Bac is results oriented, Ohio State in a 5 game series with Michigan would win 3 games to 1.
I don't see how you are approaching this as if they could have played better and won by 30.....it's ridiculous
I have Mathis driving past Michigan defenders 3 separate times, missing 3 separate layups, but Michigan has played great defense.....RU took a long time putting JY into the game to run and force an isolation/switch, where Dickinson was put on ice skates and Wagner is not good on defense either. Don't be fooled by RU playing 4 on 5 offense with Mulcahy refusing to have any goal of trying to score.
Will Ohio State miss 1 and 1 FTs....if Michigan can't stay in front of Mathis in limited minutes and couldn't stop Young, why is that great defense???...(Hint, it's not)
Michigan has played a very limited schedule missing 3 full weeks and no true contenders in the B1G. If you think they're going 19-1 over 20 B1G games, good luck with that one.
I don't believe Michigan is better than Iowa, Illinois or Ohio State. They all have specific weaknesses that can be exploited and I don't see any of them as a Final 4 lock. There is a drastically different way that a Gonzaga attacks on offense and Baylor plays defense that is miles better than Michigan. Maybe Michigan improves but they have a specific size advantage over Ohio State but I would be shocked if Ohio State struggles to score vs Michigan Sunday.
But, if Michigan is the clear best B1G team and bac believes that RU playing 4 on 5, missing layups, missing FTs and 1 to 10 from 3 before the game was over and it was only a 12 point game, then RU is drastically better than you believe. RU with one more complete/functional offensive and defensive player who can dribble shoot pass and play reasonably good defense, has RU right there.
Right now you have dribble, no shoot, good pass and not good or consistent enough on close outs with Mulcahy
You have dribble, refuse to make pass, shoot and can play good to great defense (but mostly if he's scoring) in Mathis.
Both of those players have the ability or inability to do what Caleb can do. Caleb plays a complete basketball game on both ends and even if he's not making shots, it's not like he's turning down shots or not taking what the defense gives....he plays defense, rebounds and competes with an edge.
You're giving Michigan way too much credit for great defense playing 5 on 4 with Mulcahy not as a threat to score or Mathis with no goal of giving up the ball and he still had 3 layups or shots at the rim and missed all 3. .....but I guess that's great Michigan defense......