The Buckeyes showed a lot of heart in their double-OT loss to Michigan State, but in the end it’s the tough non-conference schedule that gave MSU the experience they needed to grit it out at the end. The Buckeyes had their chances, but Smith and Sylvester both missed 3-pt shots late in the game.
“They’ve been in a lot of games like that,” Sylvester told espn.com. “They’re very tough mentally and physically. I think it reflects on the character of Tom Izzo.”
That is mainly because the Big Ten completely screwed MSU by giving them a brutal schedule, but, as it showed yesterday, it pays off in big games.
Still, if you are a Buckeyes fan, there is a lot to be positive about. For starters, they are playing fantastic defense. When was the last time a winner in a double-overtime game scored only 62 points?
They also nearly beat the best team in the Big Ten. Now the Buckeyes know if they can hang with MSU, they can hang with anyone in the Big Ten.
OSU’s two losses this year are to ranked teams and are by two and three points- also, they lost to Indiana when they had DJ White, who is now out for the season.
The only thing that really surprised me is how much of an effect losing Je’Kel Foster in the second overtime had. He didn’t shoot well against Michigan State, but he completely shut down Maurice Ager- a feat most teams haven’t accomplished.
The way Ohio State is playing right now, you have to think they are the second-best team in the Big Ten. And they will only get better.
