Ohio State Travels to Penn State With NCAA Tournament Hopes on the Line

Ohio State travels to Penn State for its final road game of the regular season as the Buckeyes continue their push toward the NCAA Tournament.

Mar 1, 2026; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes guard Bruce Thornton (2) controls the ball as Purdue Boilermakers guard Gicarri Harris (24) defends during the second half at Value City Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

Ohio State is fresh off a ranked win over Purdue as it heads to its final road game of the regular season against Penn State. With just two regular season games remaining, every result now carries major implications for Ohio State’s postseason outlook. H

ere’s everything you need to know ahead of the matchup.

Their previous meeting

The Buckeyes defeated the Nittany Lions at the end of January, 84–78. They built an 18-point lead at halftime before Penn State fought back and cut the lead to one point in the second half.

Ohio State had a shortened rotation with Christoph Tilly and Gabe Cupps both out with injuries in that game. Taison Chatman and Ivan Njegovan—who started for Tilly—both stepped up with significant scoring contributions.

John Mobley Jr. led the offense and finished with 25 points, shooting 5-of-11 from three. Mobley is currently shooting 41.1% from beyond the arc, the highest three-point percentage in the Big Ten.

In that matchup, it was a slower offensive game for Bruce Thornton, who finished with his season-low nine points.

Milestones ahead for Thornton

Thornton—who is averaging 20 points per game—is 30 points away from becoming Ohio State’s all-time leading scorer.

He also needs 13 more rebounds to become the second Big Ten player in history to record 2,000 points, 500 assists and 500 rebounds.

As a four-year captain with the Buckeyes, Thornton has never made the NCAA Tournament. Winning these final two games of the season is crucial for Ohio State to have a chance at March Madness.

How Ohio State can get into the NCAA tournament

After upsetting Purdue, the Buckeyes are inside the top 40 of ESPN’s predictive metrics, but a loss to Penn State—who has the worst record in the Big Ten at 3–15—could quickly erase that progress.

It’s also imperative that the Buckeyes win their final regular season game against Indiana, who is also sitting on the bubble of making the tournament.

What’s needed to secure a win

Despite a challenging season, the Nittany Lions enter the matchup after an impressive one-possession win over Iowa—who Ohio State lost to last week, 74–57.

But with a healthy starting lineup again, the Buckeyes should be in good shape to handle Penn State if they replicate the balanced scoring and rebounding effort that helped them defeat Purdue.

Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Bryce Jordan Center. Tune in on Peacock.