Ohio
Buckeyetology: Ohio State Entrenched on NCAA Tournament Bubble As Season Heats Up
Buckeyetology is back thanks to the recent efforts of the 2024-25 Buckeyes.
Last year I ran this piece for exactly three weeks in January, the first edition on Jan. 9 when Ohio State was projected as a seven seed in the NCAA Tournament and the last on Jan. 25 when the Buckeyes fell outside the Big Dance picture after an all-to-familiar January collapse under Chris Holtmann. More losses followed and despite a late-season surge under then-interim head coach Jake Diebler, the Buckeyes settled for the NIT.
One year since that discontinuation, the series is suddenly worth resurrecting. Thoughts of a first-season tourney bid for the Diebler regime were mere pipe dreams 10 days ago, with the Buckeyes standing at 10-8 and preparing to play No. 11 Purdue on the road.
Then Ohio State went and beat the Boilermakers in Mackey Arena, the first time they had fallen there in nearly 700 days. That momentum carried over to a blowout win over Iowa on Tuesday, the two victories Quad 1 and Quad 2 wins for NCAA Tournament purposes.
Not only is there a chance for Ohio State to bounce back from a 1-4 start to January to close 4-4 at Penn State on Thursday, the Buckeyes are right in the thick of the NCAA Tournament conversation. Their conference standing for the Big Ten Tournament – no longer a guarantee as only 15 of the conference’s 18 teams make it starting this year – has improved in equal measure.
NCAA Tournament Outlook
Projections from a variety of the nation’s best bracketologists have Ohio State among the last four teams in the NCAA Tournament as things stand.
| Overall Record | 12-8 |
| Home | 8-4 |
| Road | 2-3 |
| NET Ranking | 29th |
| Q1 Record | 3-6 |
| Q2 Record | 2-2 |
| Strength of Schedule | 14th |
That’s true for ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, who places the Buckeyes in the first of his last four in slots ahead of Texas, North Carolina and UCF. Bracketmatrix.com has 85 different bracket projections aggregated and Ohio State makes the Big Dance in 71 of them. 59 of those have the Buckeyes as an 11-seed, the last seed line for at-large bids. One of the 14 brackets excluding the Buckeyes is CBS’ Jerry Palm, who has OSU as the first team out of the tourney.
A 12-8 record isn’t great on its surface, but the strength of the Buckeyes’ schedule boosts the value of that mark. Diebler had the fortitude to set up five non-conference matchups with power conference opponents, and though Ohio State went 2-3 against those teams, it picked up valuable Quadrant 1 wins against Texas and then-No. 4 Kentucky on neutral courts.
The depth of the Big Ten is also bolstering the Buckeyes’ schedule strength. Seven other schools in the conference are projected as being in the NCAA Tournament by the bracket matrix. Ohio State gets opportunities at two more Q1 wins in league play this week at Penn State and No. 18 Illinois.
Lastly, the Buckeyes’ NET ranking of 29th is the best among its competitors along the bubble, a reflection of its aforementioned schedule strength and its handful of quality wins. Every single Ohio State loss also falls into either Q1 or Q2, Indiana being the worst loss on its résumé with a NET ranking of 68th.
| RNK | TEAM | B1G RECORD | OVR RECORD |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MICHIGAN STATE | 9-0 | 18-2 |
| 2 | PURDUE | 8-2 | 16-5 |
| 3 | MICHIGAN | 7-2 | 15-5 |
| 4 | WISCONSIN | 6-3 | 15-4 |
| 5 | MARYLAND | 6-4 | 16-5 |
| 5 | UCLA | 6-4 | 15-6 |
| 5 | ILLINOIS | 6-4 | 14-6 |
| 8 | OREGON | 5-4 | 16-4 |
| 9 | INDIANA | 5-5 | 14-7 |
| 10 | USC | 4-5 | 12-8 |
| 10 | OHIO STATE | 4-5 | 12-8 |
| 12 | IOWA | 4-6 | 13-8 |
| 13 | NORTHWESTERN | 3-6 | 12-8 |
| 13 | RUTGERS | 3-6 | 10-10 |
| 15 | PENN STATE | 3-7 | 13-8 |
| 15 | MINNESOTA | 3-7 | 11-10 |
| 17 | NEBRASKA | 2-7 | 12-8 |
| 18 | WASHINGTON | 1-8 | 10-10 |
Big Ten Outlook
With the Big Ten Tournament format shifting to 15 teams this year, the bottom three teams will be excluded in the conference while the top nine schools receive a first-round bye and the top four receive a double-bye to the tourney’s quarterfinals.
