After Ohio State squeezed by Michigan at home Thursday -- the Buckeyes' second tougher-than-it-should-have-been victory in as many games -- a roundtable of ESPN analysts predicted when and where America's No. 1 team will fall.
"The pressure is starting to mount for them," said former Illinois star Stephen Bardo, who did commentary on the game for ESPN. "I think [coach] Thad [Matta] does a great job of trying to keep those guys focused. I think they're starting to understand the significance of being undefeated and being No.1 in the country, and they're getting everyone's best shot."
The Buckeyes (23-0) are the bull's-eyes of the national college basketball scene as they enter Sunday's game against the No. 18 Gophers at Williams Arena. It's their first in a five-game stretch that includes four matchups against ranked teams.
The Gophers hope to end a two-game losing streak by achieving their program's first victory over a top-ranked opponent since a 69-62 victory over Illinois on Jan. 26, 1989.
Matta tries to keep the Buckeyes away from the static. They're not the 1975-76 Indiana Hoosiers, who ran the table, he said. But Ohio State can't escape the comparisons as America's last unbeaten team.
And yes, his team is good, he said, but it's still flawed. Matta said he's not focused on a national title or a perfect season; he just wants his players to improve every game.
"Honestly, you just look at our schedule and it'll ground you in a second," Matta said. "The one thing we've always tried to do is really just take today. Our players are intelligent enough to know the challenges that lie ahead. ... We sort of keep it as simple as we possibly can. And really dial in what we have to do to continue to play better basketball."
Senior Jon Diebler said perfection is not the goal. "We haven't talked about it at all," he said. "That's something we don't talk about in the locker room."