Ohio State men’s basketball remains No. 16 in the AP Poll

No. 16 Ohio State’s (14-5, 7-3) 82-67 victory over Maryland (11-12, 3-9) Sunday wasn’t their best win of the season, and by all accounts it was a game that everyone expected them to win big. They did that, flipping the turtles on their shells and likely burying Maryland’s NCAA Tournament chances for good. It sets up a big week on the road for Ohio State, where they’ll face Rutgers (13-9, 7-5) and Michigan (11-9, 5-5) in unfriendly environments.

The AP voters didn’t seem to think too much of the Buckeyes’ win this week, leaving them at No. 16 for the third-straight week.

While neither Rutgers or Michigan will be overbearing opponents, playing on the road in the Big Ten is the great equalizer. The Buckeyes will likely be slim favorites — or potentially slim underdogs — in both games this week, and winning both will likely catapult them a few spots in next week’s poll.

The Auburn Tigers held firm at No. 1 this week, followed by Gonzaga, Purdue, Arizona, and Kentucky. The top-ranked Tigers and third-ranked Boilermakers survived upset scares from Georgia and Michigan this week to retain their spots in the top-five.

Four other Big Ten teams were ranked this week. They are: No. 3 Purdue, No. 13 Illinois, No. 14 Wisconsin, and No. 17 Michigan State. Indiana and Iowa also received votes but were left outside the top-25.

No. 16 Ohio State’s next game is Wednesday night at 7:00 at Rutgers. It will be broadcast on BTN.

You can check out the full poll here or below: