Will the Ohio State Buckeyes Tame the Wolverines at Crisler Center?

As the Ohio State Buckeyes prepare to face off against their long-standing rivals, the Michigan Wolverines, at Crisler Center on January 15th, fans are bracing for what promises to be a clash of titans. The Buckeyes, coming off a mixed bag of performances in their recent games, have shown both resilience and areas needing improvement.

In their last game on January 11th against Wisconsin Badgers at Value City Arena, OSU fell short by 11 points with a final score of 60-71. Despite this loss, there were glimmers of hope; they boasted an impressive block count of seven and managed to keep turnovers relatively low at eight. However, shooting was an area where OSU struggled – particularly from the free-throw line with only 40 percent accuracy.

Earlier on January 7th against Indiana Hoosiers in Bloomington, OSU's defense faltered as they allowed a staggering 71 points. Although they put up a decent fight scoring 65 points themselves – thanks in part to their tenacious blocking leading to ten blocks – it wasn't enough to secure victory.

However, it's not all doom and gloom for OSU fans. On January 4th versus Rutgers Scarlet Knights back home in Columbus, Ohio State showcased their offensive capabilities with an impressive win scoring 76 points while maintaining strong defense that limited Rutgers' three-point success rate to just 25 percent.

The upcoming game against Michigan is crucial for OSU not only because it's a storied rivalry but also because it presents an opportunity for redemption after recent stumbles. The key factors that could tilt the scales in favor of OSU include tightening up defense around the paint where they've been vulnerable and improving free-throw accuracy which has cost them precious points.

Michigan Wolverines will undoubtedly come prepared; hence Ohio State must leverage its strengths such as shot-blocking prowess and capitalize on turnovers which have been relatively well-managed so far. It’s essential that players like E.J Liddell step up once again as he did when he scored those crucial second-chance points during previous games.

With anticipation building among fans who eagerly await this matchup between two fierce competitors within college basketball’s elite ranks - one thing is certain: The Buckeyes need more than just passion if they're going to emerge victorious from Ann Arbor.

The showdown is scheduled for noon local time on January 15th at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor MI. Fans unable or unwilling to brave enemy territory can catch all the action nationally broadcasted on FOX TV network.