added 14 points, and Jamison Battle followed up his performance against Minnesota with 13 points.

Tonight’s game against Penn State will be Ohio State’s second Big Ten game of the year. The Buckeyes won their conference opener on Sunday, beating Minnesota 84-74. Following tonight’s contest against the Nittany Lions, Ohio State will play their final three non-conference games of the season before hosting Rutgers a couple days into 2024. Next Saturday, Ohio State will take on UCLA in Atlanta as part of the CBS Sports Classic, followed by a game at home against New Orleans, and a neutral site game in Cleveland against West Virginia in the Legends of Basketball Classic.

On the other side, Penn State enters tonight’s game on a five-game losing streak after winning their first four games of the season. The latest setback for the Nittany Lions came in their first conference game of the season on Wednesday night when they lost 81-75 in overtime at Maryland. Kanye Clary scored a team-high 25 points in the loss, and is pacing the team in scoring this year, averaging 16.2 points per game.

Preview​


One player for Ohio State that will be hoping for a big game tonight is Evan Mahaffey, who started his career at Penn State, playing in 34 games for the Nittany Lions as a freshman last year. Mahaffey hit the transfer portal after former Penn State head coach Micah Shrewsberry took the Notre Dame job. After scoring just 21 points in his first eight games as a Buckeye, Mahaffey had his best game in the scarlet and gray on Wednesday night, netting 10 points against Miami. The Cincinnati native will be hoping he can channel some of the same energy Jamison Battle had last week when the former Minnesota Golden Gopher took on his former team.

Last year Penn State was able to make the NCAA Tournament thanks to some outstanding play from Jalen Pickett, Seth Lundy, and a number of others. Following a win over Texas A&M in the first round of the tournament, the Nittany Lions pushed Texas to the limit before the Longhorns advanced with a 71-66 victory. Penn State finished the season with a 23-14 record, leading to Shrewsberry moving on to Notre Dame following two years in State College.

NCAA Basketball: ESPN Events Invitational Seventh Place- Penn State at VCU
Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Replacing Shrewsberry is Mike Rhoades, who coached VCU for six seasons before taking the Penn State job. Rhoades compiled a 129-61 record while at the school, leading the Rams to the NCAA Tournament three times. Along with Rhoades, Penn State also brought in Ace Baldwin Jr. and Nick Kern Jr. from VCU. Baldwin is currently second on the team with 14.6 points per game, while Kern is averaging 6.8 points per game. Baldwin’s best performance of the season came against his old team during the ESPN Events Invitational when he scored 27 points in a 86-74 loss to VCU.

Baldwin and Kern weren’t the only additions during the offseason in the transfer portal by Penn State. The literal biggest addition for the Nittany Lions was 6’11” forward Qudus Wahab, who started his college career at Georgetown, spent a year at Maryland before transferring back to Georgetown prior to last season. Wahab is averaging nearly a double-double this year, scoring 10.4 points per game and pulling down 9.3 rebounds per game through the first nine games of the season. The Nittany Lions also brought in North Carolina transfers Puff Johnson and D’Marco Dunn.

An interesting matchup in tonight’s game will be between Wahab and Ohio State bigs Felix Okpara and Zed Key. While Key is coming off his second double-double of the season, Okpara has been one of the best shot blockers in the country so far this season. Okpara has now blocked at least one shot in 16 straight games dating back to last season, joining Ken Johnson, Greg Oden, and Dallas Lauderdale as Buckeyes to block at least one shot in 15 straight games since 2000. For the season Okpara has 22 blocks, which is more than half of the 40 swats Ohio State has totaled as a team.

Prediction​


Where Ohio State is going to have to be careful tonight is with their ball control and decision making since Penn State has been great this year at forcing their opponents into mistakes. The Nittany Lions are forcing 16.67 turnovers per game this year, which is tops in the Big Ten and ranks 19th in the country. So far this season the Buckeyes have done a good job at not giving up the basketball, as they have committed fewer than 10 turnovers in five of their first nine games this year.

Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

What should help Ohio State snap their recent losing streak against Penn State is the confidence they are playing with right now. Sophomore guard Bruce Thornton has made a big leap after a solid freshman year in Columbus. Along with Thornton, Roddy Gayle Jr. has improved greatly, and the additions of Jamison Battle and Evan Mahaffey have been paying early dividends.

