Ohio State opened its 2021-22 season with a closer-than-expected last-second win on Tuesday, and its upcoming opponent found itself on the flip side of a similar situation on the very same night.
While the Buckeyes survived their 67-66 scare against Akron, Niagara dropped a 63-60 game against Xavier, a team that was favored to beat it by 17 points. Ohio State, which gets a crack at the Musketeers next Thursday, will close out the opening week of the new season with a matchup against the 0-1 Purple Eagles on Friday.
Despite the fact that the Buckeyes are favored to roll Niagara with relative ease, Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann is not guaranteeing a complete turnaround from his team just three days after an uneven performance to start the year.