Top two match-up will go to OSU

Ryan Day knows a few things about momentum after Ohio State created a wave of it and rode it all the way to the national championship last college football season. No.1 Ohio State (12-0) has won 16 games in a row, a streak that began with a decisive College Football Playoff win over Tennessee last season. "I feel like when you have momentum, you've got to keep it. When you don't, you got to go get it. I feel like we have momentum," Day said earlier this week on a podcast hosted by former NFL players Taylor Lewan and Will Compton, Ohio State will play No. 2 Indiana (12-0) at 8 p.m. Saturday night at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis in the Big Ten championship game. The Hoosiers also have some momentum on their side. They have a 23-2 record in the two seasons Curt Cignetti has been their coach. And this year's record included wins at Oregon, at Iowa and at Penn State – three of the toughest places to play in the Big Ten. Historically, all the momentum in OSU's all-time series against Indiana belongs to the Buckeyes. Ohio State is on a 30-game winning streak against Indiana. The last time it lost to the Hoosiers was in 1988 by a score of 41-7 on a day when running back Anthony Thompson ran for 190 yards and four touchdowns and Ohio State had five turnovers. Indiana had also beaten OSU 31-10 in 1987, which produced this memorable quote from coach Earle Bruce: "I've known about Ohio State football since I was a freshman here. This is the darkest day in Ohio State football since I've been associated with it." Win or lose, both OSU and Indiana will be in the College Football Playoff. But in the earlier mentioned podcast Day said winning the Big Ten championship still matters to him and the Buckeyes players. So, what will Ohio State need to do to win the championship against a team whose overall talent level is probably closer to that of the Buckeyes than any other team they've played so far this season? Here are five things to watch: 1. It starts with OSU's defense, as usual. Indiana is the highest scoring team in college football this year at 44.3 points a game. Ohio State's defense is No. 1 in scoring defense at 7.7 points a game and also is No.1 in pass defense and total defense. Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza's 32 touchdown passes leads college football. IU receivers Elijah Sarrott and Omar Cooper Jr. are the second-best pair of receivers in the Big Ten after Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate. Indiana has two running backs who have run for more than 700 yards and another who has more than 400 yards. 2. Ohio State's offensive line needs to bring the same energy, attitude and skill level that it showed against Michigan to the championship game. Indiana is No. 2, right behind OSU, in scoring defense at 9.9 points a game. There can't be too many possessions without points. And Indiana's pass rushers, who rank second in the Big Ten with 34 sacks, can't be allowed to get to Julian Sayin. 3. If Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate are even healthier than they were against Michigan last week, Ohio State's potential for game-changing explosive plays increases. Especially in a domed stadium. 4. Mendoza threw interceptions in Indiana's three closest games – a 27-24 win at Penn State, a 20-15 win at Iowa and a 30-20 win at Oregon. An interception or two might give OSU the momentum Day talked about. 5. If it's a close game in the final two or three minutes, it could be important not to let Indiana get in position to give kicker Nico Radicic a chance to make a field goal. He's 24 of 25 in his career. The prediction: Ohio State 28-24.