As Jeremy Ruckert sat at his locker following Ohio State’s 45-24 win over Northwestern in the Big Ten Championship Game on Dec. 1, he thought back to where he was one year earlier. In his hometown of Lindenhurst, New York, the then-high school senior watched on television as the Buckeyes defeated Wisconsin in the 2017 Big Ten Championship Game.
“You think about it, a year ago today, I was at my house watching this game,” Ruckert said. “So being able to call myself a Big Ten champion, just in my first year, it’s a great experience.