Ohio State survived to see another day of NCAA Tournament play Friday, but the pathway to advance further gets a whole lot more arduous this afternoon.
No opponent the Buckeyes have faced this season ranked higher in the final AP poll than Villanova (No. 6), which holds the No. 2 seed in the South Region and is favored to end Ohio State’s run in the second round – where Chris Holtmann has yet to escape as the head coach of the Buckeyes.
The Big East Tournament champions have won 11 of their past 12 games, including four victories over ranked opposition, and carries the momentum of a 20-point win over No.