All trips to the Sweet Sixteen aren’t created equal. Ohio State should know, since it’s made 15 in the 33 NCAA Tournaments in which it has participated. But, wait, the Buckeyes’ post-season success is even better than those numbers suggest. While OSU has earned every one of those advances, some required much greater effort than others. Prior to 1951, the NCAA Tournament field consisted of only eight teams. Ohio State was among those fortunate few five times, so it actually advanced beyond the Sweet Sixteen on a handful of occasions before it ever existed. Once Jerry Lucas and John Havlicek began their storied careers in Columbus, the NCAA Tournament doubled in size and OSU made that 16 team field all three of their seasons. The Buckeyes’ Big Ten championships in 1968 and 1971 also earned them a first-round bye in the 25-team Tournament and thus the last two Sweet Sixteen…
Continue Reading: Ohio State's Most Painful Second-Round NCAA Losses
