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No. 1 Wisconsin (26-3) at No. 2 Ohio State (25-3)
The good news for the Buckeyes is they don't have to play Penn State again. After almost losing to the Nittany Lions in Happy Valley two weeks ago, Ohio State trailed at home Wednesday night with eight minutes to play before pulling away for a 68-60 win. Penn State has had success against OSU by slowing the tempo and playing a lot of zone, and I expect the Badgers will apply much the same formula. Then again, Ohio State has improved more than Wisconsin since the Badgers beat the Buckeyes in Madison on Jan. 9. Remember, that was Greg Oden's eighth college game, and he wore a thick wrap on his right hand that day as opposed to the less cumbersome splint he sports now. Still, Ohio State's youth continues to nag at me, and you never know when their shooting hands will go cold. Unlike a lot of teams, Wisconsin has several big bodies it can throw at Oden. In a bona fide tossup, I'll take toughness and experience by a hair.
Wisconsin 74, Ohio State 73
