Will Ohio State Make the NCAA Tournament After Loss to Michigan?

The Ohio State Buckeyes missed out on a chance for an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and are now left waiting to learn their fate.

Ohio State head coach Jake Diebler reacts to a play against Michigan during the first half of Big Ten tournament quarterfinal at United Center in Chicago on Friday, March 13, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Ohio State Buckeyes fell short Friday afternoon in a hard fought game against the No. 3 ranked Michigan Wolverines. Michigan is now off to the Big Ten Tournament semis, while the Buckeyes must go home and await Selection Sunday.

The game was close throughout and the final score of 71-67 was the closest margin of the three meetings between the rivals this season.

WOLVERINES HOLD ON 🐺

No. 3 Michigan dodges a scare from Ohio State to advance to the Big Ten semifinals 🔥 pic.twitter.com/mSU4TDwJQ6

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 13, 2026

Yet a loss is a loss and fans are now wondering one thing: Will the Buckeyes make the NCAA Tournament?

Ohio State appears to be set for a tournament bid

The Buckeyes finished the regular season at 20-11 and picked up a win over Iowa in the Big Ten tournament. As of Friday morning, they are sitting at No. 31 overall in the all-important NET rankings as well.

ESPN's Joe Lunardi has them slotted in as a No. 8 seed, and Friday's close battle against Michigan should not change much in terms of his projection.

The Buckeyes seemed to be at risk of missing the tournament back in February following a loss to Virginia. They were 16-9 and lacked a true signature win. But the final month of the season is what should have them dancing in 2026.

That loss was followed by a blowout victory over No. 24 Wisconsin, and the Buckeyes began March with an 8-point win over No. 8 Purdue. Closing out the regular season with a double-digit win over Indiana got them to 20 wins and Thursday's win over Iowa only bolstered their case.

This team got hot at the right time and a close loss to Michigan on a neutral court should be enough for the selection committee to confirm this team belongs in the tournament. A No. 8 seed seems fair given all the "bubble" teams ranked below the Buckeyes in the NET rankings. That fact should keep them from heading to Dayton for the First Four, where the likes of Miami (OH) and Auburn may be headed following their respective losses this week.

Head coach Jake Diebler was on the hot seat but was able to rally his team to end the season strong. This would mark his first trip to the tournament as head coach of the Buckeyes and should also help him keep his job.

Nothing is certain as of today, but it would be a major shock for the Buckeyes to miss the tournament in 2026.