By: George Ahearn

Tuesday college basketball – infamously donned “Super Tuesday” – brings joy to the middle of the week blues with a weekly-occurring deep slate of college basketball games. The satisfaction of flipping between games across varying ESPN channels from 7:00 to 11:00 brings limitless entertainment on a typically ordinary Tuesday. Whether it’s the allure of Super Tuesday, or simply just the nature of college basketball, these games consistently produce the most chaotic, edge-of-your seat contests the week has to offer.

To prepare yourself for the chaos that will inevitably ensue later tonight, I will preview these games and which ones to keep on your radar, allowing viewers to hone in on the games that are primed for chaos.

Ohio State at Illinois: 7:00 on ESPN

This game features two of the Big Ten’s premier programs, yet, in a year where the Big Ten is competitive from top-to-bottom, both teams currently find themselves in the bottom-half of conference standings. Although it feels premature, this is when teams across the nation start cranking up
their intensity in preparation for March basketball and begin setting themselves up for a position to play in March Madness.

Currently, bracketology expert Joe Lunardi has the Illini sitting at a seven seed while the Buckeyes are in his “last four byes” column, meaning they are on the edge of being on the “outside looking in.”

Essentially, we have two teams in need of a Big Ten win, and one team in desperate need. The Buckeyes bounced back last game, defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes 93-77 at home – creating some much-desired momentum after dropping the previous 5 games. Chris Holtmann’s Buckeye squad is much better than their record entails, and I believe their newfound momentum coupled with the desperation factor is setting up for a dogfight
tonight in Champaign.

Prediction: Ohio State Win: Ohio State +4

Miami at Florida State: 7:00 on ESPNU

This ACC matchup pins two of the nation’s most underrated coaches against each other. Miami’s Jim Larranaga and FSU’s Leonard Hamilton have both established success at their respective programs, with Hamilton totaling 679 wins to Larranaga’s 1,137 throughout his career.

Miami has had a stellar season, likely building off their Elite 8 run in last year’s NCAA tournament, and they currently sit at no. 20 with a 15-4 record. The opposite has been the case for this year’s Seminoles squad. Florida State finished with a horrific 2-9 out-of-conference record, with their only wins coming against Mercer and SC Upstate (who?).

This is unprecedented inferiority for Florida State, and although it has almost certainly played them out of tournament contention, the Seminoles have continued to bounce back. At the moment, Florida State miraculously owns a positive conference record, sitting at 5-4 – having won their last two on the road at Notre Dame and at Pitt. This newfound tenacity and will-to-win should create an intense matchup.

Miami is led by guard Isaiah Wong, and as a team have displayed the ability to win hard-fought games. Two teams playing hot – led by legendary coaches – should have all the ingredients for a chaotic Super Tuesday contest.

Prediction: Florida State Win, FSU +4

Oklahoma at TCU: 8:00 on ESPN+/B12 Network

The only shame in this matchup is the fact that it isn’t being nationally broadcasted. The Sooners travel to Fort Worth to take on the Horned Frogs, who enter today’s game on the heels of a 83-60 road victory over Kansas. Oklahoma currently sits as Lunardi’s “first team out,” and could drastically improve their tournament status with a road Quad 1 win against no. 11 TCU.

Oklahoma sits at 2-5 in conference play, but, because of the strength of the Big 12, remain in steady tournament position. After losing a heartbreak to Baylor at home, the Sooners now have seen enough to turn their season around. With a road contest at no. 2 Alabama coming on Saturday, Porter Moser’s squad needs to jump on this opportunity to develop some confidence.

TCU has proven themselves to be one of the best teams in the nation and have consistently displayed their tenacity in transition – thriving off of takeaways and using their athleticism in the open-court. If the Sooners can take care of the rock, they have a chance to win this ball game.

Prediction: TCU win, Oklahoma +5.5

UNC at Syracuse: 9:00 on ESPN

A chance to watch these two blue-bloods in the Carrier Dome should be enough to make any fan tune in. The prime jersey matchup these two put on the court, coupled with the lore the Carrier Dome holds, this game is true, must-see television. Syracuse guard Joe Girard III is a flamethrower from behind the arc, and is paired in the backcourt with outstanding freshman
Judah Mintz.

The perimeter play for the ‘Cuse will rival the Tar Heels frontcourt play, anchored by big man Armando Bacot, who just last week passed UNC legend Tyler Hansbrough for the most rebounds in Tarheel history.

Both teams are more than capable of filling up the scoreboard as well, as North Carolina sits atop the ACC in points per game at 79.6 and Syracuse sits at #5 with 75.6 points per game. This game has all the characteristics of a vintage ACC shootout, and the Carrier Dome will be rocking.

Prediction: UNC win, Syracuse +4.5

Kansas State at Iowa State: 9:00 on ESPNU

This game pits the top candidates for National Coach of the Year against each other, as Kansas State’s Jerome Tang and Iowa State’s T.J. Otzelberger both have their squads exceeding expectations. On top of this stellar coaching matchup, both teams are ranked within the top-15 in a conference that has proven to be battle-tested.

Kansas State finds themselves as high as no. 5 in the AP Top 25 following a week in which they knocked off rival and no. 2 ranked Kansas. The Wildcats – led by veterans Markquis Nowell and Keyontae Johnson – have proven to be one of the nation’s top teams. However, with this respect comes hostility.

The crowd in Ames, IA tonight is going to be fired up, as they know they have a chance to catapult themselves into the top spot in the Big 12 with a win. The Cyclones are a balanced team on offense, and what has cultivated their success is their prowess on the defensive end of the floor. They hold the Big 12’s third best defense and will need to rely on it to defeat the Wildcats tonight.

Prediction: Iowa State win, Iowa State -5.5

Settle in college hoops fans, the night is young.