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Ohio State Basketball: 3 reasons why the Buckeyes can win the Big Ten

By Holden Walter-Warner

NEW ORLEANS, LA - DECEMBER 23: Head coach Chris Holtmann of the Ohio State Buckeyes reacts during the first half of the CBS Sports Classic against the North Carolina Tar Heels at the Smoothie King Center on December 23, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - DECEMBER 23: Head coach Chris Holtmann of the Ohio State Buckeyes reacts during the first half of the CBS Sports Classic against the North Carolina Tar Heels at the Smoothie King Center on December 23, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /
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NEW ORLEANS, LA – DECEMBER 23: Head coach Chris Holtmann of the Ohio State Buckeyes reacts during the first half of the CBS Sports Classic against the North Carolina Tar Heels at the Smoothie King Center on December 23, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA – DECEMBER 23: Head coach Chris Holtmann of the Ohio State Buckeyes reacts during the first half of the CBS Sports Classic against the North Carolina Tar Heels at the Smoothie King Center on December 23, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /

Nobody anticipated the rise of one of college basketball’s most pleasant surprises. Ohio State basketball has had a remarkable season so far.

When longtime Ohio State coach Thad Matta exited the building last year, the decline of the Buckeyes felt inevitable. They were a consistent Big Ten contender when they had the elite talent poised to dominate.

This season, though, the cupboard was bare. Chris Holtmann had his work cut out for him. Then, a funny thing happened. The Buckeyes started to win and couldn’t figure out how to stop, finding victory in all but four games so far this season. In addition, each of those four losses came against power conference schools.

None of them have come in Big Ten play.

With a month of conference play remaining, the question about the Buckeyes is no longer about whether or not they’ll make the postseason. The question is whether or not they can win a Big Ten originally destined for anyone but them.

Ohio State has its work cut out for themselves. Nobody is going to be looking past them anymore and they’re sure to get the rest of their opponents’ best efforts. That didn’t seem to scare them before, though, and it certainly won’t scare them now.

Here are three reasons the Ohio State Buckeyes can win the Big Ten.

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