Eric Boggs
I hope no one has already gotten rid of their Peacock subscription!
Ohio State’s men’s and women’s basketball teams got a clearer picture of their upcoming season on Wednesday when the Big Ten released the full TV schedule for the now 18-member conference. With just under a month until the season tips off, we now know where and when we can catch our Buckeyes in action.
The men’s team will have eight games on flagship channels, including a high-profile season-opener against Texas on TNT. CBS will broadcast five games, featuring marquee matchups against Kentucky, Illinois, Michigan, UCLA, and Indiana. FOX steps in for two big ones against Michigan State and Indiana.
But if you’re hoping to catch all the action, Peacock is a must this year. Five games, including clashes with Pitt, Valparaiso, Wisconsin, Purdue, and Nebraska, will stream on NBC’s service. Additionally, nine games will air on Big Ten Network, six on FS1, and one on B1G+, the Big Ten’s own streaming platform. Still to be determined are the networks for the Holiday Hoopsgiving game against Auburn on Dec. 14 and the road matchup at Texas A&M on Nov. 15.
On the women’s side, it’s a similar story with national exposure for some heavyweight matchups. FOX will broadcast showdowns at USC, against Iowa, and at Maryland, all of which could be pivotal games in the season. FS1 will feature the Buckeyes’ clash with Stanford on Dec. 20, while Big Ten Network will cover four more games. Peacock takes another four, and 13 games will stream on B1G+. The Buckeyes’ Daytona Beach Classic appearances will be available via BallerTV, though the broadcast details for road games at Belmont and Ohio in November are still up in the air.
As we inch closer to the 2024-25 season, the excitement around Ohio State basketball is palpable, especially with Jake Diebler officially taking over as head coach. After getting a glimpse of his leadership during his stint as interim head coach last year, we’ve had time to see what Diebler’s Buckeyes might look like this season.
CBS Sports insider Jon Rothstein recently visited Columbus to watch the Buckeyes practice, and he made a compelling comparison—this Ohio State squad could mirror last season’s Alabama team. Yes, that Alabama, known more for football, but last season their basketball team made its first-ever Final Four appearance. They did it by playing fast and firing up a barrage of threes, a strategy that gave them the second-best offense in the country, trailing only national champion UConn, and the 14th fastest tempo.
Ohio State, by contrast, was 49th in offensive efficiency and 251st in tempo last season. While we averaged a respectable 75.5 points per game, we shot only 34.5% from three on around 20 attempts per game. But this year, Diebler has recruited the talent to take things up a notch. Transfers and freshmen alike, including the highly-touted Juni Mobley, could help Ohio State adopt this fast-paced, high-scoring style. Rothstein is already high on Mobley’s potential to make an immediate impact as a freshman.
The Diebler era is just getting started, and if he can implement the style that took Alabama to the Final Four, Buckeye fans have every reason to be excited about what’s ahead. With the season starting in just over a month—and the charity exhibition against Cincinnati even sooner—it’s almost time to see this new-look Ohio State team in action.
