Ohio State Buckeyes Named Preseason Big Ten Dark Horse

The basketball season is approaching and the Ohio State Buckeyes have been referred to as a potential dark horse in the Big Ten Conference.

Mar 26, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes guard Bruce Thornton (2) drives to the basket during the second half of the NIT quarterfinals against the Georgia Bulldogs at Value City Arena. Ohio State lost 79-77. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

With the college basketball season nearly one month away from the first regular season games, the preseason previews are beginning to pop up.

The new-look Ohio State Buckeyes feature Jake Diebler as head coach, Bruce Thornton returning as the starting point guard and a ton of new faces on the roster. The different collection of players for the Buckeyes could be a great thing for this team though.

The Field of 68 began their preseason Top 25 countdown on Monday and the Ohio State Buckeyes actually started things off at No. 25. In the graphic with the ranking, they also took their best shot at projecting the starting lineup.

Thornton is joined by four new faces in Meechie Johnson Jr., Micah Parish, Sean Stewart and Aaron Bradshaw. Meechie Johnson is not necessarily a fresh face having been with the Buckeyes before, but he was with South Carolina the prior two seasons before returning to Columbus.

🚨 OUR PRESEASON TOP 25 COUNTDOWN BEGINS 🚨@OhioStateHoops checking in at No. 25 🔥

Will the Buckeyes be a Big Ten dark horse?? 👀 pic.twitter.com/omeZzH3cwR

— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) September 30, 2024

This guess at the starting lineup feels like a strong one and the most likely combination. Thornton, Johnson and Parish all bring plenty of experience. Stewart and Bradshaw might be the younger two but they are very talented and offer size in the front court that Ohio State has not had a lot of in recent history. Two players on the floor at the same time over 6'9" could be a game changer for this squad.

Not only did The Field of 68 rank the Buckeyes at No. 25 but they also asked if this team could be a dark horse in the Big Ten Conference. Without Zach Edey, Purdue will likely take a slight step back meaning that the Buckeyes have a better chance at making a run at the title. The key for this group is to perform in January and February like they usually do in November, December and March.

According to Bet MGM, the Buckeyes have +6000 odds to win the national championship and +1000 odds to win the Big Ten.

Jun 30, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State players, seated from right, Meechie Johnson, Sean Stewart, Devin Royal, John Mobley Jr. watch during the Kingdom Summer League basketball program at Ohio Dominican University. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Although a national title is certainly more of a long shot than a Big Ten title, this talented Ohio State squad can't be counted out too early. If Diebler's group can make a deep run then he will likely go down in history books as an Ohio State coaching legend pretty quickly.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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