As Ohio State basketball is predicted to miss the NCAA Tournament for a third consecutive year, we talk about indifference, bias, and harsh realities.

Ohio State basketball’s journey through the 2022-2023 season has been one of frustration, missed opportunities, and a glaring sense of indifference surrounding the program’s outlook. As the season winds down, many are predicting that the Buckeyes will miss the NCAA Tournament for a third consecutive year—a reality that would have once been considered unthinkable for a program of Ohio State’s stature. Yet, here they are, facing a harsh truth: they are, once again, on the outside looking in.

In this era of college basketball, where the NCAA Tournament is considered the pinnacle of success, Ohio State’s absence from the Big Dance for three straight years speaks volumes about the state of the program. What began as a promising era under former head coach Chris Holtmann has now become a series of setbacks and unfulfilled potential. This year, once again, there are questions swirling about the team’s future and whether the program can find its way back to prominence. But beyond the wins and losses, there’s a deeper conversation about indifference, bias, and the harsh realities facing Ohio State basketball.

The Burden of Expectations

Ohio State basketball is a program with a long and storied history. From the days of Jerry Lucas and Jim Jackson to the 2007 Final Four run and the early success under Holtmann, the expectations have always been high. The Buckeyes have the resources, the facilities, and the fan base to compete at a high level in college basketball. Yet, for the past three years, those expectations have not been met.

In 2021, Ohio State finished with an impressive regular season but saw its tournament hopes dashed with a disappointing first-round exit. The next season was even more painful, as the Buckeyes once again failed to secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament. This year, while they have had moments of promise, the same pattern is emerging. They are once again on the outside looking in, with a lackluster resume that fails to impress the Selection Committee.

The burden of expectations weighs heavily on this program, but it has also led to a sense of indifference that has crept into the fanbase. While Ohio State remains a top-tier football program, basketball has become an afterthought. The lack of urgency and investment in the sport is palpable. Fans who once filled Value City Arena with enthusiasm are now showing signs of apathy. Many simply don’t see the point in investing emotionally in a program that can’t seem to find its way to sustained success. The excitement that once surrounded the Buckeyes basketball team has been replaced by frustration, and the fans are tired of the empty promises.

Indifference: A Fanbase That Has Lost Hope

It’s not just the players and coaches who are feeling the effects of this downturn—Ohio State’s fanbase is also grappling with indifference. It’s no secret that basketball in Columbus has often been overshadowed by football. Ohio State’s fanbase has always been more loyal to its football team than its basketball program, but for years, basketball had an aura of relevance. The team’s consistent trips to the NCAA Tournament, its competitive nature in the Big Ten, and its ability to win big games kept fans engaged and excited. The Buckeyes were seen as perennial contenders in college basketball.

However, that excitement has been fading in recent seasons. The energy in the arena feels different now, and even casual fans seem less inclined to pay attention to the team. There’s a palpable sense of resignation when it comes to Ohio State basketball, as if the fans have grown tired of hoping for something better. The program’s inability to capitalize on its resources and recruit consistently at a high level has contributed to this apathy. While the basketball program has had some success under Chris Holtmann, it hasn’t been able to break through and make that jump into the elite tier of college basketball. As a result, the indifference has taken hold. Fans are less likely to pack the arena for a regular-season game when they know the team is unlikely to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.

This indifference is felt most acutely when comparing the football program’s continued dominance. While Ohio State football consistently finds itself in the conversation for playoff contention, the basketball team’s inability to perform on the national stage has led to a widening gap in interest and passion between the two programs. Football’s perennial success has only made the shortcomings of basketball that much more glaring.

Bias: A Frustrating Cycle of Misfortune

In college basketball, the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee is tasked with picking the 68 teams that will participate in the tournament. While the committee has guidelines to follow, the selection process is inherently subjective, and teams with strong histories and national followings—such as Ohio State—are often afforded a more generous evaluation. For Ohio State, however, it has seemed as though bias has worked against them in recent years.

The Big Ten, widely regarded as one of the toughest conferences in the country, has always been a tough battleground for teams like Ohio State. With Michigan, Indiana, Purdue, and others regularly competing for top spots, it’s difficult to distinguish yourself in the crowd. Ohio State, while consistently competitive, has often found itself stuck in the middle of the Big Ten pack. The team has had decent, but not great, seasons, and the committee has often overlooked them when it comes time for selection.

While other programs may have received the benefit of the doubt or been granted a more favorable seeding, Ohio State has repeatedly been left out of the conversation in favor of teams with more dramatic narratives or stronger résumés. This bias can be frustrating for fans, especially when they feel that Ohio State’s program deserves more recognition than it gets. With programs like Purdue and Michigan State regularly making deep runs in the tournament, it’s easy for Ohio State to feel overlooked and underappreciated, despite a strong resume in a challenging conference.

The Buckeyes are often compared to teams like Michigan and Indiana, which seem to get more favorable treatment from the selection committee, even if their seasons have been similar or worse. The historical bias toward other programs has often created a sense of unfairness and frustration for Ohio State basketball fans, particularly those who feel that the Buckeyes have earned a better fate than they’ve received.

Harsh Realities: A Program in Decline?

The harshest reality for Ohio State basketball fans is that the program is at a crossroads. While there are flashes of potential, the Buckeyes have failed to establish a consistent identity. They’ve gone through several seasons with promising recruits and players who have shown moments of brilliance, only to fall short of their lofty goals.

Chris Holtmann, once seen as a bright future for the program, has faced growing criticism over his inability to lead the team back to the NCAA Tournament year after year. Holtmann is a solid coach, but the team has struggled to live up to the hype. With a strong recruiting class that includes top-tier talent, many had expected that Ohio State would be in contention for a deep run in the tournament. Yet, despite the talent on the roster, the team has failed to develop a clear identity. There have been moments of brilliance, but they’ve been too inconsistent to carry over into sustained success.

The harsh reality is that Ohio State basketball is a program that may need to reassess its approach. Whether that involves a change in leadership, a new recruiting strategy, or a fundamental shift in philosophy, something needs to change if the Buckeyes are going to return to national relevance. The program’s recruiting pipeline is still strong, but it’s no longer enough to simply have a good team on paper; Ohio State needs to translate that talent into meaningful postseason success.

The most bitter truth is that Ohio State basketball’s current trajectory is one that could lead to further irrelevance if changes aren’t made. The increasing sense of indifference from fans, coupled with an ongoing struggle to make the NCAA Tournament, could push the program into the same category as other once-proud programs that are now nothing more than shadows of their former selves.

 The Need for a Turning Point

As Ohio State basketball faces its third consecutive year of missing the NCAA Tournament, the program finds itself at a crossroads. Indifference from fans, bias from the selection committee, and the harsh reality of unmet expectations have created a challenging environment for the Buckeyes. But while the situation is dire, it’s not beyond saving. Ohio State has the resources, the talent, and the tradition to turn things around. It will take leadership, a clear vision, and a willingness to embrace change. If the Buckeyes are to regain their place among college basketball’s elite, it must begin with addressing the root causes of their recent struggles—namely the need for consistent performance, both on the court and in recruiting, and an ability to capture the attention and excitement of the fanbase once again. Whether that happens in the immediate future is still unclear, but one thing is certain: the time for change is now.