In recent years, January has not been a good month for Ohio State basketball, and that is a trend that has certainly continued this season.
After the loss on Tuesday night against Illinois, the Buckeyes have just a 2-6 record in January as the Buckeyes have dropped games against Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, Nebraska, and Northwestern as well.
OSU has fallen all the way down to 11th in the Big Ten standings with a 3-7 record in conference play and a 13-8 record overall. As a result of the poor month of basketball, Ohio State has fallen out of Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology prediction on ESPN and will need a strong close to the season to make it to the big dance.
Lunardi is known as one of the best NCAA Tournament bracket experts in the business and he updated his predictions for who would make the field of 68 on Tuesday morning.
Here’s where the Big Ten teams stack up in his latest update.
Purdue (19-2) - Top Overall Seed
Bracketology Breakdown
Seeding | No. 1 – Midwest Region (Indianapolis)
Opponent | No. 16 seed (winner of Southern vs. N.C. Central)
The season so far
Key Loss(es) | at Northwestern, at Nebraska
Best Win(s) | Arizona, Marquette, Tennessee, Gonzaga, Illinois, at Rutgers
Wisconsin (16-4)
Bracketology Breakdown
Seeding | No. 2 – East Region (Indianapolis)
Opponent | No. 15 seed Sam Houston State
The season so far
Key Loss(es) | Tennessee, at Providence, at Arizona, at Penn State
Best Win(s) | Virginia, Marquette, at Michigan State, Nebraska, at Ohio State, Northwestern, at Minnesota, Michigan State
Illinois (15-5)
Bracketology Breakdown
Seeding | No. 4 – South Region (Brooklyn)
Opponent | No. 13 seed Samford
The season so far
Key Loss(es) | Marquette, at Tennessee, at Purdue, Maryland, at Northwestern
Best Win(s) | FAU, at Rutgers, Missouri, Northwestern, Michigan State, Indiana
Northwestern (15-5)
Bracketology Breakdown
Seeding | No. 7 – Midwest Region (Pittsburgh)
Opponent | No. 10 seed Texas A&M
The season so far
Key Loss(es) | Chicago State, Mississippi State, at Illinois, at Wisconsin, at Nebraska
Best Win(s) | Purdue, Dayton, Arizona State, Michigan State, at Penn State, Illinois, Ohio State
Michigan State (12-8)
Bracketology Breakdown
Seeding | No. 8 – West Region (Charlotte)
Opponent | No. 9 seed Ole Miss
The season so far
Key Loss(es) | James Madison, Duke, Arizona, Wisconsin, at Nebraska, at Northwestern, at Illinois, at Wisconsin
Best Win(s) | Baylor, Butler, Rutgers, Minnesota, at Maryland
Nebraska (15-6) - Last Four In
Bracketology Breakdown
Seeding | No. 11 – West Region (Pittsburgh)
Opponent | No. 11 seed Boise State (Winner plays No. 6 seed Florida Atlantic)
The season so far
Key Loss(es) | UConn, Auburn, Kansas, at Wisconsin, at Iowa, at Rutgers, at Maryland
Best Win(s) | Maryland, at Michigan, Indiana, Purdue, Northwestern, Ohio State
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