I don't know that we can overemphasize how impressive this run of winning 9 of 11 is by Ohio State with how thin it is on the bench here lately. Crazy turnaround from the depths of despair in January. #GoBucks
— Phil Harrison (@PhilHarrisonBW) March 6, 2020
And if we’re being fair, just as Holtmann got a mountain of criticism during that January sewage spill, he deserves just as much credit for what this team has become as of late. When everything was going nowhere but south, Holtmann kept the paddles in the water, kept coaching, kept tinkering, and all of a sudden, Ohio State looks like a No. 5 or No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament. There aren’t any opposing coaches that want to see the Buckeyes in their bracket raising their hands either.
If there’s one thing Holtmann has shown us during his first three seasons in Columbus, it’s that he can squeeze the last bit of juice out of lemons. There’s no way his first team should have contended for a Big Ten Championship, yet somehow it did. Last year’s squad had no business making the NCAA Tournament. It not only did that, but upped the ante by springing an upset of Iowa State to get to the second round.
The story is still being written on the 2020 postseason, but either way you look at it now, it’s been an incredible coaching job during a season that’s had more peaks and valleys than a volcanic island nation.
The bottom line is that this team has turned around because of the guidance of Chris Hotlmann. Anyone saying any different isn’t giving him his due for all the motivating, prodding, and composure he’s shown this season.
It’s time he gets recognized for it no matter what happens from here on out.
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