Ohio State senior forward Jae’Sean Tate (1) blocks a shot in the first half of the game against Penn State on Jan. 25 in the Schottenstein Center. Credit: Jack Westerheide | Photo Editor
Penn State has been the kryptonite for No. 16 Ohio State the entire season. It has accounted for two of the Buckeyes’ three total losses in conference play and is the main reason the Buckeyes did not capture the regular-season Big Ten title.
After the Nittany Lions lost 76-64 to Nebraska on Sunday, they could now be in a position to face Ohio State once again. The Buckeyes are the No. 2 seed in the Big Ten tournament and will face the winner of the No. 7 Penn State and No. 10 Northwestern matchup in the third round of the bracket at 6:30 p.m. Friday in Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Penn State first won 82-79 on a near-half-court, buzzer-beating shot from guard Tony Carr in Columbus on Jan. 25, and then throttled the Buckeyes 79-56 in State College, Pennsylvania, on Feb. 15.
Ohio State faced Northwestern just once this season and survived a late push by the Wildcats to win 71-65 on Jan. 17.
