Ohio State Basketball: Buckeyes' 5 Biggest Conference Games

Remember those Big Ten championship hopes that were in place for the Ohio State basketball team before the 2014-15 season? It’s time to dial those expectations back. 

In fact, it may be time to dial them way back.

The Buckeyes destroyed the cupcakes on their nonconference schedule, but they also looked completely outmatched in their three games of note against Louisville, North Carolina and Iowa. The result is a 0-1 record in the league and a resume that is not NCAA tournament-worthy as of now.

The zone defense is incredibly vulnerable, the rebounding has been nightmarish and the offensive inconsistency has been maddening at times.

The good news is that the vast majority of Big Ten play is still ahead of this team. There are a number of opportunities for Ohio State to make a statement and climb back into the discussion for a solid seed in the NCAA tournament. The only question is whether the Buckeyes will take advantage of them.

Here is a look at the five biggest opportunities ahead of Thad Matta’s club.

Jan. 3 vs. Illinois

Mike Munden/Associated Press

Illinois may not be the best team on Ohio State’s schedule, but this is as close to a must-win game as you can ask for in the first week of January.

The Buckeyes are fresh off a home loss to Iowa to start conference play, which doesn’t do anything for their confidence after losing to both Louisville and North Carolina. A 0-2 start at home in the Big Ten would be disastrous for Ohio State’s conference title hopes, especially with a number of daunting road games still on the schedule.

That’s why the Buckeyes have to beat the Fighting Illini in Columbus. A loss would virtually eliminate them from realistic contention in the conference title race already.

Jan. 13 vs. Michigan

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

This should need no introduction, especially to fans in Columbus and Ann Arbor.

The Buckeyes suffered not one but two rare losses to the hated Michigan Wolverines last season and will be on the search for revenge this year. Even with the two losses in 2013-14, Matta is still a dominating 17-6 against Michigan in his Ohio State career. 

This is about more than just the rivalry, though. The Wolverines and Buckeyes could be in for a battle for positioning in the middle of the Big Ten standings, especially after both disappointed in nonconference play. A head-to-head victory could prove critical in March, especially since Ohio State still has to go to Ann Arbor.

Jan. 29 vs. Maryland

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The Big Ten may have invited Rutgers and Maryland to the league to reach the New York and Washington, D.C. markets during football season, but it got itself an impressive basketball team in the process.

The Terrapins have been more impressive than anyone else in the Big Ten this side of Wisconsin in the early going and appear to be a real threat to at least finish in second place in the league. Dez Wells is a bona fide star, and the rest of the team stepped up in his absence when he was hurt and are better off for it in the long term. 

Maryland already beat Iowa State, Arizona State, Michigan State and Oklahoma State and has a forgivable and understandable loss against Virginia without Wells. If the Buckeyes want to be seen as the top challenger to Wisconsin (which is certainly not what they look like so far), they are going to have to get past Maryland first.

Feb. 14 at Michigan State

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Ohio State fans may be disappointed with the way their season has gone thus far, but Michigan State has even more reason to be upset.

The Spartans lost one of the most inexplicable games of the year to Texas Southern, which just so happens to be 3-10. Tom Izzo’s squad also lost to Notre Dame, Duke, Kansas and Maryland and doesn’t look nearly as formidable as it does almost every season.

The good news for both Michigan State and Ohio State is that there is plenty of time remaining in the season. Both squads often play their best basketball in March under Izzo and Matta, so there is at least some reason for optimism still. 

This is the only matchup between the two teams this season, so a head-to-head win would be critical if one is going to make a charge up the standings and polls before the NCAA tournament.

March 8 vs. Wisconsin

Andy Manis/Associated Press

Ohio State only gets one shot at the presumed kings of the Big Ten this season, and it comes at home.

The Badgers brought almost everyone back from last year’s Final Four team and only have one loss this season to the dominant Duke Blue Devils. If there is one team in the Big Ten that could make a run at the national championship, it is Bo Ryan’s Wisconsin squad.

If the Buckeyes have any hope at making some type of dramatic turnaround and winning the conference, they are going to have to beat the Badgers in Columbus. Ohio State beat Wisconsin in the daunting Kohl Center last season, so it is not an impossible task, but there is little reason for optimism given how it played against Louisville, North Carolina and Iowa this season. 

It is up to Matta and the Buckeyes to prove the doubters wrong.

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