Ohio State Basketball: 5 Reasons the Buckeyes Won't Lose Another Game

No. 2 Ohio State (8-1) registered its first loss of the year against No. 13 Kansas (7-2) on the Jayhawks' home court. 

While a loss may have exposed Ohio State's vulnerability, don't expect to see it losing very often. In fact, don't expect to see it lose at all. 

Here are five reasons the Buckeyes won't lose another game in the regular season. 

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Ohio State Is the Best Team in the Big Ten

Although the Big Ten will be one of the toughest conferences in the country, Ohio State is undoubtedly the best. 

There are currently five other ranked teams in the Big Ten (Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan and Michigan State), and Ohio State is significantly better than all of them right now. 

Illinois (10-0) has yet to play a strong opponent, and although it is undefeated it doesn't rebound well and doesn't score as much as would be required to beat Ohio State. 

Indiana (9-0) may have just beat Kentucky, but don't expect it to stay in a game with Ohio State, especially if Jared Sullinger is playing. While Indiana deserved to upset the No. 1 Wildcats, Ohio State will show up and perform much better than Kentucky did. 

Wisconsin (8-2) is overrated at No. 15, as it lost to No. 5 North Carolina and No. 16 Marquette. The Badgers have a good squad but they don't stack up well against fellow Top 25 opponents. 

Michigan (7-2) could give Ohio State some problems with its guard play from Tim Hardaway and Trey Burke, but it doesn't have a good enough inside game to go blow-for-blow with the Buckeyes. 

Michigan State (8-2) has shown great improvement since the beginning of the year, but losing to No. 1 North Carolina and No. 6 Duke has defined its success to date against Top 25 opponents. The Spartans will most likely be Ohio State's toughest Big Ten opponent. 

Even with the strength of the Big Ten, the Buckeyes have a good chance to win-out in conference play.

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The Buckeyes Stack Up Well Against the Top 25

Excluding their loss against No. 13 Kansas (which can generally be attributed to Jared Sullinger's absence due to injury), the Buckeyes have stacked up very well against fellow Top 25 opponents. 

In mid-November, the Buckeyes beat No. 8 Florida and, most recently, beat No. 4 Duke by more than 20 points. 

The Buckeyes' toughest opponents for the remainder of the season are not as talented as the teams Ohio State has already defeated earlier in the season. No. 18 Michigan will give them the most trouble, but the Buckeyes should prevail over all Big Ten opponents. 

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Aaron Craft Is the Scrappiest Guard in the Big Ten

Aaron Craft may go under the radar because he doesn't put up major offensive stats at 9.9 points per game, but he is arguably the scrappiest guard in the Big Ten. 

Not only is Craft one of the best at his position in the NCAA on offense as a facilitator with 5.6 assists per game, but he is also a tenacious defender. Craft averages an impressive 2.8 steals per game and has recorded three or more steals in a single game six times. 

In Ohio State's loss to Kansas, Craft was seen hustling around the court, not giving up on plays and forcing turnovers. He is a clutch player who can also step up and hit a big shot if needed. 

Craft may not put up loads of points, but his role as a great facilitator (mainly, getting the ball to Jared Sullinger) will make Ohio State unstoppable once Sullinger is back in the lineup.

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Jared Sullinger Is the Most Dominant Center in the NCAA

Jared Sullinger's absence in Ohio State's loss to Kansas showed how critical he is to the team's success. However, this is a blessing and curse as the team's fate is contingent upon Sullinger's health. 

Back injuries can be pesky, so we'll have to keep an eye on Sullinger's recovery. However, assuming he'll be able to make a full rebound from his back spasms and play at 100 percent, Sullinger will be the most dominant center in the NCAA. 

Had Sullinger played in Ohio State's game against Kansas, Thomas Robinson would have never scored 21 points and the Buckeyes would have had a much better performance from Sullinger than his replacement Evan Ravenel's nine points and five rebounds. 

Sullinger is currently averaging 19.1points and 10.3 rebounds per game. There are other great forwards/centers in the Big Ten/NCAA (Anthony Davis, Cody Zeller, Thomas Robinson, Terrence Jones, just to name a few), but none are as dominant as Sullinger. 

He is explosive and physically dominant at an agile 6'9" and 280 pounds. There's the looming question of whether his back will continue to bother him as the season progresses, but assuming his injury subsides, he will lead the Buckeyes to many a victory with his dominance. 

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Who's Going to Stop Them?

Ohio State's remaining non-conference opponents are: USC Upstate, South Carolina, Lamar, and Miami (OH), teams it should roll through with ease. 

The toughest opponent the Buckeyes will face in conference play will be No. 18 Michigan. Ohio State is set to wipe out lesser opponents like Nebraska, Iowa, Purdue, Northwestern and Penn State. 

Ranked opponents such as Michigan State, Illinois and Michigan won't go down without a fight, but the Buckeyes should prevail. 

If Sullinger isn't healthy it's a whole different game, but with Sullinger back who can stop these guys?

Could Ohio State go 29-1 this year? Who will stop it?

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