While it seems like Penn State always plays Ohio State tough, if there was ever a time to catch the Nittany Lions, this is the time to do so. Right now Penn State isn’t playing with a lot of confidence during their five-game losing streak. Defense has been lacking for the Nittany Lions during their losing streak, as they have allowed at least 76 points in each of those five losses. The subpar defense could be a problem against an Ohio State team that has scored at least 80 points in each of its last five games.


ESPN BPI: Ohio State 56.8%
Time: 6:00 p.m. ET
TV: Big Ten Network

LGHL Score Prediction: Ohio State 77, Penn State 70​


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LGHL Five Storylines: No. 12 Ohio State women’s basketball vs. No. 25 Penn State

Five Storylines: No. 12 Ohio State women’s basketball vs. No. 25 Penn State
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Penn State v Minnesota

Photo by David Berding/Getty Images

The Buckeyes and Nittany Lions open up Big Ten campaigns with teams coming off opposite weeks.

It’s time for Ohio State women’s basketball to dip its collective toe into conference play. Up first are the Penn State Nittany Lions, a team that’s sat in the backseat of the conference for most of the last decade. Now, the matchup between the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions features a Penn State side that’s showing glimpses of its dominant form of years past.

Before Sunday’s 1:00 p.m. ET tipoff at the Schottenstein Center, here are five storylines to watch for in the conference clash.

Guard Battle​


There are three matchups to watch especially close when these two teams take to the court. The first is a two-on-two guard battle. For Penn State, First Team All-B1G guard Makenna Marisa leads the Nittany Lions alongside guard Shay Ciezki.

The two share similar traits, albeit on different ends of their college careers. Marisa is the lifelong Nittany Lion. The sister, daughter and granddaughter of Penn State basketball players, Marisa is a graduate senior who's everything for this Lions team.

Marisa leads the Nittany Lions in scoring (16.0 points per game) and has for the past three seasons. The guard is dangerous from deep and will attack the basket. Last season, the Buckeyes thought they neutralized Marisa in their lone meeting with the Nittany Lions. After three quarters, the guard had four points. In the fourth quarter, with Ohio State up 51-31, Marisa went off.

The guard scored 18 points in the final 10 minutes, outscoring the scarlet and gray by two points. It didn’t end in a Penn State comeback victory, still losing by 12 points, but it showed that Marisa can’t be underestimated at any point in the 40 minute contest. Plus, now she has a strong supporting cast.

Ciezki is a high scoring sophomore. In the last four games before Penn State’s defeat to the West Virginia Mountaineers, Ciezki averaged 19.3 points per game, averaging 3.5 shots made from three-point range. The Buffalo, New York native is the second most dangerous shooter on the Nittany Lions, but has shown traits of an underclassmen scorer.

Monday, against West Virginia, Ciezki was completely shutdown by the Mountaineers. Picking up four fouls, Ciezki played only 22 minutes, scoring no points on four missed shots. That was against a WVU side that defended similarly to how the Buckeyes will defend: On the press.

Marisa and Ciezki have their work cut out for them going up against guards Jacy Sheldon and Celeste Taylor. The pair of graduate seniors are fifth and sixth respectively in steals in the Big Ten so far this season. It’s not only the number of times they change possession, but how ruthless they can be on defense.

It’s likely that Marisa and Ciezki won’t have much room to breathe when they get into the half court. That means the Nittany Lions will try their best to use screens to create mismatches. It’s not going to be easy to do though with Taylor especially.

Ohio State’s defense is stronger this year and its due in part to the work put in by the former Duke guard. Taylor, likely going up against Marisa, isn’t going to give the star much of anything. Every game, Taylor presses on the half court, barely giving opposition time to think. Plus the steals and at least one highlight block per game.

However, there’s strong defense in other areas of the court, especially in the third matchup to watch between two staunch defenders.

Power Around the Perimeter​


While the experience of Sheldon and Taylor gives a distinct advantage around the arc, the most intriguing clash might be inside the paint between guard/forwards Taylor Thierry and Leilani Kapinus.

Both part of the coaches Big Ten All-Defensive Team in the 22-23 season, the two play a similar style of basketball.

Each are tall and athletic, and can crash the boards. In two games that the junior Kapinus faced the Buckeyes, the Nittany Lion has two double-doubles, with 12 and 11 rebounds in the two contests. While offensively Kapinus won’t stretch the half court like Theirry who will take a shot from deep, the Penn State guard will make driving to the paint difficult for the likes of Buckeye forward Cotie McMahon. Here’s a good example:


Also, Thierry’s on a slower run of rebounding, with two quieter games in a row. Against the Tennessee Volunteers, the guard/forward hybrid who averaged 14.8 points and 7.7 rebounds going into the game scored nine points with four rebounds. Against the Ohio Bobcats Tuesday, Thierry had another four-rebound game, but had a better scoring game with 15 points.

