In a season that had a lot of twists and turns, the Buckeyes are back in a familiar place: Indianapolis. 

For the fourth-straight season, No. 4 Ohio State (5-0) is looking to bring the Big Ten title back to Columbus. Standing in the way of Ohio State’s 39th Big Ten title is an unexpected challenger — the No. 14 Northwestern Wildcats (6-1).

“Northwestern is a very, very good team. [Pat Fitzgerald] has done a great job with his team this season, he’s done a great job in a tough spot getting his team playing well,” Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said Sunday. 

In the 2018, the Buckeyes and Wildcats met in the Big Ten Championship. Then-No. 6 Ohio State defeated then-No. 22 Northwestern 45-24. 

Then-redshirt sophomore Dwayne Haskins used the air to the tune of 499 passing yards and five touchdowns to pick apart the Wildcats. 

Forced to deploy an inexperienced secondary two years ago, Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald said a more experienced group will face the challenge of another potent Ohio State passing attack. 

“There’s nothing more valuable than experience,” Fitzgerald said Sunday. “I think that group has been really consistent all year long and now we’re going to face our stiffest challenge. We thought we were going to face a huge challenge when we played Purdue and that is nothing compared to the challenge this Saturday.” 

The Buckeyes enter the game averaging more than 281 yards through the air, while the Wildcat defense is only surrendering 192 passing yards per game. 

The Wildcats employ a familiar face at the quarterback position with former Indiana and graduate quarterback Peyton Ramsey serving as the signal caller. 

In seven games this season, Ramsey has amassed 1,218 yards with nine touchdowns and six interceptions. 

Although Ramsey’s statistics don’t jump off the page, Day said the Cincinnati native makes his impact felt in other ways. 

“I think he’s a winner,” Day said. “You see him make big passes when he needs to and take chances. I mean, he’s a coach’s son, who’s a winner, and he understands how to win and he knows how to lead men.” 

For the Buckeyes, Saturday’s contest is another opportunity to prove themselves to the College Football Playoff committee. Ohio State has remained at No. 4 since the first rankings were released Nov. 24. 

Since those rankings came out, the Buckeyes have played in just one game — leading many to question the validity of Ohio State’s ranking. 

Despite the playoff hanging over Ohio State’s head, Day said that the team’s focus is on securing the Big Ten title above all else. 

“All our focus is going towards playing in this game,” Day said. “If we play well, we move on and we know that in our hearts and that’s just what matters.” 

Despite a spotless record, Ohio State’s spot in the Big Ten Championship was not guaranteed until Dec. 9 when the conference waived the six-game minimum required to play for the title. 

With outside noise questioning the legitimacy of Ohio State’s place in Indianapolis, graduate linebacker Baron Browning said the game is of the utmost importance. 

“I feel like every Saturday in the Big Ten you’ve got to prove yourself, because any given Saturday anything can happen in this conference,” Browning said Tuesday “Each Saturday we go out there and take it one game at a time, and I feel like there’s definitely a lot at stake this Saturday, so we’re just trying to go out there and get the dub and chase our fourth Big Ten title.”

The game will kick at noon Saturday. The final College Football Playoff rankings will be unveiled Sunday at noon.