OSU plays waiting game after winning Big Ten
INDIANAPOLIS — Ohio State accomplished the goal the Buckeyes said they wanted most — a Big Ten championship.
Now they must wait to see if that was enough to get into the College Football Playoff.
Ohio State won the Big Ten championship on Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium, holding off undefeated Wisconsin 27-21.
Safety Damon Webb intercepted a fourth-and-20 pass by Alex Hornibrook to seal the win.
With victories by Clemson, Georgia and Oklahoma in their conference championship games, the selection committee’s choice for a fourth team almost certainly will be Alabama (11-1) or Ohio State (11-2).
Regardless of what happens Sunday, the Buckeyes reveled in their 36th Big Ten title and second under Urban Meyer. Probably no one did more than J.T. Barrett, who was injured for Ohio State’s 59-0 rout over Wisconsin in 2014.
Barrett’s status was in question because of the arthroscopic surgery he had on Sunday. But he played the whole way, even if his stats (12 for 26 for 211 yards). He looked tentative as a runner early and threw a pick-six early, but it wasn’t long before he became comfortable running the chain-moving keepers that he’s adept at.
His teammates supplied big plays as the Buckeyes took a 21-7 lead early in the second quarter.
The Buckeyes then became their own worst enemy for much of the rest of the way. Mike Weber fumbled at the Ohio State 11, which resulted in a field goal to make it 21-10. Barrett twice missed open receivers for would-be touchdowns on Ohio State’s final drive of the half, which ended with a blocked Sean Nuernberger field goal.
The teams traded field goals in the third quarter before Wisconsin’s offense finally got its first touchdown. The Badgers got the ball at their 48 on a Barrett interception off the hands of tight end Marcus Baugh. A roughingthe-passer call on Robert Landers erased a potential third-and-13, and the Badgers scored three plays later. A two-point conversion pass made it 24-21 with 12½ minutes left.
Ohio State drove 72 yards in 15 plays before Meyer chose to settle for a field goal on fourth-and-1 from the Wisconsin 3 with 5:20 left.
The Buckeyes forced a punt on the Badgers’ next possession, but couldn’t get a first down of their own when J.K. Dobbins couldn’t catch a low pass by Barrett.
A 54-yard punt by Drue Chrisman gave Wisconsin the ball at its 29 with 2:49 left.
Wisconsin drove to the Ohio State 43 before a holding call pushed the ball back into Badgers territory. The Buckeyes’ defense, which was smothering much of the game, wouldn’t let them get any closer. Three incompletions forced fourth down, and Webb’s interception followed.
Barrett took a knee — how fitting — to run out the clock.
Now comes the waiting. A year ago, the Buckeyes became the first nonconference champion to get a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Now they hope to become the first two-loss team to qualify, something that looked virtually impossible a month ago when they lost 55-24 at Iowa.
In taking the 21-10 halftime lead, the Buckeyes outgained Wisconsin 309-159 in the first 30 minutes, exceeding the average that the nation’s stingiest defense has allowed early in the second quarter.
The Buckeyes used big plays for their scores. After a Denzel Ward interception at the Ohio State 4, Barrett hit an open Terry McLaurin, who caught the ball near midfield and ran in for an 84-yard touchdown.
But on Ohio State’s next possession, which started at its 2, Barrett threw an ill-advised pass that Wisconsin linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel intercepted and returned for a touchdown.
The Buckeyes wasted little time regaining the lead. Barrett threw a wide-receiver screen to Parris Campbell, who got a block from Austin Mack and broke a tackle to go 57 yards for a score.
Ohio State made it 21-7 early in the second quarter when Dobbins’ 77-yard run set up a 1-yard Barrett keeper. Dobbins broke the Buckeyes freshman rushing record on the run and finished with 174 yards on 17 carries.