A lot happened in little time for Ohio State and Penn State, giving us an ending of madness fit for March.
March is reserved for the madest month of the college basketball season. It’s where buzzer beaters live and the thrill of the moment thrives. Unexpected things happening in January are less significant, however, what went down on Thursday night in Columbus is about as close as we can get.
Ohio State and Penn State traded baskets in the final seconds of the game, swaying the pendulum twice in the span of under five seconds. First, the Buckeyes were able to take the lead on a long shot three-pointer that should (and would) have been the moment we’re all fawning over.
But Penn State answered with a bank shot prayer as the buzzer sounded, giving the Nittany Lions one of the biggest wins of their season.
There are stunning finishes, and then there’s this game.
Implications come later — the appreciation of the madness this play had is what should be the immediate takeaway. The fact that it involved rivals of the Big Ten makes this an even sweeter win for Penn State and bitters the loss for Ohio State.
https://twitter.com/Zluey_/status/956736130552139776
Call it whatever you will, Penn State played great in the first, and Ohio State had a great comeback. Teams looked even tonight, so I wouldn’t call it a fluke.
— James (@JCTalksHoops) January 26, 2018
As far as what it means, the Buckeyes likely won’t fall out of the Top 25, even though they were middle of the pack entering the night. The Nittany Lions have a signature win to put on their Selection Sunday resume and can build on this if a strong performance in the Big Ten tournament is what ends up happening.
Either way, the catharsis of moments like this is unrivaled, and the underdog using a little madness magic three months ahead of time is the perfect appetizer for March.