COLUMBUS, Ohio — Thad Matta got the bad news at his news conference was winding down, that Ohio State wasn’t getting the help it needed and likely wouldn’t have a bye in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament. “I didn’t know those guys were playing right now,” Matta said. “I live in a bubble. I really do.” That wasn’t just Matta trying to be cute with the question. He really didn’t know who was playing and what that meant for Ohio State’s conference tournament schedule. What he heard wasn’t even bad news. So the Buckeyes get an extra game in the Big Ten Tournament against a team they’ll likely beat and have an additional win in the record for the NCAA Tournament committee to ponder. That’s not the issue right now. Nothing is more important than No. 23 Ohio State’s regular season finale against No. 6 Wisconsin. Because Ohio State has spent the entire Big Ten season enjoying highs and lows, but there is still one remaining question: How good is Ohio State, really? Ohio State head coach Thad Matta has seen his Buckeyes win their last three games. Beating Wisconsin on Sunday, however, will be an entirely new battle. Doug McSchooler, AP There were the ups, the perfect example being Ohio State’s blowout of Maryland, now the No. 10 team in the country, on the road on Jan. …
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