INDIANAPOLIS - Ohio State football’s K.J. Hill could have lied and said becoming the program’s all-time receptions leader did not matter to him.

Why fake it? After four years of hard work and sacrifice, Hill had put himself in position to break David Boston’s 20-year-old record of 191. As long as Ohio State kept winning, why not also enjoy a chance to make history?

Problem was, while Hill remained as reliable as ever, the Buckeyes simply have not thrown the ball as much as they did earlier in his career. Considering Hill and other starters rarely play deep in the second half, and the senior had to wonder if time might run out on his record chase.

“At the beginning of the year I was thinking I wasn’t going to get it, because of how the offense is operating this year,” Hill said on Wednesday. “But I’m here now, and hopefully I’ll get the record.”

Hill can wonder no longer. With his fourth reception in Saturday’s Big Ten championship game against Wisconsin, Hill tied Boston’s record.

Later in the drive, Hill caught a 16-yard touchdown pass from Fields to take the record for himself.

At the beginning of the season, injury seemed the only potential roadblock to Hill’s pursuit of the record. He began the season 48 receptions short of Boston. Having grabbed 70 receptions last season and 56 as a sophomore, that number looked easily within reach.

Hill has not missed a game, running his consecutive games with a reception streak to 46 coming into Saturday. However, Ohio State simply has not attempted as many passes with its starters in the game as it did last season.

Entering the Big Ten championship game, Hill’s 44 receptions accounted for a larger share of OSU’s completions than he did as a sophomore (19.5) or junior (17.7). However, with J.K. Dobbins enjoying his best rushing season and Justin Fields adding a rushing dynamic as quarterback, the Buckeyes had completed 185 fewer passes through 12 games than they did last season though 14.

All Hill could do was keep grinding and remain patient. He made a late-season surge to the record with four receptions apiece against Maryland, Rutgers and Penn State.

“It was kind of hard,” Hill said. “Because I had come back, I had some high expectations — what I did last year and what I could do this year, not having to share with Paris Campbell. But I had just had to set that aside. We’re 12-0, we’re playing for a Big Ten championship, and if we win we can play for it all.”

Now, Hill can pursue that team goal with his individual goal secured.

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