The Penn State game not only offers a chance for Ohio State to bring its January record back to .500, it can level out its mark in the Big Ten, too. A victory over the Nittany Lions would bring the Buckeyes back to 5-5 in conference play.
A win at Penn State would put valuable distance between Ohio State and the bottom three spots in the conference, which will be left out of the conference tournament. The Buckeyes’ current 4-5 record in the league has them 1.5 games ahead of that placement, with the Nittany Lions and Minnesota tied at 3-7 for third-to-last. Nebraska (2-7) and Washington (1-8) have worse conference marks.
With a strong close to the year, a first-round bye in the Big Ten Tournament and Ohio State’s first NCAA Tournament bid in three seasons are well within reach.
Ryan Day explained the hiring process that led to former Falcons head coach and NFL assistant Arthur Smith becoming the offensive coordinator of Ohio State football.
Appearing as a guest on “The Jim Rome Show” March 3, Day emphasized the importance of hiring a someone with an extensive body of work to coach the Buckeyes’ offense.
“When Brian [Hartline] moved on to South Florida [we] wanted to go bring in somebody with great experience,” Day said.
Day said the Buckeyes first looked at coaches with collegiate coordinator experience, then the NFL. Smith’s three-year tenure as a head coach in the NFL, along with his extensive time with the Tennessee Titans as an assistant and offensive coordinator, made him stand out as a candidate, Day said.
“…[I] had a chance myself to sit down and talk with him. It was excellent,” Day said. “He’s a great communicator, very intelligent, and really loves the game of college football. When you hear a story about growing up and how much time he spent around college football, you could just see it in his eyes.”
Day added that the new role has been almost “refreshing” to Smith when given the chance to work with college players and young talent.
Smith has spent the majority of his coaching career in the NFL. He served a year as a graduate assistant at North Carolina, his alma mater, and brief stint with Ole Miss as an administrative assistant.
Smith was then hired by his hometown Titans in 2011 and spent the the rest of the decade with them, rising from quality control coach to assistant offensive line coach to tight ends coach. Promoted to offensive coordinator in 2019, he led Mike Vrabel’s Titans to proficient offensive seasons with running back Derrick Henry.
Day said hiring Smith will allow him to take a back seat on the offense.
“It was great to have Matt [Patricia] on defense, and Brian [Hartline] did a great job as well, but I think this year will allow me to even step back even more and try to do as much as I can from the head coaching seat,” Day said.
After Hartline accepted the South Florida head coaching job, Day stepped in to call plays during the Cotton Bowl against Miami. Ohio State lost 24-14.
Smith joins Buckeyes defensive coordinator Matt Patricia as an Ohio State coordinator hire with previous NFL head coaching experience. Smith went 21-30 as the head coach of the Falcons for three years.
Ohio
Woman dies after saving grandchild playing in driveway from out-of-control car, Ohio officials say
A woman in Pickaway County, Ohio, died after moving a child out of the way of an out-of-control car, authorities said.
The Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office said in a post on Facebook that 52-year-old Laura J. Hammond of Mt. Sterling was fatally struck by the vehicle on Feb. 27 on Walnut Creek Pike in Circleville.
The sheriff’s office said officials were called to the area for a report of a crash around 10 a.m. At the scene, investigators learned that the driver of a Nissan Sentra was headed southbound on Walnut Creek Pike when they went off the west side of the road. The car then careened through two yards before hitting a Chevrolet Equinox parked in the driveway of a home, officials said.
The Nissan, at the same time that it smashed into the Chevrolet, hit Hammond, pinning her between the two vehicles. Before being hit, the sheriff’s office said Hammond moved a child out of the way, which “more than likely saved his life.” CBS affiliate WBNS reported that the young child Hammond saved was her grandson.
