Three games stand between Thad Matta, Ohio State and Big Ten conference play. The Buckeyes are 8-2 after outlasting Connecticut on Saturday evening 64-60 to bounce back from a horrible overtime loss at home to Florida Atlantic four days earlier.
Matta's group opens Big Ten conference play on New Year's Day with a trip to Illinois. Games against No. 2 UCLA in the CBS Sports Classic in Las Vegas (Saturday at 3 p.m. ET), Youngstown State on Dec. 20 at 7 p.m. ET and UNC-Asheville in Columbus on Dec. 22 at 9 p.m. are the team's final games on the 2016 calendar.