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With a shiny new Top 10 ranking, No. 8 Ohio State (22-5, 13-1 Big Ten) looks to hold onto the top spot in the Big Ten when they head to Bryce Jordan Center to take on Penn State (18-9, 8-6 Big Ten).
The game is scheduled to start Thursday night at 8 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on Big Ten Network. If you don’t have cable or can’t get to a TV, you can watch Big Ten Network on your computer, phone or streaming device by signing up for a free trial of one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services:
Hulu With Live TV: In addition to an extensive Netflix-like on-demand streaming library, Hulu now also offers a bundle of live TV channels, including Big Ten Network. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial and you can then watch on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Hulu app.
DirecTV Now: There are four different channel packages, while “Just Right” and above are the ones that include Big Ten Network. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial no matter what package you choose, and then you can watch on your computer via the DirecTV Now website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the DirecTV Now app.
Fubo TV: The “Fubo Premier” channel package includes Big Ten Network. You can sign up for free 7-day trial, and then you can watch on your computer via the FuboTV website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the FuboTV app.
Preview
With a one-game lead over Michigan State and Purdue, the Buckeyes are in control of their own fate inside the Big Ten. But with three road games in the last four, there are certainly plenty of potential road blocks along the way.
One of those comes on Thursday against Penn State, who went into Columbus in January and pulled off a wild 82-79 victory in one of the best games of the season:
While that would seemingly give the Nittany Lions the advantage back at home on Thursday, it’s worth noting they shot a ludicrous 78.6 percent from three in the first meeting and still needed that insane buzzer beater to pull off the victory. It’s hard to imagine Ohio State, which ranks 12th in Ken Pomeroy’s adjusted defensive efficiency, giving up 82 points on 48 field-goal attempts again. Moreover, while in some situations this could be described as a trap game for the Buckeyes with a matchup at rival Michigan looming on the weekend, you can bet they’ll be plenty fired up to avenge their only conference loss of the season.
Of course, for Ohio State, this isn’t just a game that will get them closer to a Big Ten title, but more importantly it’s a chance to continue to improve their seed. The tournament committee provided a preview of its Top 16 on Sunday, and the Buckeyes came in at 14 overall (4 seed). That seems low for the Big Ten leader, but a win here and at Michigan would provide a big boost.