Will Thierry’s early game form return over more of the 40 minutes with Kapinus providing more of a challenge?

Does Emma Shumate Continue Her Tear?​


A name seen frequently off the bench last season for Ohio State was guard Emma Shumate. Appearing 31 times, the guard brought promise of big shooting which didn't manifest. Although Shumate led the team in blocks, the offense was behind the defense.

This season, the sophomore is a new person, thanks to increased confidence instilled in her by her teammates. Now, Shumate is leading the Buckeyes from deep. With 15 made three-point shots on the year, the guard who averages the ninth lowest number of minutes per game on the 15-player roster is in the best form.

However, she hasn’t had the chance in the biggest games. Against the USC Trojans, Shumate didn’t dress with an injury. Then, on Sunday, after going 5-for-11 from deep in the previous two games, only saw two minutes of game time against the Tennessee Volunteers.

Shumate responded against Ohio, having her best shooting game of her career, going 6-for-10. It’s what head coach Kevin McGuff wants to see more of if Shumate wants to see minutes against tougher competition.

“We’ve seen her do this a lot in practice and this,” said McGuff. “Now she’s starting to do it in games, and just to have confidence in herself. Because I’m confident in her right now, I want her to have confidence in herself.”

Does that mean she’ll have that chance against the Nittany Lions on Sunday?

Can Penn State Handle Defensive Heat?​


Monday, Penn State was back in the AP Top 25 poll for the first time in almost 10 years. The Nittany Lions were 7-1, with one close loss to the USC Trojans, and riding strong momentum. Then they ran into the West Virginia Mountaineers.

The Nittany Lions were mauled in Morgantown. The Mountaineers played with a full court press that stretched into the half court and forced Penn State’s worst game of the season. Head coach Carolyn Kieger’s Lions gave up season highs in turnovers (26) and steals allowed (18).

Ohio State averages 21.9 turnovers forced per game. Penn State isn’t going to have a break following its 83-65 defeat against the Big 12 side. Does that mean the Nittany Lions know what they did wrong and can adjust to a team whose defensive identity is tied up in the full court, havoc-inducing, press or will Ohio State continue a nightmarish week for the Lions?

Ashley Owusu Premiere?​


Arguably one of the biggest mysteries in college basketball is the status of guard Ashley Owusu. The former AP All-American, who started her NCAA career in the Big Ten with the Maryland Terrapins, has had an interesting two seasons in college basketball.

Following her junior year, Owusu transferred to the Virginia Tech Hokies, making it to the Final Four. However, it wasn’t with Owusu contributing on the court. After starting six games for the Hokies, Owusu was out with an injury. Then, after she returned, she never started or made the same impact. Questions surrounded head coach Kenny Brooks and if Owusu fell out of favor after returning to the team.

Owusu averaged five minutes per game in her final six games as a Hokie, and no appearances in the NCAA Tournament. So, when the guard transferred back to the Big Ten and the Penn State Nittany Lions, it looked like a chance for the graduate senior to find her previous form.

However, Owusu hasn’t played a minute this season. Coach Kieger says Owusu is out with an undisclosed injury, although the guard is warming up for the Nittany Lions before games. It’s a situation shrouded in secrecy. If healthy, getting minutes against the Buckeyes would be a surprise and potentially game-changing.

Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

The guard has 55 points in her last two games against the Buckeyes, in the 20-21 and 21-22 seasons. It’s also unknown how her presence could increase the effectiveness of the likes of Marisa, Ciezki and Kapinus.

While it doesn’t seem likely that Owusu plays, based on no concrete information shared by the team, if she does, Sunday could be much more interesting.

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#25 Ohio State @ Penn State, Saturday December 9th, 6PM EST, BTN

Jake
It's the B1G road opener and who doesn't want to beat these guys every time?

The Pedsters started 4-0, but since then they've lost 5 straight while allowing over 83 points per game.

Meanwhile, the Buckeyes are on a seven-game winning streak. Let's keep it going in Crappy Valley.

Stolen from ESPN:

The Nittany Lions have gone 4-1 at home. Penn State scores 75.7 points while outscoring opponents by 5.3 points per game.

