Ohio State’s last-second loss to Minnesota three days ago finally made the slump OSU has been in for a month go away. Oh, the Buckeyes’ problems are still very real, it’s just that six losses in seven games has made it implausible to continue selling their woes as abnormal or a departure from who they truly are. Simply put, they’re not in a slump. They’re just not an elite team any more. Entering a 6:30 p.m. Sunday game at Northwestern, Ohio State is tied for 11th with Michigan among 14 Big Ten teams. Only the Wildcats, at 1-7, have won fewer conference games than the Buckeyes, who are 2-6 and scraping to get back close enough to .500 that they can claim an NCAA Tournament berth. The early-season wins over Cincinnati, Villanova, North Carolina and Kentucky that once fueled Ohio State’s rise as high as No. 2 in the nation…
Continue Reading: Ohio State Has Become Team in Search of Backbone
