Ohio State’s coaches and player leadership have been clear: they want to be in Indianapolis and they want to win a Big Ten title. After four straight years of watching someone else hoist the trophy, this group treats the conference championship like unfinished business. Ryan Day isn’t wired to treat this as anything but a major goal, and the team’s veterans have echoed that.

But if you take the emotion out and look at the game through a Realpolitik lens, it’s a weird spot. Ohio State is already locked into the playoff, likely with a first round bye win or lose, and if we're being honest, the national championship is the ultimate prize. The team isn't 100% healthy and there’s real injury risk in playing another top-five heavyweight in early December.

That said, it’s also an outstanding test: a collision with the No. 2 team in the country that can sharpen everything before the playoff begins.

So does this team have more to gain, or more to lose by playing in this game?