Ohio State gears up for March Madness

The Buckeyes' quest for a national title begins Thursday with a favorable match-up in front of hometown fans.

State of play: OSU (25-5)'s women's team is a No. 2 seed in the March Madness bracket , making it one of the favorites for a deep tournament run.

• The team first takes on No. 15 Maine at noon tomorrow inside Value City Arena. Last-minute tickets are still available .
• ESPN gives the Buckeyes a 98% chance of victory.

Assuming they win, OSU then would host the winner of No. 7 Duke vs. No. 10 Richmond on Sunday.

The big picture: It takes six consecutive wins to earn the national trophy.

• The Buckeyes are said to have around a 29% chance of reaching the Final Four in Cleveland.

Unfortunately, the men's team did not qualify for this year's March Madness tournament.

• Yes, but: It did make the secondary National Invitation Tournament bracket and is still alive after narrowly defeating Cornell on Tuesday.
• They next face Virginia Tech this weekend. Time and date TBD.

What we're watching: If we'll get any last entries to our newsletter bracket challenges for the men's and women's tournaments.

• Submit picks before the tourneys tip off … Sign-up details here .

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