Holtmann's consistent January slump is one of the odder trends in all of sports. And given the Buckeyes' last two games, it's happening again. Are you able to post a year-by-year list of Holtmann's January slumps? THX!
I don't have one but I guess I should have included that since it is an issue in discussion in this thread so here goes:
2024:
After a win over Miami, OH on December 6 the Buckeyes were 8-1/1-0 and on the border of being ranked. The only loss was to a pretty good looking aTm team and they had a win over a solid Bama team. I think they made a one-week appearance in the coaches poll. Then they lost to a horrible Penn State team and dropped from any discussion of top-25's. They won their next four but without any impressive wins:
- Close at a neutral site (Atlanta) over UCLA. This sounds impressive because "UCLA" but isn't because UCLA sucks this year.
- Blowout literally doubled up NOLA, this sounds impressive because they won by a LOT but NOLA is awful.
- In OT over WVU at a neutral site (Cleveland) over WVU. This sounds impressive because "WVU" but isn't because WVU sucks this year.
- Close at home over Rutgers.
Then they lost in Bloomington to Indiana and at home to Wisconsin so now they are 12-4/2-3 and have dropped from top-25ish in NET and KenPom with the freefall continuing.
2023:
On January 1 the Buckeyes won in Evanston to improve to 10-3/2-0. The three losses were to a ranked SDSU team at a neutral site, at Dook, and to UNC in OT at a neutral site plus the Buckeyes had a win over a ranked TxTech team so they looked solid. Then they pushed #1 Purdue to the brink in Columbus and honestly had them beat before choking away the win. The loss to Purdue was the first of what would be five in a row and 15 of 16 to drop to 11-17/3-14 in late February.
2022:
In 2022 they saved the slump for the end of the year. They got all the way to 18-7/11-5 then lost four of their last five (including BTT loss) to finish 19-11/12-8.
2021:
In 2021 they saved the slump for late February/Early March. They got all the way to 18-4/12-4 and #4 in the nation which set up a top-4 showdown with the Wolverines in Columbus. Then they lost four straight to fall to 18-8/12-8. To be fair, the losses included #3 M, #4 IL, and #9 IA but all three of those games were at home and they also lost in East Lansing to unranked MSU.
2020:
In 2019/20 they beat #6 Kentucky in Las Vegas to improve to 11-1/1-1 and #2 in the nation. A loss to West Virginia on December 29 was the first of four straight and six out of seven to fall to 12-7/2-6 and completely out of the rankings.
2019:
In 2018/19 they finished December at 12-1/2-0 and #14 nationally. Their home loss to #8 MSU on January 5 was the first of five straight and six out of seven to fall to 13-7/3-6 and completely out of the rankings.
2018:
This was the odd year that PSU was basically kryptonite to tOSU for no apparent reason. The Buckeyes had a fairly pedestrian 9-4 OOC campaign with losses to Gonzaga, Butler, Clemson, and UNC and no notable wins. In the B1G they went 15-1 against teams not named PSU and 0-3 (including BTT) against Penn State. That would be understandable if PSU had been a great team but they were not even a decent team let alone good or great. Prior to winning the NIT, the Nittany Lions went 21-13/9-9. They swept the Buckeyes with wins at home, in Columbus, and in NYC at MSG but other than that they were a pedestrian 8-10 against B1G opponents.
The Buckeyes mauled the eventual B1G Champion Spartans when they played in Columbus but missed out on a B1G Title due to two losses to PSU and one to M.