USC women’s basketball is taking care of business in the Big Ten. The Trojans are 7-0 in league play entering a Wednesday night game versus Purdue. As long as they keep winning, they will win the league. We know, however, that college basketball teams generally don’t go undefeated in a full conference season. They are more likely than not to lose at least once if not twice. Therefore, this Thursday’s game between the Maryland Terrapins and Ohio State Buckeyes is an event the Trojans and their fans will be watching.

USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb and her staff will watch this game because the Trojans play Ohio State in a few weeks, and because USC has a good chance of playing either the Buckeyes or the Terrapins at the Big Ten Tournament in March. USC fans will watch this game because the Big Ten women’s basketball championship race will give us a fresh talking point and an important shift in the standings.

USC and UCLA are unbeaten in Big Ten play, with Maryland and Ohio State one game behind at 6-1. One of Maryland or Ohio State will fall two games behind the Trojans and Bruins on Thursday.

If Maryland beats Ohio State, USC’s win over Maryland a few weeks ago would look even more impressive. Maryland would then go into a Sunday game (January 26) versus UCLA with momentum. The Terps could tie the Bruins for second place in the Big Ten standings if they can beat OSU and UCLA back to back.

If Ohio State beats Maryland, the Terps would then need to beat UCLA to avoid losing back-to-back games. If Maryland does lose to both OSU and UCLA, the Terrapins would have three Big Ten losses and would basically be done in the Big Ten title race.

Either way, the Big Ten women’s basketball standings are going to change. Which outcome in the Maryland-Ohio State game is better for USC? There are arguments to make on both sides. Our view: It’s better for that Maryland road win to look good on a team sheet, so we think it’s better that Maryland wins in Columbus.

Even if Ohio State wins, however, we know that the Big Ten standings will change, and USC is going to gain on the competition to some extent.