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Ohio State drops out of AP Top 25 after UNC loss

IMG_7408by:Andy Backstrom•12/19/22•

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Ohio State let a 14-point lead slip against North Carolina in the CBS Sports Classic, falling to the Tar Heels in overtime. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)

COLUMBUS — Ohio State has dropped out of the AP Top 25. The Buckeyes (7-3, 1-0 Big Ten) are unranked for the first time since the fourth week of November.

Ohio State is eighth in receiving votes (33) behind North Carolina (36), Memphis (59), New Mexico (64), Charleston (68), Xavier (71), West Virginia (74) and Maryland (78).

There are now just four Big Ten teams in the AP Top 25 after both the Buckeyes and Terrapins — previously No. 23 and No. 20, respectively — slid. They are No. 1 Purdue, No. 16 Illinois, No. 17 Wisconsin and No. 18 Indiana.

Purdue is atop the poll for the second week in a row. The Boilermakers scooped up 40 of 60 first-place votes. UConn, now No. 2 — it’s highest ranking since March 2009 — grabbed the other 20. Virginia dropped four places from No. 2 to No. 6 after losing to now-No. 3 Houston.

Ohio State played its first game in nine days over the weekend and, like its Big Ten opener against Rutgers, it came down to the wire. Actually, this time, it came down to overtime.

UNC erased a 14-point, first-half deficit — which was still a 10-point hole with under seven minutes to go in regulation — and forced the extra frame in the CBS Sports Classic, thanks to a buzzer-beating turnaround fadeaway from Northwestern transfer forward Pete Nance.

That was the momentum UNC needed to deliver a final blow. The Tar Heels, who returned much of their national runner-up team from last year and were the AP No. 1 preseason pick, scored the first two baskets in overtime and didn’t look back in what turned out to be a 89-84 win. Ohio State had a chance to tie the game in the waning seconds, however, center Zed Key was called for a travel on the left wing.

That was the Buckeyes’ 16th turnover of the day. UNC scored 27 points off those giveaways, turning press defense into transition offense.

Cutting down on turnovers and coming up with more defensive stops remain the points of emphasis for Ohio State. The Buckeyes resume non-conference, mid-major play Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. against a Maine team that upset Boston College but lost to Brown, Fordham and Marist.

Lettermen Row has the entire Week 7 AP Top 25 Poll (Dec. 19) below:

  1. Purdue
  2. UConn
  3. Houston
  4. Kansas
  5. Arizona
  6. Virginia
  7. Texas
  8. Tennessee
  9. Alabama
  10. Arkansas
  11. Gonzaga
  12. Baylor
  13. UCLA
  14. Duke
  15. Mississippi State
  16. Illinois
  17. Wisconsin
  18. Indiana
  19. Kentucky
  20. TCU
  21. Virginia Tech
  22. Miami
  23. Auburn
  24. Marquette
  25. Arizona State

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