The Buckeyes play their first true road game after going 8-1 to begin the season. Ohio State is seventh in the Big Ten with 14.8 assists per game led by Bruce Thornton averaging 4.2.

Penn State's average of 7.2 made 3-pointers per game this season is the same per game average that Ohio State allows. Ohio State averages 10.5 more points per game (80.9) than Penn State allows to opponents (70.4).

PSU destroyed four cupcakes at home to start the season. It's been a different story since then, especially defensively. Fuck these guys. Go Bucks!
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LGHL Column: Ohio State’s transfer portal attrition is necessary — and there’s more to come

Column: Ohio State’s transfer portal attrition is necessary — and there’s more to come
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Maryland v Ohio State

Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images

The Buckeyes have had over a dozen players enter the portal thus far, but there is no reason to panic.

More than in years prior, Ohio State has seen a large number of players enter the transfer portal. Over a dozen names from the Buckeyes’ 2023 roster are already looking for new homes next season, and there are almost certainly a good amount more to come. With the program missing on its ultimate goals once again and a number of athletes now on their way out, is there reason to panic?

The short answer is no. With the extra year of eligibility players were afforded as a result of the COVID-19-shortened season in 2020 and a lack of graduating seniors, Ohio State is now faced with a bit of a numbers crunch.

Division I FBS football teams are allotted 85 full-ride scholarships. Unlike at the FCS level, where they are allowed 63 but can divvy them up to give some players partial scholarships, therefore increasing your number of potential players on the roster, it is all-or-nothing in the FBS.

At the end of the regular season, Ohio State was officially at 89 scholarship players — over the limit, but again this was a result of the COVID-19 rules affecting the 2019 and 2020 classes. Only four players on the team are exhausting eligibility at the conclusion of the year: Tristan Gebbia, Xavier Johnson, Matthew Jones and Josh Proctor. Losing those four brings your total down to 85, which would be perfectly fine if the Buckeyes didn’t plan on signing a recruiting class at all in 2024...

As of right now, there are 22 players committed to Ohio State in this year’s cycle, and there is still a chance Ryan Day and his staff add a few more players if they can flip guys like Florida commit Amaris Williams or Notre Dame commit Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, among other uncommitted prospects. In addition to the incoming 2024 class, the Buckeyes also had two greyshirt players on their roster this season that didn’t count towards the scholarship limit in Notre Dame transfer Lorenzo Styles and Northwestern transfer Nigel Glover.

Without any other player movement outside the four graduates, this would bring Ohio State’s scholarship total next season to 109. I’m not a mathematician, but 109 is definitely greater than 85, and so the Buckeyes need to make some room for their incoming players.

Thus far, Ohio State has had 13 players enter the transfer portal, one player officially declare for the NFL Draft (Miyan Williams), and two players medically retire (Jack Forsman, Grant Toutant). Including the four that exhausted eligibility, that brings the total departures to an even 20, bringing the scholarship total for next season to 89.

The Buckeyes still have a number of players with NFL Draft decisions to make, including Denzel Burke, Emeka Egbuka, Marvin Harrison Jr., TreVeyon Henderson, Jack Sawyer, J.T. Tuimoloau, Tyleik Williams and more. Burke, Harrison Jr. and Tuimoloau seem like locks, but the rest are truly up in the air. We won’t know the official total for sure until the declaration deadline passes, but just those three leaving brings you to 86 scholarships in 2024.

Of course, there is a good chance that more than just those three guys leave for the NFL. On top of the players mentioned, some other underclassmen among the likes of Mike Hall, Jordan Hancock, Donovan Jackson and Cade Stover could also decide to go pro. However, on the flip side of the uncertainty around NFL Draft declarations, Ohio State will also want to add a few names via the transfer portal, and any additional players acquired there will also add to the scholarship total.

All that is to say: we will almost definitely see more Buckeyes enter the transfer portal in the coming weeks. This is just the reality of the new world of college football, where all methods of improving your roster must be taken into account — whether that be through signing larger recruiting classes or bringing in a handful of impact transfers. This sort of thing is happening at many of the big programs around the country, but with so few graduates this season in Columbus and the way the year ended, it could seem to some like the sky is falling at Ohio State; That is not the case.

