Big Ten championship game final score predictions

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Our focus remains locke din on Penn State's ongoing coaching search, and we could be about to cross a finsih line on this front any moment now. But the rest of the Big Ten focus this week is rightfully on a truly epic matchup in the Big Ten Championship Game. No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Indiana square off in Indianapolis on Saturdya night in the first "Game of the Century" Big Ten title game between the top-two teams in the nation.

Ohio State and Indiana each arrive in Indy with an unblemished regular-season record, so somebody is guaranteed to be suffering a loss for the first time this season. And both could stand a great chance to go and win a national championship in the College Football Playoff, regardless of how this game plays out.

Here are our final score predictions and other thoughts on this year's Big Ten championship game between Ohio State and Indiana.

Kevin: Ohio State 26, Indiana 24

  • Offensive MVP: Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State wide receiver
  • Defensive MVP: Caleb Downs, Ohio State safety

I want to believe that Indiana can pull this off and go into the College Football Playoff as the No. 1 seed. And at the very least, I think they make a very worthy argument for a No. 2 seed after losing a nail-biter against Ohio State. I think Indiana's Fernando Mendoza will put together some better numbers than Ohio State's Julian Sayin, but the difference in this game will be the top two play-makers, and Ohio State has each of them. Jeremiah Smith will make a couple of big catches in the fourth quarter with a touchdown to either give Ohio State the lead or pad it, and Buckeyes safety Caleb Downs will make the decisive defensive play of the game somewhere in the second half.

I'll be pulling for Indiana, but the reality is both of these teams are heading to the College Football Playoff and should each be getting a first-round bye as a top-four seed. The winner will be the top seed, but whichever teams takes the loss this weekend deserves a top-four seed as well.

Christopher: Ohio State 34, Indiana 21

  • Offensive Player of the Game: Carnell Tate, Ohio State wide receiver
  • Defensive Player of the Game: Kenyatta Jackson, Ohio State defensive end

This is the game that college football fans have been wanting to see all season long. Not just because it's No. 1 vs. No. 2 but because a lot of important questions will get answered. Can anyone beat this juggernaut of an Ohio State team? And how wide is the gap between them and an Indiana squad who are now in unfamiliar territory? After all, Indiana hasn't even won an outright conference title since the 1940s, so this is definitely going to be a litmus test. Unfortunately, as much as I would like to say Indiana has a shot in this game, there is still a clear talent disparity between these two programs.

While Indiana has a squad of great players, some who might play in the NFL, Ohio State has NFL-ready prospects in almost every position group. That will be too much to overcome here. In terms of the Heisman, I honestly believe that Fernando Mendoza will win no matter the result and it will be Carnell Tate who will impress the most on a championship-level stage. Defensively, one of Ohio State's most underrated players will set the tone against Indiana's O-line and generate enough pressure to throw Mendoza off. 

Sam: Ohio State 30, Indiana 27

  • Player of the Game: Caleb Downs, Ohio State safety

This will be a great game and a true measuring stick for these unbeaten squads going into the playoffs. Both of these offenses are fantastic and will make big plays, but I give the edge to Ohio State here because I think their superior pass defense will get a few more stops against Fernando Mendoza and company. I could see safety Caleb Downs making a huge play in the game, like an interception or an important tackle, that will give the Buckeyes the edge and lift them to a conference title.  

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This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Final score predictions for Ohio State vs. Indiana in B1G Championship

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