For the third year in a row, Ohio State has sent Michigan packing in the Big Ten tournament. This year, the Buckeyes didn't need to stave off a late rally or rely on a buzzer beat. They flat out pounded Michigan and won 77-55. It was ugly from the very beginning, and Michigan had no answers for the Buckeyes.
Trey Burke picked a bad day to have the worst game of his career. One day after setting a career high against Minnesota, Burke was held to five points. To make matters worse for Burke, who shot 1-for-11 from the field, he turned the ball over a career-high eight times.
In addition to struggling on offense (Michigan shot a dismal 30.1 percent from the field), the Wolverines had no answer on defense for Jared Sullinger and Deshaun Thomas. Sullinger especially dominated the Wolverines by scoring 24 points and having his way in the paint. Thomas added 22 points, and Ohio State got 10 points from William Buford.
Ohio State now advances to the Big Ten tournament championship game for the fourth year in a row. There, the Buckeyes will take on Michigan State for the second time in a week. The Buckeyes stunned Michigan State in East Lansing a week ago to earn a share of the Big Ten title, and now the Spartans have a chance for revenge with the Big Ten tournament title on the line.
As for the Wolverines, they will now wait for Selection Sunday to see where they are headed in the NCAA tournament. A No. 3 seed seems likely, and the Wolverines could very well end up being placed in Columbus for the second and third round, although the ugly loss on Saturday will certainly do them no favors.
For more, check out the 2012 Big Ten tournament bracket and our StoryStream. For more on the Michigan Wolverines, go to Maize n Brew. You can also head over to SB Nation's main NCAA Basketball hub at SBNation.com/NCAA-Basketball.