The Big Ten regular season runs through March 8, but it gets late early for bubble teams eyeing a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

Games between bubble teams are particularly crucial, so plenty will be on the line when Southern California (18-6, 7-6 Big Ten) plays Ohio State (15-8, 7-6) on Wednesday in Columbus.

For the Buckeyes, it’s an opportunity to bounce back from a humbling 82-61 loss to No. 2 Michigan on Sunday. It’s no disgrace to lose to the once-beaten Wolverines, who during an eight-game winning streak have seven double-digit wins, but the Buckeyes were outhustled and outmuscled in front of their largest home crowd of the season.

The Buckeyes, who have split their past 10 games, awoke Tuesday morning to being No. 39 in the NET rankings. Considering they were No. 41 on Selection Sunday last year and missed the NCAA Tournament for the third straight March, the pressure could be mounting on the Bucks and second-year coach Jake Diebler.

“This is a team that is resilient. This is a team that has responded all year long and so I have great confidence in what our response will be moving forward,” Diebler said. “(Michigan) was a first where we didn’t handle the in-game adversity as well as we’ve handled it most of the year. That’s on us. We’ll be better at that. We’ll be better next game for that.”

Ohio State veteran Bruce Thornton (team-high 19.2 points per game) led the Buckeyes’ effort against their rivals with 16 points and six rebounds.

Meanwhile, the Trojans (No. 48 in the NET on Tuesday) are on the upswing with three straight wins and have been bolstered by recent additions.

Freshman Alijah Arenas, who missed the first 18 games with a knee injury, scored a game-high 24 points and hit the winning basket with 0.7 seconds left in a 77-75 victory Sunday at Penn State.

The son of former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas debuted on Jan. 21, one month after graduate transfer guard Kam Woods signed with the Trojans and made his first appearance for his sixth school (counting junior college) in six seasons.

Woods had 13 points, nine assists, five rebounds and four steals against Penn State.

“(He) leads our team in steals, and he joined us just a couple of weeks ago,” Trojans coach Eric Musselman said. “We were severely lacking in creating extra possessions through defensive creativity on steals, and Kam Woods has changed our entire season since he came.”

–Field Level Media

The Milwaukee Bucks will be seeking to exact immediate revenge on Wednesday when they face the Magic in Orlando for the second time in three days.

The Magic’s 118-99 victory on Monday was their third straight, while also ending Milwaukee’s own winning streak at three.

Preparation and motivation won’t be issues for the Bucks, as far as coach Doc Rivers is concerned.

“It’s easy — you’re playing the same team,” Rivers said. “I love these in some ways; in some ways I don’t. I do like that the second game is spirited, more competitive. Guys bump into each other during the game, then they see each other in (two) days.”

With one eye on the bench-clearing brawl that marred the Detroit Pistons’ win over the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday, Rivers wanted to see more scrap from his team on the same night.

“I wish we had gotten into a fight (Monday),” he said, partly in jest. “Not literally a fight. I just thought they (Magic) were the more physical team.”

Orlando trampled Milwaukee 67-45 after halftime, including a particularly one-sided 36-20 third quarter.

The Magic ratcheted up their defensive hostility during those 12 minutes, scoring 10 of their points off five Bucks turnovers.

“They were very physical,” said Kevin Porter Jr., who scored 28 points. “We’ve got to match their physicality. First quarter I felt like we were bumping a little bit, but as the game went on, they continued to bump and we kind of let off. It turned into fouls for them.

“The more aggressive team usually gets those calls. We’ve just got to match their physicality next game.”

Porter is promising a tougher, more ready Milwaukee outfit for the return bout, even if the Bucks remain without their marquee superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf).

“We’re going to be way more prepared come Wednesday,” he said. “We don’t want to lose to any team twice, so we need that one Wednesday.”

Orlando coach Jamahl Mosley likes the way his team’s defense is progressing, but stopped short of comparing it to the gold-embossed levels of the NFL’s newly crowned Super Bowl champions.

“It’s getting there,” he said. “It’s definitely getting there. It’s not necessarily the ‘Dark Side’ like the Seattle Seahawks’ defense, but we’re getting there.”

Mosley’s 172nd victory at the helm saw him move into third place for most victories by a coach in Magic history, surpassing Rivers (171).

Mosley trails only Brian Hill (267) and Stan Van Gundy (259).

Anthony Black posted 26 points against Milwaukee, Desmond Bane added 25 and the Wagner brothers — Franz and Moritz — combined for 28 off the bench.

“I feel good — I feel as I should at this point,” said wing Franz Wagner, who paired 14 points with five assists inside 17 minutes in his return from a nine-game absence with a left ankle sprain.

“Still working my way back, and obviously got to find a rhythm out there. But pleased with how I played and hopefully helped with the win.”

Orlando is chasing its third consecutive success against the Bucks, after Milwaukee had taken 19 of the previous 21 encounters.

–Field Level Media

Two-time major champion Justin Thomas announced Tuesday that he has been cleared for “all golf activity” as he progresses in his return from November back surgery.

“After some follow up imaging and meeting with my Dr and team, I’m officially cleared for all golf activity!,” he posted on Instagram. “It feels great to be swinging freely again and getting some reps in on the course. I’m working hard to build up my strength and stamina to get back into golf shape before competing on @pgatour. Can’t wait to get out there with the guys!”

Currently 12th in the Official World Golf Ranking, Thomas did not provide a target for his return to competition, although he said last month that he was eyeing the PGA Tour’s Florida swing. That begins with the Cognizant Classic, which takes place Feb. 26-March 1 about a half hour from Thomas’ home in Jupiter.

From there, the tour moves to the Arnold Palmer Invitational, a signature event in Orlando ahead of the The Players Championship from March 12-15 in Ponte Vedra Beach.

Thomas underwent a microdiscectomy, a procedure intended to alleviate a disc problem that had been causing hip pain.

Thomas, 32, is a 16-time PGA event champion, having won the PGA Championship in 2017 and 2022. He is coming off a strong 2025, capturing the RBC Heritage and finishing in the top 10 on eight occasions.

He reached as high as No. 4 and closed the year ranked fifth, but has slid to 12th with Thomas’ last event a solo 69th at the Procore Championship in September. He was then part of the losing United States Ryder Cup team at Bethpage Black in New York later that month.

–Field Level Media