Ohio State Buckeyes vs Nebraska Cornhuskers Picks and Predictions March 4th 2025

Nebraska, Ohio State Juggling Big Ten Seeding Into Matchup

With only two games remaining in the regular season, Nebraska and Ohio State face must-win situations as they jockey for position in the Big Ten standings ahead of next week’s conference tournament.

Nebraska Fighting to Stay in the Big Ten Tournament Race

The Cornhuskers (17-12, 7-11 Big Ten) have lost three straight and four of their last five, putting them in danger of missing both the NCAA Tournament and the Big Ten Tournament.

Nebraska is currently locked in a four-way tie for 11th place alongside Minnesota, Northwestern, and Rutgers, with Iowa and USC lurking just behind at 6-12.

A recent simulation of 100,000 seeding scenarios showed that Nebraska has a 17 percent chance of missing the Big Ten Tournament entirely—an unthinkable outcome just weeks ago.

“Something’s got to change,” Nebraska guard Brice Williams said. “We have the ability. We have the want. We’ve got to have it more consistently. It’s there, but we have to go out there and take it. Nobody is going to give it to us, especially in this league.”

Williams has been Nebraska’s offensive engine, averaging 19.7 points per game (2nd in the Big Ten). He has scored 20 or more points in eight of his last nine games, but Nebraska’s struggles as a team have overshadowed his stellar play.

Head coach Fred Hoiberg knows what’s at stake.

“Got to throw everything we got at (Ohio State),” Hoiberg said. “We’re running out of chances. We’re running out of bullets.”

Ohio State Gaining Momentum for Postseason Push

While Nebraska is reeling, Ohio State (16-13, 8-10 Big Ten) is trending in the opposite direction. The Buckeyes snapped a three-game losing streak with an 87-82 road win over USC on Saturday, positioning themselves at 10th in the league standings.

Head coach Jake Diebler is counting on home-court advantage to help the Buckeyes avenge their 79-71 loss to Nebraska on Feb. 9.

“We’ve had some great environments in here for some of our home games,” Diebler said Monday. “It’s important. We need another great environment (Tuesday) in a huge game.”

Key Players to Watch

• Ohio State:
  • Bruce Thornton (20.5 PPG in last two games) has been red-hot, recording eight assists and no turnovers during that span.
  • Evan Mahaffey & Micah Parrish will be critical in providing leadership in this high-stakes contest.
• Nebraska:
  • Brice Williams (19.7 PPG, 2nd in Big Ten) remains the go-to scorer for the Huskers.
  • The Cornhuskers’ defense must step up to contain Thornton and Ohio State’s perimeter attack.

What’s at Stake?

• For Nebraska: A win would significantly boost their Big Ten Tournament chances and help keep their slim NCAA Tournament hopes alive.
• For Ohio State: A victory strengthens their Big Ten seeding and helps them build momentum heading into March.

With both teams under pressure and postseason positioning on the line, expect a hard-fought battle as Nebraska and Ohio State fight for survival in the Big Ten standings.