With six days to go until the Big Ten Championship Game, the stakes couldn’t be higher. No.
1 Ohio State and No. 2 Indiana are set to clash in what promises to be a heavyweight showdown in Indianapolis.
And if the Buckeyes' regular season finale was any indication, they’re peaking at just the right time-thanks in no small part to the return of two explosive weapons on the outside.
Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate made their presence felt in Ohio State’s 27-9 win over Michigan, a game that not only capped an undefeated regular season but also served as a statement. Both receivers had been battling injuries, but you wouldn’t have known it by the way they played. They combined for two touchdowns, reasserting themselves as key pieces in the Buckeyes’ offensive arsenal.
After the game, head coach Ryan Day didn’t hold back in praising their grit.
“If you really knew how much work they put in to get on the field and how gutsy they are - I’m sure the fans and everybody would appreciate what they did in going out there and putting it on the line,” Day said.
Smith, in particular, stood out-not just for his performance, but for the fire he brought into the game. This wasn’t just another rivalry matchup for him. Smith has made it clear in the past how much he despises losing to Michigan, and he played like a man determined to back up his words.
“I’m not a sore loser, but I hate losing, and losing to that team up north was pretty crazy,” Smith said earlier this year. “In the end, I think it really helped us play the way we did in the playoffs.
But I didn’t want to go to Ohio State and lose to that team up north. I just hate them.
Just something about them. For the next two years, I promise you, I will not lose to them.
I can’t lose to them in the next two years.”
It’s one thing to talk that talk. It’s another to do what Smith did-come off limited practice reps and still deliver in the biggest game of the season. Day acknowledged as much, noting the maturity and focus Smith showed despite not being at full speed all week.
“For him to play the way he did with really not getting many reps all week is just a tribute to him,” Day said.
Now, with the regular season in the rearview, Ohio State turns its attention to the Big Ten title game. The Buckeyes have been here before.
They know the stakes. And Day made it clear that the mission is far from over.
“Regular season’s over, now it’s time to go ... we’re playing for hardware,” he said Sunday. “That’s the other part about this team that I think is good.
They saw the run that we went on last year. They saw what it takes.”
Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET at Lucas Oil Stadium, where Ohio State and Indiana will meet for the first time since last year’s matchup in Columbus-a game the Buckeyes won. But this is a different stage, and both teams are playing for more than just bragging rights.
This one’s for the crown.