Ohio State graduate running back Trey Sermon (8) scores a touchdown during the Ohio State-Northwestern Big Ten championship game on Dec. 19. 2020. Ohio State won 22-10. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Lantern Photo Vault
Beat Michigan.
Win the Big Ten Championship.
Win a national championship.
These are the three goals the Buckeyes lay out every season.
Currently, they’ve accomplished two out of three.
It came as no surprise when Ohio State won the Big Ten Championship in 2019 during Ryan Day’s first season as head coach. It was the program’s third conference title in six years.
The Buckeyes reached the same feat once again in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, but a string of continuous losses to Michigan has prevented them from reaching the championship game ever since.
That all changed on Saturday when Ohio State overcame Michigan 27-9 in Ann Arbor. With the Wolverines out of the way, Day and the Buckeyes are eager to return to Indianapolis on Saturday to play the undefeated Indiana Hoosiers.
“There’s no question it’s been too long since we’ve been to Indy,” Day said on Sunday. “We want to win this thing.”
The return to Lucas Oil Stadium recalls legendary performances by the Buckeyes that carried them to previous Big Ten championship wins and hinted at what was to come in the ensuing College Football Playoffs.
Trey Sermon Versus Northwestern
Trey Sermon transferred to the Buckeyes for the 2020 season after spending most of his career as an Oklahoma Sooner. Throughout most of the season, Sermon rotated in with Master Teague and largely struggled to find a rhythm during their five-game Big Ten schedule.
That year, quarterback Justin Fields had been responsible for most of the Buckeyes’ success, but during the game, the Northwestern defense stymied him. Ohio State called upon its tailback to take on a heavier workload in relief of Fields. And Sermon delivered.
He ran for 331 yards and scored two second-half touchdowns, leading the Buckeyes to a 22-10 win. This performance broke Ohio State’s single-game record, previously held by 1995 Heisman Trophy-winner Eddie George.
Following this game, Sermon carried momentum into the playoffs, where he ran for 193 yards and a touchdown on 31 carries against Clemson in the Sugar Bowl, helping the Buckeyes en route to a national championship appearance.
Cardale Jones Versus Wisconsin
Perhaps the most memorable performance in Ohio State’s history of playing in the Big Ten Championship comes from Cardale Jones. In the 2014 season, the redshirt sophomore had struggled to gain any playing time and even had maturity issues.
After quarterback J.T. Barrett suffered a fractured ankle, Jones was called upon to take over. At the beginning of the game, Fox announcer Gus Johnson exclaimed, “The whole state of Ohio is counting on Cardale Jones.”
To the delight of those counting on Jones, he delivered.
The young quarterback threw for 257 yards and three touchdowns and was named the game’s MVP in his first career start. This was a precursor to Jones’ inspired play in the postseason, leading the Buckeyes to an improbable national championship victory.
Who Will Be Next?
In both of these signature Big Ten Championship performances, one Buckeye unexpectedly helped the Buckeyes win the game and build momentum into the championship.
In a season dominated by their superstars, perhaps the Buckeyes will call upon another unforeseen hero to guide them to a victory in Indianapolis.
Regardless of how it gets done, Ryan Day’s message to the team since the Texas game has been “Just win.”
The season began with the Buckeyes tearing down last year’s national championship memorabilia as a reminder that this current team had not yet won anything.
On Saturday, the 2025 Buckeyes will look to do what even their champion predecessors could not: bring a Big Ten Championship back to Columbus.
