Ohio State can win a lot of games if it takes gets it right upstairs
The biggest swing, though, is the turnovers.#Northwestern has 16 points off turnovers, whereas #OhioState has zero.
— Jacob Benge (@JacobBenge) December 26, 2020
Coming into this one, Ohio State had only been committing nine turnovers per game. That wasn’t the case Saturday in the first half. Instead of being strong and confident with the ball, slopiness and tentativeness crept in. As a result, the Buckeyes gave up some points and possessions when it could have stretched things out.
Then there was the mental brain cramp by an otherwise solid floor manager, point guard C.J. Walker. He unexplainably reached in and committed a foul with almost no time remaining at half-court to send Northwestern to the free-throw line. Instead of going into the break with a two-point lead, Ohio State and Northwestern went in tied. That two-point swing was literally the difference in the game too.
Things were much better in the second half, but it’s a 40-minute game for a reason. In a league as tough and tight as the Big Ten, one or two plays or possessions in many games is going to be the difference between a win and a loss. It was today as well.