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LGHL Bubble Watch 3.0: Where does Ohio State stand in NCAA Tournament picture?

Connor Lemons

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Bubble Watch 3.0: Where does Ohio State stand in NCAA Tournament picture?
Connor Lemons
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
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NCAA Basketball: Ohio State at Nebraska

Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

The Buckeyes have work to do if they want to make the Big Dance.

Four. That’s the magic number of wins the Ohio State men’s basketball team (14-10, 6-7) needs to solidify its place in the NCAA Tournament. If they can’t get those four wins in the regular season, the Big Ten Tournament offers the opportunity for a little bit of extra credit.

The Buckeyes had the opportunity to knock that number down to three Sunday afternoon in Lincoln, but poor shot selection in the second half, paired with no presence on the glass whatsoever, sent them spiraling in the second half. Ohio State only scored nine points through the first 12 minutes of the season half, and it also took 12 minutes for someone other than Micah Parrish to score a point during the back 20.

Winning at Nebraska wasn’t a gimme win, however, as KenPom gave Ohio State less than a 50% chance to win that one. But beating Maryland just a few days prior, after losing to them by 674 points back in December, made a lot of folks think the Buckeyes were hitting a groove as they went to Nebraska. It turned out to be more of a speed bump.

NCAA Basketball: Ohio State at Nebraska
Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Before Sunday’s loss, most bracket models were plugging Ohio State in as a 9 or 10-seed. They were just starting to gain momentum and scoot off of the “bubble” but their 10th loss has pulled them back towards the chopping block.

Ohio State’s 14-10 record is not impressive — mathematically, the Buckeyes could still end up finishing below .500 and this entire talk could be irrelevant. However, they’re metrics darlings (NET, KenPom, etc.) because the Buckeyes have no bad losses and a few very impressive wins, headlined by a neutral floor win over Kentucky and a road win at Purdue. Those wins are holding up Ohio State’s 14-10 record like pool floaties on a toddler.

Currently the Buckeyes are No. 27 in both the NET and in KenPom’s rankings. They’re the only team in the top-40 of either of those metrics with double-digit losses.

With four home games left on the schedule, it’s pretty simple — win those four home games, and you’re in. Lose any of them, and you’ll need to make up for it by winning at UCLA, USC, or Indiana.

Here’s where 15 bracketologists have Ohio State plugged in, as of February 10. If you would like to see the full bracket, click on the name of the website.


131 Sports


Ohio State is a 10-seed facing 7-seed Mississippi State

Big Underdog


Ohio State is a 10-seed facing 7-seed Louisville

Bracket Odds


Ohio State is a 10-seed facing 7-seed Maryland

CBS


Ohio State is an 11-seed facing 6-seed Missouri

Charlie Hergenrother


Ohio State is an 11-seed facing 6-seed Memphis

HaslaMetrics


Ohio State is a 10-seed facing 7-seed Missouri

InCCStats


Ohio State is an 8-seed facing 9-seed New Mexico

Bracketeer/Rocco Miller


Ohio State is the first team left out of the NCAA Tournament

Bart Torvik


Ohio State is an 8-seed facing 9-seed New Mexico

JSB


Ohio State is a 9-seed facing 8-seed Baylor

The Barking Crow


Ohio State is a 9-seed facing 8-seed Memphis

Skarmory Bracketology


Ohio State is a 10-seed facing 7-seed Louisville

The Sporting News


Ohio State is a 9-seed facing 8-seed UCONN

Bracket Zac


Ohio State is a 10-seed facing 7-seed Missouri

4th and 24


Ohio State is a 9-seed facing 8-seed Oregon

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