All NCAA Tournament losses sting, but one leaves a mark that never fully heals. A defeat in the Elite Eight is the epitome of, “So close, but yet so far.” Fall in the Final Four and at least you’ve had the satisfaction of cutting down the nets at the regional and making it all the way to the season’s final weekend. Lose in the Sweet Sixteen and it hurts, but you can’t be certain a win would have taken you more than one game deeper on the bracket. Get eliminated the first weekend, even if as a favorite, and you’re forgotten right away. Even teams that lose in the NCAA Championship game don’t suffer as much as an Elite Eight loser, because they know that only one team, maybe only on that one night, was better. So it’s not surprising that three of Ohio State’s Elite Eight losses still resonate…
Continue Reading: Ohio State's Most Painful Hoops Loss? It's Easy to Determine
