Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer, January 21, 2014

If Buckeyes fans aren?t feeling good today, we understand. That?s four losses in a row for Ohio State, which fell at Nebraska last night to a Cornhuskers? squad that was 0-4 in the Big Ten. This is OSU?s longest losing skid since 2007-08.

This was coming for Nebraska, which had come oh-so-close to beating Michigan at home earlier this year. And the Huskers could have won at Purdue, too. No doubt, this is the signature victory of the Tim Miles era.

How did the Buckeyes lose yet again? The Buckeyes shot just 32 percent (8 of 25). And they were outscored 26-6 in the paint and Nebraska got 14 of its 34 points off OSU?s seven turnovers. Meanwhile, Nebraska shot 56 percent (15 of 27). Are the Buckeyes an NCAA team? Look at who they have beaten? The offensive struggles aren?t a huge shock. But the defensive struggles are.

This much is true about the Big Ten this season: There are no easy outs.

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Nik Stauskas? dad says there?s a chance the Michigan sharpshooter could go pro. Yep. Why not? A 6-6 guy who can shoot? The NBA always needs that commodity. I?ll have a Q&A with Stauskas posted soon. Stay tuned.

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For those Michigan fans who think A.D. Dave Brandon runs the football program, he?s here to tell you ?hogwash.?

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So, Ohio State RB Carlos Hyde is going to skip the Senior Bowl. And some feel playing in it would have been a chance for Hyde to ?answer some questions.?

If I?m Hyde, I don?t sweat it. NFL teams have enough film of you to know what you can do. What on god?s green earth does Hyde have to prove in the Senior Bowl? Nothing. Just go the NFL Combine, Carlos. That?s all you need to do. Answer questions there and work out. We all know you can play.

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And the hits just keep on coming for the Vanderbilt 2014 recruiting class, as one by one they continue to dump the Commodores for Penn State.

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Much has been written and said about the remarkable depth of Iowa, which poses myriad issues for its opponents.

To wit, check this out from the Hawkeyes? win over Minnesota on Sunday: Iowa had five players score in double figures, eight grabbed at least three rebounds and nine played at least 10 minutes during Iowa?s 94-73 victory over Minnesota. Impressive, isn?t it? That depth will come in handy when the Hawkeyes take on Michigan on Wednesday night in a big, big, BIG game. And Iowa will do so as the No. 10 team in the nation.

The last time Iowa was in the Top 10? On Jan. 1, 2002, when it was No. 9.

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Michigan State big man Adreian Payne is ?doubtful? for the No. 3 Spartans tilt with Indiana tonight. No biggie. MSU won?t need him to beat this listless Hoosiers team, which is the biggest disappointment in the Big Ten.

It will be the fourth game in a row Payne will have missed with a foot injury. My guess: Payne will play when Michigan comes to East Lansing on Saturday. Speaking of the Hoosiers: It?s stunning how poorly Indiana shoots. The Hoosiers seem to be a bunch of athletes. Can they play basketball?

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Check out this video of Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan giving a lesson to his players on how to get over losses.

Unfortunately for Ryan, he?s had to do this more than he might have expected lately.

TWEETS THAT MATTER

My take: It was worth it.

My take: Yes, Penn State has had some close calls.

https://twitter.com/audsnyder4/status/425393680980406272

My take: It?s that magnetic personality of James Franklin. I never thought flipping Vandy commits would make Penn State fans so happy. Funny, huh?

My take: Jim O?Brien! I had forgotten about him! But remember: OSU soon was in the Final Four after that.

My take: He tweeted it. I didn?t.

My take: Another reason why we love Tim Miles.

My take: (Crickets)

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About Tom Dienhart BTN.com senior writer Tom Dienhart is a veteran sports journalist who covers Big Ten football and men's basketball for BTN.com and BTN TV. Find him on Twitter and Facebook, read all of his work at btn.com/tomdienhart, and subscribe to his posts via RSS. Also, send questions to his weekly mailbag using the form below and read all of his previous answers in his reader mailbag section.

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