The Big Ten championship, seeding for next week's Big Ten tournament and seeding for the bigger tournament the following week are still to be determined.
There are only three things Ohio State can do in sorting things out: Win, watch and wonder
Sunday at 12:30 p.m., the Buckeyes host Illinois in a game Ohio State needs to clinch a top four finish in the Big Ten and the first-round conference tournament bye that comes with it. On Friday, Ohio State coach Thad Matta said all he knows about the multiple scenarios and tiebreaker possibilities is that his team's focus has to be on doing its part. There's a little revenge factor involved, too. Way back on Jan. 5, Illinois blew Ohio State off the floor, 74-55, in a game that was never really close. Potentially sharing a Big Ten title in this season with this team would be one of Matta's greatest accomplishments at Ohio State, but it can't happen if the Buckeyes don't take care of their own business first.
At 4 p.m. Sunday, Indiana plays at Michigan. A Hoosiers win means they win the Big Ten title outright -- they've already cut down the nets, for crying out loud -- but a Michigan win opens the door for a four-way tie among Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio State and Michigan State if they win on Sunday. The Spartans should beat limping Northwestern Sunday night, but stranger things have happened this season -- like Michigan losing to Penn State. And, like this Ohio State team bouncing back after hitting rock bottom at Wisconsin to put itself in this position.
Just how far can the Buckeyes push this recent run of good luck and very good basketball? Based on the four games Ohio State has played since that 22-point debacle at Wisconsin, pretty far. The Buckeyes are a very good defensive team, are clearly battle-tested and though they still have offensive issues, they're getting more scoring from guys not named Deshaun Thomas and even getting a little scoring around the basket from Evan Ravenel. It's the time of the season that Thomas and Aaron Craft can use their experience to help Ohio State through tight games and tough moments, and Matta's use of Craft and Shannon Scott together has been very disruptive to opposing guards. The Buckeyes, warts and all, are playing their basketball at the right time. What they can really gain next weekend in Chicago remains to be seen, and the NCAA Tournament is all about matchups, but looking around the league, it's fair to both wonder just how these Buckeyes are flirting with a conference crown but also if they're the league's hottest team right now.
The bottom line is that a top-four finish in this year's Big Ten should be rewarded with a top-four seed in the NCAA Tournament, and in Ohio State's case that should also mean the opportunity to play the first weekend in Dayton. The Buckeyes can make their case for such an arrangement stronger next weekend in Chicago, but first there's important business to be handled on Sunday in Columbus.
The win is the first and most important part.
