Column: What to watch at Ohio State in February

Feb 8, 2023 - 5:01 PM

Ohio State v Maryland" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-MwkFIX1cqpQs06GGPSCuaT5dhM=/0x0:3600x2025/1920x1080/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71953789/1395920556.0.jpg" />

Somehow January flew by and we find ourselves in February 2023. College football has long been over. Despite a hot start from Ohio State women’s hoops, the Buckeyes find themselves losers of four of their last five. And men’s basketball has only won two games this calendar year as they could be skidding out of the NCAA Tournament field.

Fortunately, if you’re just looking for Ws from Ohio State programs, you’ve got plenty of options.

Men’s lacrosse

After opening their season and breaking in their new stadium with a 15-7 win over Air Force, Ohio State men’s lacrosse faces off this weekend against Cleveland State. Jack Myers had four goals and five assists against the Falcons, which earned him Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors. Drew Blanchard took home conference Specialist of the Week recognition, having won 22-of-26 faceoffs.

The Buckeyes are ranked 14th in the NCAA and have high hopes for a deep NCAA Tournament run this season, especially as all eyes are on them in their new digs. You can check them out Saturday at Ohio State Lacrosse Stadium.

Women’s ice hockey

The Buckeyes have put together an impressive run this season as they look to defend their national title. No. 1 Ohio State is sitting at 25-3-2 on the season, most recently splitting a series with No. 3 Minnesota in Minneapolis. Jennifer Gardiner is leading the Buckeyes on the year with 42 points on 16 goals and 26 assists, while Madison Bizal is anchoring Ohio State on defense.

Next up, Ohio State returns home for a two-game series against St. Thomas Friday (you can watch them at OSU Ice Rink Friday and Saturday!). Then the Buckeyes have their last regular-season series against Wisconsin in Madison before the WCHA Tournament, where they’re poised for another deep postseason run.

Wrestling

The Big Ten is the national center of collegiate wrestling. The conference boasts three of the top-four teams in the NCAA (No. 1 Penn State, No. 2 Iowa and No. 4 Ohio State). Ohio State is sitting at 11-1 on the season, their only loss coming in a duel against Penn State. The Buckeyes have their last head-to-head matchup of the season Friday against No. 10 Nebraska at the Covelli Center. The Big Ten Tournament starts March 4 with the NCAA Championships kicking off March 16.

Tennis

Ohio State is firing on all cylinders on the tennis court, as both the men’s and women’s programs get into the meat of their spring seasons. The men’s team is ranked No. 2 in Division I and is undefeated (9-0) on the year. They’ll have a test this week when they face No. 9 Wake Forest on the road Thursday, but the squad is coming off a 4-0 victory over sixth-ranked Texas Sunday. Robert Cash and James Trotter are both undefeated in singles play this year and, along with their partners, have held their own in doubles as well.

The No. 11-ranked women’s tennis team is also surging. The squad is 5-0 on the season, having just come off a win over No. 5 Georgia. This weekend brings the ITA Indoor National Team Championship in Seattle. The Buckeyes enter the 16-team tournament as the No. 6 seed, facing Auburn in the first round. Ohio State has three players (Kolie Allen, Shelly Bereznyak and Irina Cantos Siemens) who are undefeated in dual matches on the season.

Swimming and Diving

Ohio State hosts their Winter Invitational this weekend. Both the men’s and women’s teams rose to No. 5 in the rankings this week ahead of their tournament, the last event before the Big Ten Championships in Ann Arbor.