No. 3 Buckeyes have something to prove in Big Ten title game

COLUMBUS, OHIO » A group of university administrators on a Zoom call decided Ohio State would play in the Big Ten championship game. Now the No. 3 Buckeyes are eager to show that not only are they the dominant team in the conference, but they also unequivocally deserve a spot in the College Football Playoff.

They do that by winning big Saturday.

Ohio State (5-0, CFP No. 4) can collect a fourth straight conference title by beating No. 15 Northwestern, but they’re also seeking style points — a good thumping of the Wildcats on national TV to firm up their place in the national rankings.

In other words, the Buckeyes are motivated to dominate.

“Oh, we’ve definitely got something to prove,” All-American cornerback Shaun Wade said Tuesday. “Like I’ve been telling a lot of my teammates, we got to blow them out. We have to come to play and show the world what we can do.”

Because of COVID-19 issues, Ohio State was left with just five regular season games, one short of the threshold to play in the championship game set by the conference before the start of the season. Conference administrators last week voted to change the rule so the Buckeyes, who had already clinched the Big Ten East, could compete for the title and be better positioned to play for a national crown.

That came at the expense of Indiana, which at 6-1 had enough games in but had lost to Ohio State 42-35 on Nov. 21. Social media heated up with criticism aimed at the Buckeyes, whose body of work isn’t as comprehensive as other top teams.

Let the people talk, said Ohio State’s Justin Fields, who on Tuesday was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and Quarterback of the Year.

“We’re one of the top four teams in the country for sure, and I think we control our destiny,” Fields said. “If we go out there on Saturday and handle business like we’re supposed to, we should be where we want to be.”

Tight end Jeremy Ruckert acknowledged the Buckeyes need to win and look impressive doing it. “It’s pretty important,” he said. Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald is a believer in the Buckeyes, no matter how many games they played. “If I had a vote,” he said, “I’d vote them No. 2. I think they’re a complete football team, all three phases.”