It’s time to check in again with our favorite NCAA Tournament bracket projections. When we last checked in, Ohio State was somewhere around a No. 6 seed in most of the reputable bracket projections out there.
Since then, the Buckeyes beat a ranked Illinois team at home, then fought hard but fell to a Big Ten co-champ Michigan State team that’s peaking at the right time in East Lansing.
Add that to all the results across the country and things are bound to change right? Well, we’re here to tell you. We check in on these sort of things at least weekly as the postseason gets closer and closer.
Here are where things stand just before Big Ten Tournament play heats up this week.
Next … USA TODAY
USA TODAY Bracketology
USA TODAY has improved the Buckeyes seeding by one spot since the last time we looked. They were solidly a No. 6 but have now moved up to the No. 5 line thanks to the win over Illinois and somewhat solid showing at Michigan State.
Seed: No. 5
Region: Midwest
City: Tampa
Opponent: No. 12 Providence
Next … ESPN’s Joe Lundardi
ESPN Bracketology with Joe Lunardi
Joe Lunardi also has Ohio State moved up one spot from a No. 6 to No. 5 seed. And there might be some good news if you live or are visiting the west-central Florida area. He too has the Buckeyes invading the waters of Tampa Bay — albeit in a different region.
Seed: No. 5
Region: West
City: Tampa
Opponent: No. 12 seed Stephen F. Austin
Next … Jerry Palm of CBS Sports
CBS Sports Bracketology with Jerry Palm
Jerry Palm is in agreement with USA TODAY and Joey brackets. Ohio State is a No. 5 seed in his projections as well. Unlike the other two though, he’s got the Buckeyes in a different location — waaaaay out West.
Seed: No. 5
Region: South
City: Spokane
Opponent: No. 12 seed Yale
Next … Mike DeCourcy of FOX College Hoops
FOX College Hoops Bracketology with Mike DeCourcy
Mike DeCourcy hasn’t updated his projections since the last weekend of games, but there was an update since we last checked in, so we’ll pass that along. He hasn’t moved Ohio State on the seed line or region, and still has the Buckeyes playing Stephen F. Austin in the West.
Seed: No. 5
Region: West
Opponent: No. 12 Stephen F. Austin
So that’s where things stand at the moment. Ohio State seems fairly locked in as a No. 5 at the moment, but a quick exit from the Big Ten Tournament could move the Buckeyes down a seed line. Likewise, a run towards a tournament final win or appearance could be enough to get OSU into a No. 4 seed if things shake out the right way across the rest of the country.
Either way it goes, it’s a fun time of the year to be watching college hoops, and Ohio State is right in the middle of all of the shenanigans.
We’ll check back in on these projections one last time before the official bracket comes out on Sunday. For now, happy conference tournament watching.
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