Every time Ohio State seems poised to zig this season, it zags.
So much so that the Buckeyes have been a predictably unpredictable bunch, winning games they are favored to lose, and losing games they almost certainly should win.
Wednesday’s matchup with Penn State was dangerously close to falling in the latter category, as Ohio State crumbled in the second half to squander multiple double-digit first-half leads.
The Buckeyes won the back-and-forth affair by a shoestring margin, and maybe undeservedly so, improving to a 13-4 record that stands as Ohio State’s best through 17 games since Chris Holtmann’s first season as head coach back in 2017-18. But the duality exhibited in the uneven performance highlighted exactly why both believers and detractors in this team have firm ground to stand on.
At times, Ohio State has looked like it could beat anybody this season. Then, whether it be the next game or the next half, the Buckeyes look like they could lose to anybody just as easily. It just so happens that so far this year, the wins have come much more often.
Fittingly, Wednesday’s flat performance came after arguably its best win of the season last Saturday, a double-digit victory against then-No. 10 Wisconsin that was closer toward the end than the final score indicated, but still represented one of Ohio State’s most consistent showings of the season.
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Ohio State has racked up seven wins in the Big Ten this season, but only one has been a blowout. No matter how good the Buckeyes look in a first half, they seem compelled to let their opponent sneak back in the game late, which either speaks to the undeniably high level of competition in the conference, or an odd trend with this Ohio State group in particular.
Or both.
Holtmann has stuck with the first explanation when questioned on the matter this season, and players like junior guard Duane Washington have simply chalked it up to the old adage that “basketball is a game of runs.”
But in fact, Washington’s play in particular may be the most easily identifiable embodiment of Ohio State’s inconsistency.
The Buckeyes’ leading scorer for most of the season, Washington shot just 34.8 percent from the field through Ohio State’s first nine games. Then, it appeared Washington turned things around, improving his shooting percentage by 10 percent over the next six games, along with his scoring average and assist output.
In the last two though, Washington has hit just 3-of-20 field goal attempts, and he’s shot 3-for-14 from 3-point range in the same stretch.
Every player has their ebbs and flows throughout a season, but few run as dramatically hot and cold as Washington, and whichever way he’s trending typically switches on a half-by-half basis.
Therefore it should have come as little surprise that Washington, who was just 1-for-9 against Penn State with time ticking away Wednesday, drilled a crucial 3 –– contested of course –– to help the Buckeyes come out on top.
The inconsistency stretches far past just Washington on this Ohio State team, but he has been something of a mascot for it, and as a team, the Buckeyes’ most recent performance might be the best example of how confoundingly up and down the group can be within a single game.
With its penchant for playing to its level of competition, as evidenced by all-too-close games against the likes of UMass-Lowell and Cleveland State, as well as a 3-1 record against teams ranked higher than them, it’s nearly impossible to tell just how far this Buckeye team can go.
When trying to project the near future for this Ohio State team, the best course of action may just be to expect the unexpected, and anticipate a single-digit margin one way or the other down the stretch.
