Ohio State’s win against No. 8 Purdue on March 1 put the Buckeyes on the right side of the NCAA Tournament bubble. The Buckeyes men’s basketball team is now almost universally projected to receive an at-large bid to participate in March Madness.
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Unless, of course, they fail to take care of business in the final week of the regular season. The reality is that losses in either of the final two games before the Big Ten Tournament could undo all the good work that their most recent win is doing for their resume.
The Buckeyes needed that victory against the Boilermakers. Now they need to win against Big Ten cellar-dweller Penn State on March 4.
“We talked about it [March 2]: That game is over,” Ohio State coach Jake Diebler said. “This time of year, there’s a lot of noise on the outside that players have to deal with. We’ve been talking for a few weeks. You’ve got to block that stuff out, both positive and negative. Our focus has to be on Penn State and preparing well.”
Mar 1, 2026; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes guard John Mobley Jr. (0) celebrates during the second half against the Purdue Boilermakers at Value City Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images
On paper, it has all the makings of a trap game. With fans storming the court after the win against Purdue, the Buckeyes were able to celebrate the end of their first losing streak of the season and wash away the disappointment from a short-handed, 17-point loss at Iowa on Feb. 25. What the win did not do was give Ohio State enough breathing room to consider itself safely in the NCAA Tournament field should it lose again during the regular season.
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A senior day showdown awaits with fellow bubble contender Indiana on March 7, but sandwiched in between is a game at the Bryce Jordan Center against a Penn State team that is 3-13 since the start of 2026. The fact that the Nittany Lions beat visiting Iowa three days after the Hawkeyes drubbed the Buckeyes likely caught the attention of Diebler’s players, and being focused on the next task without being overwhelmed by the big picture is something this team has generally handled well – even if it hasn’t always resulted in wins.
Since Feb. 1, Ohio State has played as the No. 23 team in the nation according to BartTorvik.com while going 4-4.
“This time of year, you’re doing one of two things: You’re either on the rise or you’re not,” Diebler said. “There’s been a lot of factors that have gone into it, but we’ve been rising. Big part of that is our leadership.”
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Senior captain Bruce Thornton, who is also closing in on the school’s all-time scoring record, is a significant part of that. Thornton needs 30 points to pass Dennis Hopson, but right now, he’s enjoying the pursuit of his first NCAA Tournament appearance.
“It’s an exciting time in this moment,” he said. “You just want to play. That’s the main thing I’m worrying about. This is the best part of basketball: March.”
It can be, if Ohio State takes care of business in the final week of the season.
Ohio State men’s basketball beat writer Adam Jardy can be reached at ajardy@dispatch.com, on Bluesky at @cdadamjardy.bsky.social or on Twitter at @AdamJardy.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: With Purdue win in pocket, Ohio State can’t afford Penn State slip-up
