Ohio State Buckeyes 42, Michigan Wolverines 28

Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Raekwon McMillan (5) and teammate Joey Bosa (97) tackle Michigan Wolverines running back De'Veon Smith (4) near the line of scrimmage in the fourth quarter.

(Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer)

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State knew after its game against Michigan that it would have to win a Big Ten championship with Cardale Jones at quarterback. Now the Buckeyes know who they'll have to beat.

Wisconsin beat Minnesota 34-24 on Saturday to win the Big Ten West Division.

The No. 6 Buckeyes (11-1, 8-0 Big Ten) will play the No. 14 Badgers (10-2, 7-1) in the Big Ten championship game next Saturday at 8 p.m. at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

A date with Wisconsin brings a matchup with Badgers running back Melvin Gordon, who leads the nation in rushing with 2,260 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns. It will be another matchup against a top running back for the Buckeyes. Ohio State has seen Michigan State's Jeremy Langford, Minnesota's David Cobb and Indiana's Tevin Coleman in the last four weeks.

It's been a struggle, too. All three went for more than 100 rushing yards against Ohio State. Coleman had 228 in Indiana's loss.

The Buckeyes will be without starting quarterback J.T. Barrett, who suffered a fractured ankle in Saturday's win over Michigan. Barrett will have surgery Monday and miss the remainder of the season.

Third-string quarterback Cardale Jones will start in his place. Jones has played sparingly this season in a mop-up role, but his teammates feel he has the skill set to keep the offense moving in the right direction.

Wisconsin has won seven straight games behind Gordon and the No. 2 defense in the country. Ohio State has won 10 straight behind an opportunistic defense, and Barrett leading an explosive offense. The Buckeyes will need to find a new recipe for success to win the conference championship and keep their hopes for a spot in the College Football Playoff alive.