COLUMBUS, Ohio -- In Thad Matta's ideal world, he could kick back, put things on cruise control and watch his Ohio State basketball team run through the rest of the Big Ten schedule before things get serious in tournament time.
That was never going to be an option with this team. So you can come back to reality now.
As Matta fought back a cough and struggled to find his voice on Tuesday night, he outwardly longed for a world in which the Buckeyes don't have to scratch and claw to get a win over the 10th-place team in the Big Ten.