Buckeyes & Wolverines gets beat up, but Big Ten holds strong
December 23rd is not a date on the 2006-2007 calendar that Ohio State and Michigan basketball fans want to remember. Both teams came into match-ups with top-ranked opponents with a chance to make a bold statement abut the strength of Big Ten basketball in 2006-2007. And both teams did make statements, just not the right kind of statements. Facing a top-10 ranked opponent for the second time this season, the #3 Buckeyes played the #4 Florida Gators, the defending National Champions. This game marked the first true test for freshman-phenom Greg Oden of the Buckeyes, a player who seemed to be as good as advertised in his first four games. The game was close through much of the first half, but the Gators took a commanding lead by halftime and eventually won by 26 in a 86-60 route. Meanwhile the unranked Michigan Wolverines came into their game with #1 UCLA looking to break the top-25, but like the Buckeyes, fell flat on their faces. UCLA cruised to a 92-55 win in a game that was never even close.
Lucky for the Big Ten Ohio State and Michigan aren’t the only ones representing the conference. #25 Michigan State defeated Wisconsin-Green Bay 76-64, #5 Wisconsin beat up on Pacific 83-47, Iowa crushed Texas Southern 90-63 and Penn State routed Maine 75-42.