The game between Ohio State and Michigan sure felt like a coin-flip type of game Sunday. And for most of the game, that’s exactly what it was. There were numerous lead changes, runs by both teams, and with about five minutes left, the game was in serious doubt.
But then the Buckeyes showed what they’re made of. They went on a step-on-the-throat run to put the game out of reach, ultimately winning by a score of 77-63 against a ranked, quad 1 opponent.
It seems like a perfect time to take a look at where this team is headed just at the right time. That January swoon sure seems like miles away now. The team is shooting the ball with more confidence, has cut down on the turnovers, and is playing some of the best defense of the season as of late.
The result has been a run of winning eight of the last ten in the best conference in America. That includes wins over two ranked opponents — one of them a top ten outfit (Maryland) — and three road wins in a conference that doesn’t hand them out very often.
OSU has gone from a 2-6 record in the league and one spot away from dead last, to 10-8 now and on the cusp of the upper division of the Big Ten. The turnaround towards the positive has been just as abrupt and shocking as the slide from a top-five squad early in the season.
And it’s happening at just the right time. Ohio State is now nowhere near the bubble any longer, and is on an upward trajectory heading into the month of March. It is truly madness. The Big Ten regular-season title is out of reach, but who wants to see this team in a bracket going forward?
‼️Electric W ‼️#GoBucks #Team121 pic.twitter.com/IfqQtYcxLa
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) March 1, 2020
OSU now leads Big Ten in 3-point shooting, is starting to curtail some of those ugly turnovers it had about a month ago, and it’s getting more of a team effort than when we saw players trying to take too much on themselves when things weren’t very rosy.
And here’s the scary part. OSU is doing it despite injury and personnel issues. Kyle Young has been in and out of the lineup throughout the year, D.J. Carton is rightfully getting the help he needs mentally, and everyone forgets about Musa Jallow being put on the shelf for this season.
Young might be back for a postseason run, and maybe Carton gets in the mix too if he gets in a spot where he feels like he’s healthy enough to get in on all the fun. If not though, this team has learned to play through adversity and it has seemed to galvanize the program.
Either way you slice it, Ohio State is one of the hottest teams in the Big Ten, and it’s not smoke and mirrors. This team is on an upward trend, and just like everyone reset expectations down in January, it’s now time to reset them upwards and enjoy whatever happens in the postseason.
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