Ohio State at Purdue: Time, TV, Preview, Odds, & More

It is time for the Big Ten season to begin as we finish what has been a very rough 2013 for Purdue sports. At least we can end things on a positive note Tuesday afternoon when No. 3 ranked Ohio State comes to Mackey Arena to open Big Ten play. The Buckeyes historically have been Purdue's toughest Big Ten opponent. After going 21-5 against Purdue since the start of the 1998-99 season they have edged ahead of the Boilers 85-83 in the all-time series. That makes them the only Big Ten team that has a winning record all-time against Purdue (Purdue has never played Maryland and is 3-1 vs. Rutgers).

Ohio State enters tomorrow's game as one of the best defensive teams in the country and as one of only eight teams still without a loss. Purdue enters in search of a signature win, and a victory over the Buckeyes would certainly qualify as each team wants to get a good start in Big Ten play, which will be as brutal as usual.

Purdue cannot afford to have the stagnant stand-around-and-do-nothing offense that has plagued the Boilermakers at times because the Buckeyes are an excellent defensive team. Ohio State is currently fifth nationally on defense, giving up just 55.9 points per game. That covers up an offense that has struggled at times and is just 137^th nationally at 74.8 points per game.

That is not to say this is an awful offensive team. Lenzelle Smith Jr. and LaQuinton Ross have both been around Ohio State for awhile and are productive scorers averaging better than double figures. Shannon Scott, while averaging only 7.6 points per game, is a highlight reel waiting to happen. Amir Williams, a former Purdue target, gives them a solid big man while they have one of the best point guards in the country in Aaron Craft.

We're all familiar with Craft by now. The senior has been a thorn in the side of every Big Ten team much like our own Chris Kramer was for years. Everyone hates him, but would secretly love to have him as a lockdown defender and distributor on their team. He averages 9.5 points, 4.6 assists, and 2.4 steals per game and recently broke Kramer's Big Ten record for steals.

Purdue and Ohio State met just once last season and it was the Deshaun Thomas show. He had 22 points and Craft had 15 in the 74-64 win in Mackey Arena. For the most part Purdue held the other key players in check. Williams, Smith, Scott, and Ross combined for only 16 points, so they will have to pickup much of the scoring that Thomas provided.

Both Ross and Smith are solid three-point shooters, but as a team Ohio State shoots only 35% from long range. They do have a nice inside-out game with Williams shooting 63.6% from the floor as a solid post player. Amedeo Della Valle can also come in off the bench as a three-point specialist.

The battle between Williams and A.J. Hammons will be interesting to watch and will likely go a long way in determining the winner. Hammons needs to be solid defensively along with Jay Simpson against a team that likes to get to the basket. Both need to say out of foul trouble, especially with Travis Carroll slowed a little due to a minor knee injury. We saw what Hammons can do defensively against West Virginia, but it is beyond time for him to assert himself offensively.

Purdue and Ohio State did have a common non-conference opponent. The Buckeyes beat Central Connecticut State 74-56 while Purdue blew them out 109-73. That tells us very little, however. The Buckeyes are simply an excellent team that plays better together even though they lack the start power of past OSU teams. No team has cracked 70 points on them yet, and Purdue won't do so either if the offense goes stagnant as we know it can. the Buckeyes just get after it on the defensive end and play with the kind of intensity that I wish Purdue could return to. If Purdue can match that intensity, it has a chance at an upset. If not, the Buckeyes win easily.

As we know, you have to defend home court in the Big Ten if you want to make the NCAA Tournament. Purdue gets the big three of Michigan State, Wisconsin, and Ohio State at home at least once and probably needs to beat at least one of them for its NCAA profile. We might as well get that win early.