INDIANAPOLIS — Ohio State coach Ryan Day mapped everything out months ago.

He expected to finish the Big Ten season with three straight top-10 games. He anticipated seeking an unprecedented third straight outright league crown. And he believed the Buckeyes would return to the College Football Playoff for the first time in three years.

Now, as No. 2 Ohio State prepares for Saturday’s conference championship game, Day wants the Buckeyes to do follow the same script he has been preaching all season.

“You can see the finish line,” Day said Friday, shortly after arriving in Indianapolis. “The goal and visual has been accelerating through that finish line, not pulling up here. That’s what great athletes do, that’s what great teams do — they accelerate at the end.”

Why would the Buckeyes (12-0, 9-0, No. 1 CFP) do anything different this time against No. 10 Wisconsin?

They have the top-scoring offense in the nation (49.9 points) and a chance to become the first Big Ten team to make the playoffs since 2016.

And six weeks ago, Ohio State made it look easy by scoring the final 28 points in a 38-7 rout, wearing down the Badgers’ stingy defense with a steady diet of quarterback Justin Fields and running back J.K. Dobbins while taking advantage of two second-half turnovers.

“It’s been our goal, been on our board for a long time,” Day said when asked about a potentially historic title run. “In a game like this, there’s a lot of hype, a lot of hoopla when you come into the city. At the end of the day, it’s going to come down to execution.”

The Badgers (10-2, 7-2, No. 8) have no illusions about what they’re facing.

In October, Fields threw for two scores and ran for another and Dobbins rushed for 163 yards and and two touchdowns.

But the biggest problem was defensive end Chase Young, who had six tackles, four sacks and forced two game-changing fumbles.

“We’ve got to do a better job against him,” said Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst, who previosly coached Pitt. “You’ve got to play good football. You’ve got to take advantage of opportunities when they come your way and you’ve got to create some of those.”

And right now, even with Fields wearing a brace to protect his injured knee, it’s the Buckeyes who have the most at stake.

Win and they’re in, possibly with the top playoff seed and a chance to close out Day’s first season as coach just the way he dreamed it up.

“They’ve been highly motivated all year,” Day said. “Now you put your head down, go as hard as you can to the finish line and win the game.”

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