Before Chris Holtmann ever coached a game at Ohio State, Gene Smith talked to him about the possibility of scheduling Cincinnati. They hadn’t faced off in the regular season since 1921.
A little more than a month away from the 2017-18 season opener, the idea was made a reality. A year later, the Buckeyes topped the Bearcats at the newly renovated Fifth Third Arena, and the following season they played host to Cincinnati, sweeping the home-and-home series with an eight-point victory.
“It certainly wasn't a contingency upon my hiring that I had to play Cincinnati, but we did it and it worked out really well for us, honestly, in what were two competitive, highly entertaining games,” Holtmann said on the latest edition of Real Pod Wednesdays.