On Saturday, the third ranked 7-1 Ohio State Buckeyes will host the unranked 1-7 Purdue Boilermakers in Columbus Ohio. The Buckeyes are an early 38.5-point favorite in this game. With the Buckeyes coming off a huge win at Penn State last week. This game on paper should be a blowout Ohio State win. But there is a reason they play the games on the field and not on paper. After the win last week Ohio State can control their own destiny for a Big Ten Championship and a first-round bye in the College Football Playoffs.

The next big conference matchup for Ohio State is week 13 with the 9-0 eighth ranked Indiana Hoosiers coming to Columbus to play the Buckeyes. Week 12 Ohio State will travel to Northwestern and play the 4-5 unranked Wildcats at Wrigley Field. The venue for that game will be fun to watch. Ohio State must be prepared and not take the next two opponents lightly. Upsets happen all the time in college football. Vanderbilt beat the same Alabama team that beat Georgia. Once the ball is kicked to start the game, anything can happen.

The next two weeks for Ohio State appear to be tune up games leading to the final two games of the regular season. After week 13 with Indiana visiting Columbus, the dreaded team up north Michigan will travel to Columbus. There is nothing more that Michigan would want but to derail the Buckeyes season in week 14 in front of their own fans. But if Ohio State somehow loses to Purdue on Saturday? The final two games of the season would have a lot less meaning to them for Ohio State. If this Ohio State team wants to be champions, they need to play like champions and take care of business on Saturday.