Advertisement

Ohio State women ranked No. 2 in AP Top 25, highest since January 2023

After extending its winning streak to 11 with two road victories this week, and with an upset for the former second-place Iowa Hawkeyes playing in its favor, Ohio State is officially ranked No. 2 in The Associated Press women's basketball poll, behind undefeated South Carolina (23-0).

The Buckeyes (21-3) moved up from No. 5 last week. They were ranked as low as No. 20 earlier this season, following their third loss to Michigan on Dec. 30, but since then, Ohio State has gone undefeated in the 2024 calendar year, picking up victories over two Big Ten opponents who were in the top-10, Iowa and Indiana.

Forward Cotie McMahon (32) and the Ohio State Buckeyes have won 11 straight games and will host Nebraska on Wednesday.
Forward Cotie McMahon (32) and the Ohio State Buckeyes have won 11 straight games and will host Nebraska on Wednesday.

Ohio State now sits atop of the Big Ten and can control its own destiny.

If the Buckeyes win four of their final five regular-season games, they will, at minimum, become co-conference champions with Iowa (22-3). In this final stretch, OSU is scheduled to face Michigan once again and then will close out the season at Carver-Hawkeye Arena against the Hawkeyes.

Wednesday, the Buckeyes host Nebraska, which just happens to be the opponent that upended Iowa last week, 82-79. The Huskers held Hawkeyes' star guard Caitlin Clark scoreless in the fourth quarter.

This is the Buckeyes' highest ranking since January 2023, when they reached the No. 2 spot after starting the season 19-0 before dropping three games in a row.

Here is the AP Poll's top 5:

  1. South Carolina (23-0)

  2. Ohio State (21-3)

  3. Stanford (22-3)

  4. Iowa (22-3)

  5. Texas (22-3)

bmackay@dispatch.com

@brimackay15

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State women ranked No. 2 in AP Top 25