Ohio State gets another opportunity to secure its first Quad 1 victory of the season on Sunday, as the Buckeyes travel to face Michigan State at 1 p.m. ET on CBS. Entering the day, the Buckeyes are among the “Last Four In” the projected tournament, according to the CBS Sports Bracketology model.
Slaying the Spartans would do wonders for Ohio State’s hopes of reaching the Big Dance for the first time since 2022. It would also be good for the Big Ten’s hopes of earning the most bids to this year’s tournament. While UCLA earned a big-time bubble victory over Illinois on Saturday and is now a No. 10 seed, USC is going the other direction.
Trojans leading scorer Chad Baker-Mazara returned from a three-game absence due to a knee strain on Saturday, but USC suffered a devastating 71-70 home loss to Oregon anyway. The Trojans led by six with 1:10 remaining before a stunning late collapse that could haunt them on Selection Sunday. USC entered the day as a No. 10 seed in CBS Sports Bracketology but is now among the First Four Out after an inexplicable stumble against a Ducks squad that is just 10-17 (3-13 Big Ten).
Indiana has been dropped for the moment to “Next Four Out” status by the CBS Sports Bracketology model due to a striking lack of Quad 1 and 2 victories. At just 4-10 across the top two quadrants, the Hoosiers have fewer victories in the top two quadrants than any team in the top 50 of the NET aside from Miami (Ohio).
Here is the bubble breakdown entering Sunday’s action.
Last Four In
Missouri
Santa Clara
New Mexico
TCU
First Four Out
Cal
VCU
Seton Hall
USC
Next Four Out
Indiana
Virginia Tech
San Diego State
Arizona State
Check out the CBS Sports Bracketology model’s latest bracket at the Bracketology hub
All times below Eastern
Bubble teams in action Sunday
Ohio State
Sunday at No. 15 Michigan State | 1 p.m. (CBS)
Entering the day: Last Four In
Game status: Quad 1
Ohio State is still searching for its first Quad 1 win. The Buckeyes are 0-8 in Q1, 6-1 in Q2 and spotless across Quads 3/4. Their predictive metrics average out around 38th nationally, which is good. The resume is simply in need of a boost. Clearly, slaying Michigan State inside the Breslin Center would be a jolt for their at-large hopes. Even if it doesn’t happen, a forthcoming road game against Iowa and a home game against Purdue are still waiting.
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