With just nine games left in the regular season, Ohio State’s path to the NCAA Tournament is officially crunch time. The Buckeyes are sitting right on the bubble, and every possession from here on out carries weight.
But if there’s one way to kick off a season-defining stretch, it’s with a shot at your biggest rival - and one of the best teams in the country. That’s exactly what’s on deck as Ohio State hosts No.
3 Michigan in Columbus.
This isn’t just another game. It’s The Game - hardwood edition.
And head coach Jake Diebler knows exactly what it means. The Ohio native and lifelong Buckeye has lived this rivalry, and now he’s leading a team that’s learning what it’s like to be in the fire.
“I think this rivalry is so well-known across the country that when guys join our program, they know that this game feels different,” Diebler said. “And until you get to experience it, maybe you can't fully appreciate it, but you certainly appreciate it to a great extent because it’s the best rivalry in all of college athletics.”
There’s no easing into this final stretch - Sunday’s game is the second of five in just 12 days for the Buckeyes, and two of those are against top-20 teams. It’s a brutal run, but the Buckeyes are locked in. Diebler said the team is staying present, focused on the moment, and not letting the pressure of the schedule get ahead of them.
Ohio State already has one look at Michigan this season - and for 32 minutes in Ann Arbor, they were toe-to-toe with the Wolverines. The Buckeyes led by three at halftime, stretched it to six early in the second half, and were still up 52-51 with eight minutes to go. Then came the avalanche.
Michigan closed the game on a 21-6 run, turning a tight battle into a 74-62 win. That final stretch has been the focal point of Ohio State’s film sessions ever since.
Turnovers, transition defense, and second-chance points were all culprits. The Buckeyes coughed it up four times in the final four minutes and gave up 12 offensive rebounds overall.
“We looked at the things that we can control that we need to do better in that stretch,” Diebler said. “Taking care of the ball, we drove into traffic a couple of times.
We gave up some transition buckets because of our turnovers. And then I think offensive rebounds was critical - the entire game, but certainly in that stretch.”
Part of the challenge is Michigan’s size and depth, which are elite even by Big Ten standards. Center Aday Mara is a 7-foot-3 rim protector who’s swatting nearly three shots per game - good for second in the nation.
He had four blocks in the first meeting. Then there’s Yaxel Lendeborg and Morez Johnson Jr., both 6-foot-9 forwards who bring physicality and scoring punch.
Lendeborg is averaging 14.3 points, Johnson 13.7, and both are relentless on the glass.
“There’s other big teams in our league, but they’re just at a different level of size than most everybody we’ve played all year,” Diebler said. “And their depth - they’ve got great depth as well. There aren’t many teams in the country who can roll out with that level of size and depth.”
That depth was a difference-maker in the first meeting. Michigan had nine players log 15+ minutes.
Ohio State? Just six healthy regulars.
With forward Brandon Noel still out with a foot injury, the Buckeyes are relying heavily on their core - and it showed. Bruce Thornton, John Mobley Jr., and Devin Royal each played at least 34 minutes in Ann Arbor.
No Wolverine topped 31.
Thornton, the four-time captain and emotional anchor of this team, had one of his roughest outings of the season in that game. He finished with 10 points on 3-of-11 shooting and had as many assists as turnovers (two apiece). That’s not the norm for a player who just joined Ohio State’s 1,900-point club.
Diebler isn’t concerned.
“His approach never wavers,” he said. “Doesn’t matter what we have going on, who we’re playing.
It’s why he’s such a special player - he always brings his best. Every single game, every single opponent.
I just want him to go out, be aggressive and be himself.”
And while Sunday’s game isn’t technically a must-win for Ohio State’s tournament hopes - the Buckeyes still have four more Quad 1 games and three ranked matchups after this - it’s hard to overstate what a win over Michigan would mean. This is the kind of resume-builder that can shift the narrative and give a bubble team some breathing room.
Diebler is keeping his team grounded. The focus is on the process, not the projections.
“With our schedule and the way it’s built, you have so many big-game opportunities that you can't look too far behind. You can't look too far ahead,” he said.
“You’ve got to be in the moment and give all your energy, all your focus, all your effort on what’s going on and preparing well. That’s what this group has done.”
Still, there’s no denying the stakes. This is a rivalry game, a potential signature win, and a chance to rally a fanbase that’s hungry for a statement.
Ohio State is calling for a “Scarlet the Schott” atmosphere - a sea of red in the Schottenstein Center to boost the Buckeyes in one of their biggest games of the season. Diebler is counting on the home crowd to make a difference.
“Give us a home court advantage,” he said. “Help us create a great atmosphere that we can benefit from.
And let’s do this together. Our guys are going to play really hard.
They’re going to play really tough. Let’s all work together to create a great home court advantage tomorrow.
And wear scarlet.”
The opportunity is there. Now it’s about execution - and maybe a little bit of Buckeye magic in Columbus.