Fans Troll Edey, No. 2 Purdue for Loss to Unranked Ohio State After Holtmann's Firing

Ohio State might regret having not moved on from head coach Chris Holtmann sooner.

The Buckeyes upset No. 2 Purdue 73-69 on Sunday in Columbus, Ohio, in their first game since Holtmann's ouster.

Bruce Thornton and Jamison Battle combined for 41 points, and interim head coach Jake Diebler got 24 points from his bench.

Fans couldn't ignore how the coaching change coincided with OSU earning its biggest win of the season.

The Buckeyes didn't totally neutralize reigning National Player of the Year Zach Edey, who finished with 22 points and 13 rebounds to earn his 19th double-double.

Purdue's problem was the supporting cast around the 7'4" center. Lance Jones and Fletcher Loyer collectively shot 4-of-18 from the field, and Braden Smith (12 points) was held to right around his season average in scoring. Not even going a perfect 20-of-20 from the charity stripe—Ohio State made 10 free throws, the majority of which came in the waning moments—was enough for Purdue to avoid the defeat.

Sunday's performance may have exposed what continue to be flaws for the Boilermakers and their best player.

Still, it's entirely possible Purdue doesn't slip in the Top 25 rankings when the next batch are revealed. The Boilermakers had comfortably positioned themselves as the second-best team in the country behind UConn, and that status doesn't change much because of one result.

Forthcoming matchups with Rutgers and Michigan give Matt Painter's squad the chance to find its footing again.