The Ohio State Buckeyes Men's Basketball team got a bit of help on Thursday, but their road to the tournament is an uphill battle.
The Ohio State Buckeyes Men's Basketball team has had two straight days of good fortune. On Wednesday night, they got a tough victory over the USC Trojans, and then on Thursday, the Northwestern Wildcats moved up to 73 in NET rating, which makes Ohio State's win over them a Quad 1 win.
This is a massive deal for the Buckeyes.
Ohio State's 86-82 win over Northwestern on Dec 6 is now the most important date on the Buckeyes' schedule.
Northwestern is currently 10-15 on the season and with a 2-11 Big Ten record, is ranked 16th in the Big Ten conference. They are fresh off a 40-point loss to the Illinois Fighting Illini, a six-point loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes, and a 12-point loss to Michigan.
As it stands right now, the Buckeyes' most important victory is over the second-worst team in the Big Ten, but the outlook for the Buckeyes got a little bit brighter.
Ohio State is now 1-7 against Quad 1 teams and is projected to be the first team out according to ESPN's Bracketology.
Making the tournament is a must for head coach Jake Diebler and the Ohio State Buckeyes. Athletic Director Ross Bjork publicly challenged Diebler and the Buckeyes, saying that making the tournament was the standard of this program.
They still have the opportunity to punch their ticket, but it isn't going to be easy.
The Buckeyes have seven games remaining in their season, five of which are against Quad 1 teams and the other two are against Quad 2 opponents. Six of the seven opponents are from the Big Ten.
Of those five Quad 1 teams, three of them are ranked and will present a major challenge for the Buckeyes. The first one is this upcoming weekend against the Virginia Cavaliers, who are ranked No. 15 in the country.
Then, they catch No. 10 Michigan State on the road before a home bout against No. 13 Purdue.
For the Buckeyes to make the tournament, they will at least need to go 2-1 in those ranked games and 3-2 against their remaining Quad 1 foes. The two Quad 2 opponents, Wisconsin and Penn State, need to both be victories.
If all that happens and Ohio State finishes 5-2 on the year, making their record 21-10. Even then, it still might be a stretch to make the tournament.
Right now, it's impossible for Ohio State to make it, but a solid showing over the last seven games of the year will put them in a better position heading into the Big Ten Tournament.
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