OSU embraces showcase opportunity in opener

There’s more at stake in Monday night’s game against Ohio State than just the chance to open a new era with a win.

When the Buckeyes tip off against No. 19 Texas at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas as part of the 2024 Hall of Fame Seriesthey will officially open the Jake Diebler era with the first game in Ohio State history. They also start the season against a ranked opponent for the third time ever, and they get to do it as one of two big games to mark the start of the season. Of the slate of games that comprise the first day of the 2024-25 men’s college basketball season, only three feature a ranked team playing another at-large opponent.

So on what is usually a soft launch day for the sport, Ohio State has a spotlight opportunity that is not lost on Diebler.

“It’s part of the reason guys come to Ohio State: because of the brand, because of the tradition of this program, because we have the biggest and best fan base in the country, we get asked to be a part of these events” , Diebler said. . “It’s part of the reason they wanted to come, because we’ll be in these big games. To do it on the first day, it’s amazing.”

It has been 36 years since Ohio State last opened the season against a ranked opponent. On November 25, 1988, No. 5 Oklahoma handed the No. 16 Buckeyes a 97-93 defeat in the first round of what was then called the Maui Classic in Lahaina, Hawaii. The only other such game in program history came in 1970, when No. 12 Utah State handed visiting Ohio State a 95-89 defeat on December 1.

The national rankings were not yet known when this game was finalized, and it’s not just the number before Texas’ name that is catching the Buckeyes’ attention. It’s the chance to play against another great opponent on a national stage, the first of four non-conference games scheduled on the road or at neutral sites.

On November 15, Ohio State will play at No. 13 Texas A&M in the third game of the season. The Buckeyes play No. 11 Auburn in Atlanta on Dec. 14 and then face No. 23 Kentucky on Dec. 21 in the CBS Sports Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

“It’s whatever you want,” said fifth-year guard Meechie Johnson Jr. “We’re not dodging smoke.”

It’s a schedule that will test an Ohio State team that received votes but opens the season outside the Associated Press Top 25 poll. Monday’s season opener is the first chance to build an NCAA tournament resume while taking advantage of the national spotlight.

“I’m excited about our program being on such a big stage day of the college basketball season,” Diebler said. “I think that’s a great aspect of this game. Being on this stage, the first day of college basketball, was something that I think our guys are really excited about and that our fans deserve.”

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