Voters Move Buckeyes to No. 1 in Both Polls – Ohio State Buckeyes
2/26/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Mike Conley CSTV Package
Feb. 26, 2007
COLUMBUS, Ohio-Voters in the Associated Press men’s college basketball poll picked Ohio State for the No. 1 spot in its weekly poll for the first time since 1962 Monday. Ohio State last played a game as the AP No. 1 team March 24, 1962 in the NCAA title game that year.
Thad Matta, Ohio State head coach, said his 26-3 Buckeyes, the outright Big Ten regular season champions each of the last two seasons, have challenges ahead at Michigan Saturday (4 p.m./CBS) and then at the Big Ten tournament in Chicago March 8-11.
“I am proud of what our players have accomplished thus far,” Matta said. “They have worked extremely hard all season long. Being recognized in this manner at this point in the season is an honor but the team knows rankings only have significance at the end of the year. We have the opportunity to take a major step forward toward reaching our goals this Saturday in Ann Arbor.”
Ohio State is 49-3 all-time when ranked No. 1 in the AP poll after first reaching the top spot before a Dec. 17, 1960 win (93-82) at Wichita State. The Buckeyes lost their last game at No. 1 to No. 2 Cincinnati (72-69), who owns two of the three wins vs. No. 1 Ohio State teams after also defeating the Buckeyes 70-65 in the 1961 NCAA title game (3/24/62). The Bearcats were No. 2 in both wins vs. the No. 1 Buckeyes.
The third loss for Ohio State at No. 1 was dealt by Wisconsin in Madison March 3, 1962. The Badgers were unranked at the time.
Ohio State has been rated No. 1 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches’ poll in three games, all this season, with a 2-1 record in those outings. Overall, Ohio State is 51-4 when playing in games as the No. 1-rated team nationally. With the win Sunday vs. No. 1 (AP) Wisconsin, Ohio State owns an 8-9 record all-time when facing the top-ranked team nationally (AP). The Buckeyes have won six of the last seven and four-consecutive games in Columbus against No. 1-ranked teams in the AP poll.
OSU RECORD WHEN RANKED NO. 1
51-4, .927
| 12/17/60 | W | @Wichita | 93(1)-82(16) |
| 12/19/60 | W | @Loyola (Chi.) | 90(1)-65 |
| 12/22/60 | W | Detroit | 84(1)-73(8) |
| 12/27/60 | W | vs Seton Hall | 97(1)-57 |
| 12/29/60 | W | vs St. John’s | 70(1)-65(7) |
| 12/31/60 | W | vs St. Bona. | 84(1)-82 |
| 1/7/61 | W | Illinois | 91(1)-65 |
| 1/9/61 | W | Evansville | 86(1)-59 |
| 1/14/61 | W | @Northwestern | 79(1)-45 |
| 1/21/61 | W | Minnesota | 75(1)-56 |
| 1/28/61 | W | Purdue | 92(1)-62(10) |
| 1/30/61 | W | @Wisconsin | 100(1)-68 |
| 2/4/61 | W | @Michigan | 80(1)-58 |
| 2/6/61 | W | Indiana | 100(1)-65 |
| 2/11/61 | W | @Michigan State | 83(1)-68 |
| 2/13/61 | W | Northwestern | 89(1)-65 |
| 2/18/61 | W | @Iowa | 62(1)-61(9) |
| 2/20/61 | W | @Indiana | 73(1)-69 |
| 2/25/61 | W | Wisconsin | 97(1)-74 |
| 3/4/61 | W | Michigan State | 91(1)-83 |
| 3/11/61 | W | @Illinois | 95(1)-66 |
| 3/17/61 | W | @Louisville | 56(1)-55 |
| 3/18/61 | W | vs Kentucky | 87(1)-74 |
| 3/24/61 | W | vs St. Joseph’s | 95(1)-69 |
| 3/25/61 | L | vs Cincinnati (ot) | 65(1)-70(2) |
| 12/6/61 | W | @Pittsburgh | 99(1)-79 |
| 12/8/61 | W | Wichita | 85(1)-62 |
| 12/9/61 | W | @Wake Forest | 84(1)-62(3) |
| 12/16/61 | W | Loyola (Chi.) | 92(1)-72 |
| 12/18/61 | W | @St. Louis | 61(1)-48 |
| 12/23/61 | W | Penn State | 92(1)-49 |
| 12/27/61 | W | vs Washington | 59(1)-49 |
| 12/28/61 | W | vs UCLA | 105(1)-84 |
| 12/30/61 | W | !vs S. California | 76(1)-66 |
| 1/6/62 | W | @Northwestern | 85(1)-62 |
| 1/13/62 | W | Michigan | 89(1)-64 |
| 1/20/62 | W | @Minnesota | 90(1)-76 |
| 1/22/62 | W | Purdue | 91(1)-65 |
| 1/29/62 | W | @Purdue | 94(1)-73 |
| 2/3/62 | W | Northwestern | 97(1)-61 |
| 2/5/62 | W | Iowa | 89(1)-63 |
| 2/10/62 | W | Minnesota | 91(1)-66 |
| 2/12/62 | W | @Michigan | 72(1)-57 |
| 2/17/62 | W | @Michigan State | 80(1)-72 |
| 2/24/62 | W | Illinois | 102(1)-79 |
| 2/26/62 | W | @Iowa | 72(1)-62 |
| 3/3/62 | L | @Wisconsin | 67(1)-86 |
| 3/10/62 | W | Indiana | 90(1)-65 |
| 3/16/62 | W | vs W. Kentucky | 93(1)-73 |
| 3/17/62 | W | vs Kentucky | 74(1)-64(3) |
| 3/23/62 | W | vs Wake Forest | 84(1)-68 |
| 3/24/62 | L | vs Cincinnati | 59(1)-71(2) |
(#) indicates AP ranking
No. 1 in ESPN/USA Today Poll
| Date | W/L | Opponent | OSU-OPP |
| 11/29/06 | L | at North Carolina | 89(1)-98(6) |
| 12/2/06 | W | Valparaiso | 78(1)-58 |
| 2/25/07 | W | Wisconsin | 49(1)-48(2) |
| 3/3/07 | at Michigan |
(#) indicates ESPN/USA Today ranking
