Schedule outlook
Ohio State basketball enters the 2021-22 season with a favorable non-conference schedule. They’ll have three home games, including their first game of the Fort Myers Tip-Off against Bowling Green (Nov. 15).
Akron (Nov. 9) and Niagara (Nov. 12) will make visits to Value City Arena before the Buckeyes make their road debut against the Xavier Musketeers (Nov. 18) in the Gavitt Games. Following that, they’ll conclude their Fort Myers Tip-Off trip with games against Seton Hall (Nov. 22) and Florida/California on Nov. 24 depending on results.
The Buckeyes return home with a big meeting against the Duke Blue Devils (Nov. 30) in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Through their first seven games, they’ll face four potential NCAA Tournament teams that should test their resolve as a unit.
After that, things get interesting in December with a road game against the Penn State Nittany Lions (Dec. 5), a non-conference game against Towson (Dec. 8) at home then another game of Big Ten basketball at home against Wisconsin on the 11th.
They’ll have a date with the Kentucky Wildcats on Dec. 18 in the CBS Sports Classic in Las Vegas before ending their non-conference slate against UT-Martin (Dec. 21) and New Orleans (Dec. 28) at home.
Ohio State basketball starts up the rest of the Big Ten schedule with road games against Nebraska (Jan. 2) and Indiana (Jan. 6) then returns home on Jan. 9 against Northwestern.
After that, they’ll face Wisconsin (Jan. 13) again, this time on the road then host Penn State (Jan. 16) and Nebraska (Jan. 22) before going back on the road to face Minnesota (Jan. 27) and Purdue (Jan. 30) to close out the month of January.
They’ll open February with Iowa on the 3rd then Maryland on the 6th at home before hitting the road to face Rutgers on the 9th and Michigan on the 12th. It will be an interesting start to February for Ohio State basketball, to say the least.
They’ll return home against Minnesota on the 15th and Indiana on the 18th before two more road games against Illinois (Feb. 24) in their lone meeting of the year and Maryland (Feb. 27.).
Things won’t be easy in the final two games of the regular season, though they’re at home, against Michigan State (March 3) in their lone matchup of the season and Michigan (March 6).
Ohio State basketball has a good blend of “easy win” games and potential Quad I and II building games, should they win them all on the non-conference slate before conference action heats up in January. They should be fun to watch in another talent-laden Big Ten basketball landscape.