Scarlet Sunrise: Buckeyes NCAA Tournament eight seed in latest Joe Lunardi projection

Good morning, Ohio State fans, and welcome to the Scarlet Sunrise. Football will always be our focus, but every day we’ll cover news, notes and analysis from across Buckeyes sports. Join us each morning to get caught up on everything you missed in the world of Buckeyes football, recruiting, basketball and more in Scarlet Sunrise.

Buckeyes NCAA Tournament eight seed in latest Joe Lunardi projection

Ohio State is slipping in the win/loss column, the Big Ten standings, the advanced metrics and now ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi’s NCAA Tournament projections. The Buckeyes, who have lost three straight league contests — the most recent of which came against Big Ten bottom dweller Minnesota — are now listed by Lunardi as an eight seed in the Midwest Region.

That’s two seeds lower than Lunardi had them in his previous projection. Now, they’re projected to end up in a quadrant with top-seeded Kansas. At the moment, Lunardi has Ohio State facing Creighton in the first round of March Madness.

Head coach Chris Holtmann’s team has a lot of work to do before it can think about the NCAA Tournament, however. The Buckeyes’ offense has hit a speed bump after reaching the top of the country in KenPom adjusted efficiency. And their defense, as has often been the case during the Holtmann era, continues to be an issue, particularly in the second half of games.

The Buckeyes have a chance to get back on track Sunday afternoon at Rutgers. The game tips off at 2:15 p.m. and will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network. Ohio State topped the Scarlet Knights in the teams’ first meeting last month with a Tanner Holden buzzer-beating 3-pointer, which the league admitted shouldn’t have counted, after the fact.

NOTEBOOK: Buckeyes lacked energy, discipline in Minnesota defeat

Tim May Podcast: National title recap, early look at next season, how sports betting impacts Ohio

Ohio State football’s offseason is in full gear, and the Tim May Podcast is back to cover it. The 40-year vet Tim May is joined by Bill Bender from The Sporting News to break down the good and the bad from a 2022 Buckeyes season that featured an 11-0 start and a roller coaster final month of the year.

What’s to make of Ohio State’s College Football Playoff performance, and do the Buckeyes have the pieces to make a national title run in 2023? Tim and Bill get into it.

Tim also welcomes in sports gambling writer Lou Monaco to discuss the legalization of sports betting and gambling in Ohio.

It’s a can’t-miss offseason episode of the Tim May Podcast. Check it out here:

Ohio State remains premier wide receiver destination with latest Brian Hartline promotion

Brian Hartline was recognized as On3’s national position coach of the year last month. He first made a name for himself at Ohio State as a wide receiver, then in the NFL as a playmaker and then in Columbus again as a Buckeyes assistant. Hartline established a reputation as the best wide receivers coach in the nation not only because of his recruiting chops, but also because of his player development skills.

Hartline was promoted for the second consecutive offseason this week. Now Ohio State’s offensive coordinator, the 36-year-old will replace Kevin Wilson as the overseer of a Buckeyes unit that ranked second in the FBS in scoring last season.

Plus, he’s still coaching Ohio State’s wide receivers. And Lettermen Row recruiting analyst Matt Parker writes that Hartline’s title bump doesn’t change the fact that the Buckeyes are the premier destination for prospective wideouts — if anything, Hartline’s promotion elevates that status.

Counting down

Buckeyes vs. Indiana: 230 days

Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 314 days

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