The Ohio State basketball team is going dancing in this year’s March Madness tournament, but draw a tough matchup against Loyola Chicago.
The 2022 bracket is finally official, so here’s to questionable picks, stunning upsets, and Cinderella stories. The former all relate to selecting Ohio State to advance past the first round, so in the spirit of March Madness, join me in picking the Buckeyes to upset the fighting Sister Jeans. Let the madness begin.
Ohio State has been one of the nation’s up and down teams. The Buckeyes notched wins against Duke, Seton Hall, Illinois, and Wisconsin this season. However, the Buckeyes dropped games to Nebraska, Penn State, and Michigan after blowing sizeable leads.
Ohio State’s inability to close games down the stretch is its Achilles heel, but injuries are also a factor. Nonetheless, the Buckeyes still had the talent on the floor to defeat the Cornhuskers, Nittany Lions, and Wolverines.
It seems that blowing leads in the second half and not making it beyond the tournament’s first weekend has become the Chris Holtmann special. There is no time like the present to undo those feelings as everyone now expects it this year.
Buckeyes’ Fate
Truthfully, the Buckeyes have the talent on its roster and ability to make it to the Sweet Sixteen. Of course, Loyola Chicago and likely Villanova are tough draws, but Ohio State can certainly advance that far. Realistically, though, recent bias says otherwise.
I have Ohio State squeaking out a victory in the opening round, then losing to Jay Wright and Villanova. The potential Round of 32 matchup with the Wildcats is interesting because Holtmann has defeated Wright in each of their last three meetings, so never say never.
For Ohio State to even get the chance, EJ Liddell and Maliki Branham needing monstrous games are a given. The real key will be not turning the ball over and avoiding cold spells from the field, which are the Buckeyes’ biggest weaknesses this season.
Here is my full March Madness prediction:
Image Credit: The Ohio State University Department of Athletics
Blake Biscardi, a native of Pickerington, Ohio, is The Silver Bulletin’s Senior Editor and Host of the Saturday Cadence podcast, a national college football show. As a trusted voice on Ohio State, the Big Ten, and College Football Playoff since 2016, Blake has worked multiple ventures, namely FanSided (2018-2021) before TSB. Blake is a proud member of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and a two-time Graduate of Temple University in Philadelphia.
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