Ohio State will come out of this offseason just fine. Outside of Kyle McCord and Julian Fleming, none of the players that have entered the transfer portal were in line to start next season. The Buckeyes will bring in a handful of transfers that will improve the roster in areas of need, potentially at quarterback, offensive line, defensive line and maybe even linebacker and secondary. The personnel on the field will be good, just as it always is at Ohio State. I’m far more worried about the coaching staff decisions — looking at you, Parker Fleming — than I am any of the player movement going on right now.

It will take a bit to adapt and shift to a new reality of college football free agency, but this is how rosters will be built moving forward. At a place like Ohio State, you have to make some tough decisions on the bottom and middle levels of the roster to improve the top. So as Brad Pitt said in Moneyball, “Adapt or die.”

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LGHL Visiting Locker Room: Joe Lister of Onward State talks Penn State women’s basketball

Visiting Locker Room: Joe Lister of Onward State talks Penn State women’s basketball
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Michigan v Penn State

Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images

A look ahead to Sunday’s opponent for the Buckeyes, talking with someone who knows them well.

Ohio State women’s basketball stumbled once so far in its non-conference schedule — a lone defeat at the hands of the USC Trojans to start the 23-24 season. Since then, the Buckeyes are 7-0, including an impressive win against the Tennessee Volunteers. Now, the scarlet and gray take a small break from the non-conference slate, facing its first Big Ten opponent in the Penn State Nittany Lions.

It’s been a long time since Penn State’s competed near the top of the conference, and almost 10 years since the Nittany Lions found their way into the AP Top 25. Now, with Penn State back in a more competitive form, it comes to Columbus off a surprise defeat to the unranked West Virginia Mountaineers.

To learn more about the interesting state of the Nittany Lions in 2023, Land-Grant Holy Land reached out to Joe Lister from Onward State. Lister talks about the surging Lions, the difficult defeat to the Mountaineers and will guard Ashley Owusu ever play in a game for the Nittany Lions this season?


Land-Grant Holy Land: This season, the Nittany Lions return much of the same roster from last year, but the team is playing at a different level. What’s the difference you’ve seen in Penn State to start this season? (Minus the game against West Virginia, which we’ll chat about in a minute...)

Onward State: I think the biggest difference with Penn State this year is its depth. Last year, guard Makenna Marisa, forward Leilani Kapinus, and guard Shay Ciezki all had to play amazing for the team to win a game. This year, those three are still critical assets, but they have the help necessary to not have to carry the team anymore.

I said before the year started that Penn State’s flaw was that it only had four starting players: Ciezki, Kapinus, Marisa, and guard Ashley Owusu. Owusu hasn’t even stepped on the court, but the slack is getting picked up by forward Ali Brigham, guard Moriah Murray, guard Tay Valladay, and others.
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LGHL: Even though much of the starting roster is the same, the Nittany Lions were active in the transfer portal this offseason. Who are some of the new names who are making an impact? Second part of that question, are there any signs that former All-American Ashley Owusu is going to play Sunday, or anytime soon?

OS: As I mentioned, Murray was a big pickup from Drexel, along with fellow-former Dragon, forward Kylie Lavelle. The same goes for Valladay, who came from Virginia. Guard Jayla Oden and forward Grace Hall have also been nice additions. I just named every transfer because the group has been that solid.

As for Owusu, I wouldn’t be shocked if she never steps onto a court as a Nittany Lion. There’s no timeline on her recovery from whatever injury or issue she has. Head coach Carolyn Kieger has been saying that Owusu will be back soon the whole year, but nothing’s changed. Owusu warms up at full speed before every game, and then changes into sweatpants and sits on the bench all game. She might be ready to play Ohio State, she might be on the bench all season. Who knows?
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LGHL: After the big start to the season, Penn State ran into a snare against the West Virginia Mountaineers on Monday. WVU played a pressing defensive style, much like the Buckeyes will on Sunday. Do you think that was the reason for the loss or were the Nittany Lions maybe looking ahead to the Big Ten matchup in Columbus?

OS: I think Penn State took the West Virginia game seriously enough. I asked Kieger after her latest win about which team could be a “prove it” win for Penn State, and she surprised me by highlighting West Virginia. I don’t think Ohio State came up.

Frankly, I think Penn State was just the worse team on the court that night. The deficit was surprising, but I wasn’t entirely putting money on the No. 25 team to crush a team that was receiving votes in the AP poll. Sometimes that’s just how the cookie crumbles.
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LGHL You’re Nuts: Why isn’t the Ohio State men’s basketball team ranked?

