Hoosiers Now

GameDay VIDEO: Huge Road Trip to Ohio State for Indiana

Like most Big Ten teams, Indiana has struggled on the road in the league this season, winning only one of five games. Can that change on Saturday at Ohio State?

Tom Brew

COLUMBUS, Ohio. — Indiana would love to add an impressive road win to its NCAA Tournament resume, and it gets an excellent chance to do that on Saturday when it takes on the Ohio State Buckeyes.

The Buckeyes, once on the verge of being ranked No. 1 in early December, have lost six of their last eight games, including a defeat in Bloomington to the Hoosiers on Jan. 7

I brought in my counterpart in Columbus, Sports Illustrated's Bruce Hooley, to break down the Buckeyes in this video. Please check it out.

I asked Bruce three questions about the Buckeyes. Here's a quick snippet of what's in the video:

  1. What's going on with Ohio State during this slump, where the Buckeyes have lost six of eight? "I'm not sure they are in a slump. Maybe it more of just who they are.''
  2. What does the loss of DJ Carton mean on the court to the Buckeyes? "They lose their most electric player. He's a guy who can get his own. It's a big loss for Ohio State.''
  3. Is Ohio State concerned about seeing a potential NCAA Tournament berth starting to slip away? "You just have to defend the home court. When you lose at home, it really hurts the resume.''

Here are the particulars on the game

  • Who: Indiana Hoosiers (15-6, 5-5 in the Big Ten) vs. Ohio State Buckeyes (13-7, 3-6 in the Big Ten)
  • When: Noon ET, Saturday, Feb. 1
  • Where: Value City Arena, Columbus, Ohio
  • Latest Line: Ohio State is a 7.5-point favorite as of Saturday morning, according to VegasInsiders.com.
  • Poll rankings: Neither team is ranked in the Associated Press poll or Coaches poll. Both are receiving votes, however. Indiana would be ranked No. 30 in each poll, and Ohio State would be No. 29.
  • Kenpom.com rankings: Indiana is No. 40, dropping two spots after its loss to Penn State on Wednesday. Ohio State is No. 13.
  • TV: ESPN
  • Announcers: Jason Benetti, Robbie Hummel
  • Radio: Indiana Radio Network
  • Announcers: Don Fischer, Eric Suhr, Joe Smith
Published
Tom Brew
TOM BREW

Tom Brew is an award-winning journalist who has worked at some of America's finest newspapers as a reporter and editor, including the Tampa Bay (Fla.) Times, the Indianapolis Star and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He has covered college sports in the digital platform for the past six years, including the last five years as publisher of HoosiersNow on the FanNation/Sports Illustrated network.

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