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After stunning No. 3 Denver and dominating, despite losing to Air Force, the Ohio State men’s hockey team has risen from the receiving votes category to No. 15 in the USA TODAY/USA Hockey Magazine Poll and No. 19 in the USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll.
The Buckeyes were projected by the Big Ten coaches to finish second in the conference this season and have looked solid so far in trying to demonstrate that respect was well earned. It should be noted that the team they lost to in a sudden death shootout did beat now No. 6 (in the USCHO poll and No. 9 in the USA TODAY poll) Boston College.
OSU will look to rise even higher in the rankings when they play Saturday at unranked Miami University, who has received votes in both polls. The Buckeyes lost both of their early season matchups to the instate rival RedHawks last year and will look to avenge both of those while staying in the polls.
That they played so well this weekend without giant contributions from Nick Schilkey, David Gust or Christian Frey in both games says a lot about the team’s potential and it’s not out of the realm of possibility anymore that they could fulfill their early season buzz and challenge Michigan for second in the Big Ten after all.