Hat trick.

The basketball Buckeyes locked up at least a share of the Big Ten championship tonight with a disturbingly close road win over Northwestern.

The fact that the game was tighter than the proverbial nun's starfish was not really a surprise to anyone who has ever seen Northwestern play or watched their team go on the road in the Big Ten. A win is a win, especially away from home.

If you're keeping track, that's a Big Ten football co-championship, at least a Big Ten men's basketball co-championship (with just a home game against last-place Purdue standing in the way of an outright title) and an outright Big Ten women's basketball championship during this academic year.

No Big Ten school has ever accomplished that.

Making things even sweeter is the fact that OSU has basically spent the last two years pistol-whipping Michigan in every sport of consequence. It's 6-1 this year, and 12-4 over the last two years (2-0 in football, 3-0 in men's basketball, 4-0 in women's basketball, 1-1 in baseball and the only blight, 2-3 in hockey).

2005-2006
Football: 1-0 (Ohio State 25, Michigan 21)
Men's Basketball: 2-0 (Won in Ann Arbor and Columbus)
Hockey: 1-1 (Split in Ann Arbor)
Women's Basketball: 2-0 (Won in Ann Arbor and Columbus)
Baseball: 0-0 (@ Ann Arbor 4/14-4/16)

2004-2005
Football: 1-0 (Ohio State 37, Michigan 21)
Men's Basketball: 1-0 (Won in Columbus)
Hockey: 1-2 (Split in Columbus, lost in CCHA championship)
Women's Basketball: 2-0 (Won in Columbus and Ann Arbor)
Baseball: 1-1 (0-1 in Ann Arbor, 1-0 in Big Ten tournament)