MEASURING STICK
Ohio State to see how it stacks up vs. No. 1 Duke
Ohio State remains in fact-finding mode six games into 2021-22. After falling out of the Associated Press top 25 poll to snap 25 straight weeks of inclusion, the Buckeyes split a pair of games against ranked teams at the Fort Myers Tip-off.
Life gets no easier this week. Ohio State (4-2) will host Duke (7-0) Tuesday as part of the ACC-BIG Ten Challenge in a matchup against the No. 1 team in the nation.
The Buckeyes have seen half of their six games decided on a shot in the final three seconds, two of which were wins, and have seen third-year forward E.J. Liddell vault himself into consideration for Big Ten player of the year honors.
But a number of issues have cropped up as well. A team relying on a youthful backcourt is dealing with the hiccups that come with that. Injuries have taken a toll. And in both losses, Ohio State's toughness and
If it seems like Liddell is carrying an abnormally heavy load for this team, that's because he is. His 22.5 points per game make him the only Ohio State player to average in double figures, and he's more than doubling the production of runner-up in Kyle Young (9.6 per game). Liddell has played more minutes than anyone else (172:23), taken almost twice as many shots as anyone else (Meechie Johnson has 44 to Liddell's 84), has attempted three times as many free throws as anyone else (Liddell has 45, Young has 15) and has blocked nearly twice as many shots as the rest of the team combined (23 for Liddell, 13 for everyone else). 4C ability to handle pressure have been called into question.
Here are a few things we know as the Buckeyes prepare to host the Blue Devils.
Liddell relied upon at historical rate
two fewer drives than their season average entering Saturday. When Ohio State has run into trouble in the Big Ten in the past decade, it's often when it's gone up against teams that can shorten the game. Michigan State did this when it was led by Mark Dantonio, most notably in 2015. Now it was Michigan's turn.
Rabinowitz: What was most surprising and disappointing was the ease with which Michigan ran the ball. I knew Hassan Haskins was a workhorse who could grind down a defense. He certainly did that. But wasn't just him. Blake Corum returned from injury and broke several big plays. Michigan's offensive line simply mauled OSU'S.
Kaufman: Which was unexpected because the defensive line is usually the foundation of the Buckeyes' defense. Teams rarely bully them the way the Wolverines did on Saturday. This one is going to sting for Ohio State for all these reasons. I think it also means it's going to reinvigorate this rivalry. The Game has been one-sided for two decades with the Buckeyes winning 17 of 19 games leading into the Thanksgiving weekend. Do you see this as a tipping point, giving the Wolverines some momentum? Or is this a one-off like 2003?
Rabinowitz: There's no way to know. Harbaugh was willing to make hard changes this year, both with himself and his program. It obviously paid off. But will he stick with those? Now that Ryan Day has lost to the Wolverines, what changes will he make in response? I know how much the Buckeyes put into preparing for this game. But it's human nature after eight straight wins to feel some complacency. For program linchpins like strength coach Mickey Marotti and recruiting head Mark Pantoni, who joined the program at the start of the Meyer era, this was their first loss to Michigan.
Kaufman: A lot is also riding on how the rest of this season plays out. If Michigan prevails against Iowa in the Big Ten championship game, it'll be in the playoff for the first time, a breakthrough that could give it a boost on the recruiting trail. Frequent playoff contenders sell prospects on realistic opportunities to compete in the four-team tournament. With one more win, Harbaugh's program can make such a pitch, using a playoff appearance as a springboard and attempt to close the talent gap between them and Ohio State. That is where the series could start to get more competitive. But the Wolverines need to ensure Saturday wasn't the peak of their season.
Rabinowitz: Ohio State has dominated the rivalry lately mostly because it has recruited at a significantly higher level than Michigan. The schools haven't really even gone head-to-head much lately. I'm not sure one Big Ten title or CFP appearance changes that a ton, but if Michigan does it again, it would. Ohio State does have something riding on the Big Ten title game, by the way. If Michigan wins, the Buckeyes likely will go to the Rose Bowl. That's the nicest consolation prize they could have. If Iowa wins, I'd assume Michigan goes to the Rose Bowl and the Buckeyes head to a lesser bowl. But I still would think OSU fans would rather Michigan lose on Saturday.
Kaufman: In the playoff or bust era of college football, I doubt it matters to most fans whether Ohio State is in the Rose Bowl or another New Year's Six bowl game. Neither gives them a shot at the national championship. But to a certain generation, going to Pasadena likely still matters, especially considering the Buckeyes have appeared in "The Grandaddy of them All" only twice this century. It's been to the Fiesta Bowl seven times in that span.
Rabinowitz: I'll be curious to see how many Ohio State players who intend to enter the NFL draft opt out of playing in the bowl game. Does Garrett Wilson, for example, risk injury by playing? If it's the Rose Bowl, I could see Chris Olave playing because it's near home. But you could be seeing a depleted Buckeye roster. In certain ways, it wouldn't be a bad thing. Ohio State has a bunch of young players, particularly at receiver, who didn't get a lot of game action. If Emeka Egbuka and Marvin Harrison Jr., are the future at wide receiver, experience in a bowl game would be valuable.
Kaufman: How the Buckeyes handle the next few weeks and bowl preparation as they wrap up the season will be interesting. This will be their longest December in some time. Not since 2013 have they been left out of both the Big Ten championship game and playoff. Certainly a less eventful postseason.