Ohio State vs. Indiana strength of schedule outlook entering Big Ten title game

Nearly three days sit between Ohio State and Indiana entering the Big Ten title game and a significant metric may come into play by the time both teams take the field

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) attempts to catch a pass against Indiana Hoosiers defensive back D'Angelo Ponds (5) in the first half at Ohio Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024 in Columbus, Ohio. | Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Ohio State Buckeyes remain only days away from their return to the Big Ten Championship against the Indiana Hoosiers in Indianapolis.

Despite both teams entering the title game unbeaten with a combined 24-0 mark while having effortlessly beaten their longtime conference rivals – the Michigan Wolverines and Purdue Boilermakers, one metric still remains a critical question entering Saturday's game in Indianapolis: Strength of Schedule (SOS).

The Buckeyes currently sit at an SOS of 46, which On3 referenced as a possible warning sign as it enters Saturday. It noted "the loser" could face steep consequences come College Football Playoff time regarding seeding and a first-round bye.

The Buckeyes' best resume win is arguably the Texas Longhorns, which wound up as a 14-7 nailbitter in Columbus in Week 1 before the nation knew how good the defending national champions could be.

Meanwhile, the Hoosiers didn't skip a beat this fall following last December's first-round playoff exit against eventual national title runners-up Notre Dame in South Bend. The Hoosiers cruised through their nonconference schedule in the same way a hot knife would through butter: easily. Indiana would outscore its opponents 156-23 before Big Ten play finally began.

Resume builders would follow in a big way for coach Curt Cignetti's crew, led by Heisman-candidate quarterback Fernando Mendoza. A 53-point win in late-September against the then-ranked No. 9 Illinois Fighting Illini set the stage for one of the program's biggest wins ever: a 10-point road upset in October against the then-No.3-ranked Oregon Ducks, which solidified the Hoosiers' standing as one of the top two teams in college football this season.

Close calls against the Iowa Hawkeyes and Penn State Nittany Lions luckily weren't close enough to prevent an undefeated regular season.

Entering the title game, the Hoosiers' SOS sits right behind the Buckeyes at No. 45. Therefore, a similar body of work shows how much the playoff committee has valued both teams all season long.

Now, both teams will get a chance to show they belong on a big stage Saturday night in front of a nationally televised audience.

Regardless of who wins, both teams have dominated their way through the regular season to get to where they are now. All that matters at this point is to play the game and see what occurs.

Because regardless of how the rankings shake out come Sunday, it's clear that the Big Ten's stature for good football is far from overrated.