“Laura actually picked up the child and tossed him. At the end of the day, it saved his life,” Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office Capt. John Strawser told the news outlet. “And when Laura tossed him, very unfortunately, she took the brunt of the vehicle.”
Hammond was taken to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The young child was taken to a local hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
The driver of the vehicle was also taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office and the Ohio State Highway Patrol are investigating the crash. The sheriff’s office did not release any additional information about the crash.
First Brands closing corporate office in Cleveland, three other Ohio facilities amid bankruptcy. Its CEO is facing federal fraud charges
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A major auto parts supplier is laying off more than a thousand workers and closing four facilities around Ohio, including its corporate offices in Cleveland.
First Brands, whose founder and former CEO is facing charges in multi-billion dollar fraud scheme, notified the state in late February of its intent to permanently close the facilities by April 30. The layoffs created by these closures are also permanent, according to the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act notices filed with Ohio Job and Family Services.
The company — which supplies Fram oil filters and Anco wiper blades, among others — filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September 2025. In January, First Brands had started winding down some of its operations in North America while seeking a buyer, according to Reuters. However, several potential buyers “have suddenly and unexpectedly withdrawn or narrowed their bids” according to one of the recent WARN notices.
Which facilities are closing? And how many jobs are being lost? Here’s what to know.
First Brands closing four Ohio locations, cutting more than 1,200 jobs
According to WARN notices, First Brands is closing the following facilities:
- Corporate Office, 127 Public Square, Suite 5300, Cleveland. In the first round of layoffs here, 146 workers were cut on Feb. 23, according to a WARN notice sent that date. A second notice dated Feb. 27 for this address advises that the facility will close on April 30, and the remaining 110 workers will be laid off.
- FRAM facility, 851 Jackson St., Greenville. According to a WARN notice sent Feb. 27, this facility will close April 30 and 302 jobs will be lost.
- TMD facility, 1441 N. Maule Road, Tiffin. All 407 employees will be terminated when this facility is permanently closed on April 30, according to a Feb. 27 WARN notice.
- TMD facility, 515 E. Gypsy Lane Road, Bowling Green. First Brands will also close this facility on April 30, laying off 302 workers, according to another Feb. 27 WARN notice.
In total, First Brands is laying off 1,267 workers in these four closures.
Indictment alleges Cleveland auto supplier CEO, VP defrauded lenders. Both plead not guilty
First Brands Group founder and former CEO Patrick James and his brother, Edward, a senior vice president, are accused of defrauding lenders out of billions of dollars before the auto parts supplier fell into bankruptcy according to an indictment made public Jan. 29 in Manhattan federal court.
The nine-count indictment includes charges of running a continuing financial crimes enterprise, bank fraud, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy. Both pleaded not guilty on Feb. 4, Reuters reports. A trial is set in July. Both could face decades in prison if convicted.
Prosecutors said the defendants “perpetrated a series of fraudulent schemes” against First Brands’ lenders and financing partners, Reuters reported, including allegedly inflating invoices, double- and triple-pledging loan collateral, falsifying financial statements and concealing substantial liabilities.
“It is very much Mr. James’ intent to go into court and proclaim his innocence,” said Scott Hartman, a lawyer for Patrick James, according to Reuters.
Patrick James and Edward James are Malaysian-born U.S. citizens.
Seth DuCharme, a lawyer for Edward James, told Reuters that his client is not going to “run off to Southeast Asia where he allegedly has all this money.”
What is First Brands Group? Company filed for bankruptcy in September
First Brands, founded in 2013, was one of the world’s largest suppliers of auto parts such as brakes, filters and lighting systems, according to Reuters. It had $5 billion in sales last year.
Prosecutors say First Brands borrowed billions to finance its growth. Those loans were secured by inventory and physical assets like plants and equipment. Reuters reports that this left First Brands vulnerable to cash flow issues and dependent on its access to the capital from those loans.
The company filed for bankruptcy in September 2025. Patrick James stepped down as CEO that October, according to Crain’s Detroit Business.
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