So Much for That No. 1 Seed, Spartans

When Tom Izzo told CBS he didn't believe his Spartans were worthy of a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, he apparently knew what he was talking about. Though they headed into the game with a realistic shot at a top seed, Michigan State was worked over, especially in the second half, by Ohio State in Indianapolis Saturday.

In fact, the Spartans looked bad enough that their previous hold on a No. 2 seed could now be in danger. They came into the game with a lofty RPI (fourth), but you could easily argue there are eight better teams right now.

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Ohio State, on the other hand, certainly came to play. You have to give the Buckeyes credit, because they controlled nearly every facet of the game. They shot well (53 percent), hit their free throws (23-of-29), and got hot from behind the 3-point arc (9-16). The Buckeyes even came close to matching the Spartans -- the Big Ten's best rebounding team -- on the boards.

Evan Turner, as usual, sparked the Buckeyes with 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists. Jon Diebler, though, was huge for Ohio State, hitting several big threes and finishing with 17 points. He hit five of his 10 three-point attempts.

Kalin Lucas led the Spartans with 17 points, and Korie Lucious almost singlehandedly prevented them from getting blown out with an uncharacteristic flurry of second half offense. He finished with 16 points, after only averaging 2.7 points per game in the regular season.

For Thad Matta's Buckeyes, they cemented their status as a NCAA tournament team. They were probably in anyway, but this absolutely moves them into lock status. Furthermore, they could have moved themselves into position to attain a favorable seed. They have a shot at a seven right now, and winning the championship over either Illinois or Purdue on Sunday could even get them to six. NCAA Tournament seeding aside, Saturday's win over Michigan State was impressive.