Big Ten showdowns on the menu

A pair of top-10 Big 10 squads will square off when Indiana plays Ohio State today. It's the marquee matchup in NCAA action and is pivotal for both teams in their division race.

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November 20, 2020 - 3:29 PM

Ohio State Buckeyes defensive end Jonathon Cooper (0) races towards Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Adrian Martinez (2) Oct. 24. Photo by TNS

The Big Ten’s four unbeaten teams square off today in two games that could go a long way toward settling the division races.

No. 9 Indiana faces No. 3 Ohio State in a top-10 matchup featuring the conference’s overwhelming favorite against its best early season story.

The Hoosiers have already snapped a 24-game losing streak against Michigan. They’ll look to break a 25-game skid against the Buckeyes.

Over in the Big Ten West, it’s No. 10 Wisconsin at No. 19 Northwestern in a matchup of the conference’s two best defenses.

The Badgers have only played twice after a COVID-19 outbreak shut them down for two weeks. The Wildcats are looking to go 5-0 in the Big Ten for the first time since 1996.

Several other key conference games highlight this weekend’s schedule.

BEST GAME

No. 14 Oklahoma State at No. 18 Oklahoma

The Bedlam series is historically lopsided with the Sooners leading 81-18-7, and not much better than that recently.

Under coach Mike Gundy, the Cowboys have been more competitive with the Sooners, yet have only won two of 15 meetings.

Nine of those 15 games have come with both teams ranked, and only four times during that span have the Cowboys been the higher ranked team entering the game.

One of Gundy’s two victories against the Sooners came when he had the higher ranked team and another came when Oklahoma State was unranked.

The Sooners enter on a four-game winning streak, having scored 62 points in each of their last two games — albeit against Texas Tech and Kansas.

If Oklahoma State can ride its stingy defense to a victory, it will be in a strong position to reach the Big 12 title game. If the Sooners win, the Big 12 race will be bedlam.

HEISMAN WATCH

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