You’re Nuts: Why isn’t the Ohio State men’s basketball team ranked?
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch

Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Buckeyes are 8-1, but to this point have not cracked the AP Top-25.

For the second consecutive week, the Ohio State men’s basketball team received votes in the AP Top-25 poll, but not enough votes to actually get it into the top-25. It’s in the top-25 in both the NET rankings and KenPom rankings, but not AP. In the words of Brian Windhorst... now why is that?

We will revisit that shortly.


Last week, Connor and Justin looked ahead at Ohio State’s schedule and tried to figure out how long the Buckeyes’ current win streak would last. Fortunately for us, it’s been a week and the Buckeyes still have not lost. Justin said the win streak would hit eight games before losing to UCLA. Connor said the win streak would get to 12 games before losing to Indiana.

57% of the readers sided with Connor, thinking that a 12-game winning streak was more likely than an 8-game streak. The other 43% sided with Justin. We love the optimism!

After 129 weeks:​

Connor- 61
Justin- 50
Other- 14​

(There have been four ties)​


After beating Minnesota Sunday night, most people expected to see Ohio State in the AP Poll Monday afternoon. However, the Buckeyes did not make the cut, winding up as the team with the second-most votes just outside the top-25. Why are the voters passing up the Buckeyes? Here are our thoughts:

Today’s Question: Why isn’t the Ohio State men’s basketball team ranked? ​

Connor: Skepticism after last year ​

NCAA Basketball: Emerald Coast Classic-Western Michigan at Ohio State
Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

I guess it’s understandable that people might doubt Ohio State, considering how poorly they played last year and how heavily they are leaning on that very same core this year.

It’s easy to glaze over a team that’s shown themselves to be bad — I feel the same way about teams like South Carolina and Nebraska this year. The Gamecocks and Cornhuskers combined to go 27-37 last year combined, but this year they’re a combined 14-3. Will either South Carolina or Nebraska make the NCAA Tournament, despite their good starts?

Probably not. They were bad last year, brought back those same bad teams for the most part, and are most likely smoke and mirrors to this point. The numbers will even out, and the losses will come.

So, isn’t it reasonable for the AP voters to be skeptical of Ohio State? They did beat Alabama, but the Crimson Tide have lost again since then. If you own any Alabama stock, the time to sell it has already passed. Other than that, who have the Buckeyes really beaten?

The difference between Ohio State and these two other teams is that the metrics back the Buckeyes. Ohio State is No. 24 in KenPom, while South Carolina is No. 53 and Nebraska is No. 66. Ohio State is No. 25 in the NET rankings, while South Carolina is 29 (little suprised by this) and Nebraska is No. 79.

The Buckeyes are the second team outside of the poll this week, which means another Big Ten win, this one on the road, should be enough to push them into the top-25 next week. But until then, just know that the Buckeyes’ record last season is still following them around this year, and the bad taste left in the mouth of all these media folks is interfering with how they see this year’s team.

Justin: Strength of schedule ​

NCAA Basketball: Clemson at Alabama
Gary Cosby Jr.-USA TODAY Sports

I don’t know what the main thing the AP voters look at when it comes to ranking a team if I am being honest. Even though the Buckeyes are not ranked yet, they have made a huge jump since the beginning of the season, going from receiving no votes to now No. 27 in the nation.

The main reason they are not ranked yet, in my opinion, is their opponents and their strength of schedule. The teams of note they have played are Texas A&M, which was a loss, Alabama, which has since really struggled to do anything positive, and Minnesota, which is one of the bottom-level teams in the Big Ten, if not the worst (they did just beat Nebraska).

They have played three MAC schools that are not named Toledo, Akron, or Kent State, and even though Oakland has been pesky for some teams, they still are not viewed highly either

They play at Penn State, UCLA, New Orleans, and West Virginia to end the year, and if they can go 4-0 in that stretch, which is very possible, they will be a top-20 team in the country. It is also still only December, so the season is young.

It has been a while since the Buckeyes have been ranked after the disaster that was last season, and it would be nice to see a number next to their name. It is reassuring, because if you are ranked at the end of the season, you are almost guaranteed a top-six or seven seed.


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Google Ohio State Buckeyes vs Penn State Nittany Lions Prediction, 12/9/2023 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds - Doc's Sports

Ohio State Buckeyes vs Penn State Nittany Lions Prediction, 12/9/2023 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds - Doc's Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".

Ohio State Buckeyes vs Penn State Nittany Lions Prediction, 12/9/2023 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds Doc's Sports

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