After finishing the season losing four of its last five, Ohio State’s seed projection is beginning to drop according to a number of publications.
ESPN’s Joe Lunardi is the most optimistic of the bunch, having the Buckeyes slotted in as a No. 7 seed in the East (Philadelphia) Region. This would have Ohio State matching up with No. 10 Miami, with the winner set to take on either No. 2 Auburn or No. 15 St. Peter’s. Baylor is the No. 1 seed in that region, with Gonzaga, Arizona and Kansas as the other ones.
CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm and USA Today’s Shelby Mast and Scott Gleeson, meanwhile, have Ohio State down to a No. 8 seed in their brackets.
Palm has Ohio State taking on No. 9 North Carolina in the Midwest (Chicago) Region, with the winner set for a date with No. 1 Baylor or No. 16 Jacksonville State. He has the same one seeds with the exception of Kentucky, who he has slotted in for Kansas.
USA Today’s bracket has the Buckeyes in the East (Philadelphia) Region, taking on No. 9 Seton Hall. The winner will play No. 1 Kentucky or the 16 seed to make it out of the First Four, either Alcorn State or Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Arizona, Baylor, Gonzaga make up their one seeds.
While experts don’t agree on the seeding, they generally agree on which Big Ten teams are in. Lunardi and USA Today both have nine conference teams set to participate, including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Purdue, Rutgers and Wisconsin. Palm, meanwhile, has Michigan and Rutgers as two of his first four out.
Ohio State was as high as a six seed just weeks ago, but now will enter the tournament as a middle seed against a similar opponent, with either the No. 1 or 2 seed in their region waiting if they pull off a win.
Regardless, the Buckeyes will find out their fate on Selection Sunday, beginning on CBS at 6 p.m. The First Four games will take place March 15-16, and first-round games will begin on March 17-18.
