COLUMBUS, Ohio — Following Ohio State's 42-13 win over Michigan on Saturday, the celebration from the visitor's locker room could be heard loud and clear. But as the Buckeyes piled into the bus for their three-hour ride back to Columbus, Ohio State's festivities soon doubled as a Penn State pep rally.
Having just blown out their rivals to complete an 11-1 regular-season record, the Buckeyes still needed a Nittany Lions win over Michigan State to seal a trip to the Big Ten Championship Game, which would give OSU its clearest path to defending its College Football Playoff championship.