Chris Holtmann left Butler to take the head coach job at Ohio State for opportunities like the one in front of him. Justice Sueing moved away from the West Coast for this type of moment. E.J. Liddell chose to play college hoops for the Buckeyes for games such as this. Seth Towns came back home to Columbus to experience the stage now set in front of him.
As much as Ohio State abides by the Sam Hinkie-era Philadelphia 76ers adage of “Trust The Process,” trying its best to focus on continual improvement rather than overemphasizing singular games, the top-10 Big Ten showdown in front of this team can’t possibly be minimized.