Expanding Blake Biscardi’s football season series, it is time for an Ohio State men’s basketball Buckeye State of the Union address. 

This season has been filled with many ups and downs, but what happened on Thursday night and Sunday afternoon is truly unacceptable to the team and the fanbase. The season has felt different than the past seasons under the leadership of Chris Holtmann, as this team at several points has given the fanbase hope that they could take the next step… only to lose a must-win game, like Northwestern at home or even UCLA on the road.

Devin Royal and John Mobley Jr. have both been breakout stars for the Buckeyes and are both why the team is even semi-competitive, with a small chance at making the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2020. But the NCAA Tournament does not happen if the Buckeyes continue to lose games that they should very well win.

Games against Michigan, Oregon, Pittsburgh, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Illinois were all games that should have ended with an Ohio State victory. 

Ohio State is getting whipped around by a Northwestern team missing 2 of their top 3 players.. 😬

We sure this team is tournament level good?

— College Basketball Content (@CBBcontent) February 21, 2025

The kryptonite on the season has been coming out on top in close games. To the naked eye, it would look like the team does not want to win when the ending of a game is tough. But this is the same team that will shoot the lights out of the ball against Kentucky, Texas, and Purdue or be down by twenty to Maryland at home and come back to win on a Bruce Thornton buzzer-beating three-pointer to bring home a victory. 

What I am trying to get to is that this team is not consistent; lately, there has not been one singular player who will take over as the leader for a five to ten-game stretch, and it has shown. Per KenPom, a database used to track each team’s metrics, the Buckeyes have the eighth-lowest luck rating of all Power 4 programs. Does this necessarily mean anything? Yes, it shows that the one-score games have been many of Ohio State’s losses, which factors into the luck rating.

The Bucks have a thirty-eight offensive rating and a thirty-six defensive rating while facing off against the nation’s five most challenging offensive schedules. Ohio State is the only team in the KenPom rankings to have eleven or more losses and be in the top forty in both offensive and defensive ratings. This team is competing with the best of the best and, in any given year, would be a top twenty-five program, but without consistency, this team does not stand a chance. 

Ohio State NCAA Tournament Resume:

NET: 32
⁰KenPom: 32
⁰Key wins: vs. Kentucky (neutral site), vs. Texas (neutral site), at Purdue, vs. Maryland
⁰Bad losses: vs. Indiana, vs. Pittsburgh, vs. Oregon, vs. Northwestern (all home games)

Next games: @ UCLA, @ USC, vs Nebraska, @…

— The Ohio State Hoops Insider (@OSUHoopsInsider) February 21, 2025

With that being said, Buckeye fans, stay calm. The NCAA Tournament is still in our hands. Go support this team as they come back after a West Coast trip. Pack The Schott against Nebraska and help this team find its form again. This has been one of the wildest seasons in my life as a fan, and it has been frustrating. Especially lately. But the Jake Diebler era has just started and as we have seen at Louisville and Michigan, many things can change in short periods of time.