December football just means a little bit more, especially in Columbus, Ohio.
The No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes are attempting to keep their undefeated season alive and move to 13-0 if they can take down the Indiana Hoosiers in a No.1 vs. No. 2 matchup this Saturday from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Before the dust finally settles, though, Buckeyes safety Caleb Downs was candid about why representing the Big Ten in the best way possible with the College Football Playoff looming.
Downs, who previously played for the Alabama Crimson Tide, opened up about the big differences between both conferences and why he prefers the Big Ten over the SEC.
“I would definitely say (that in) the SEC, you’re playing every weekend, you’re playing a big (opponent) every week,” Downs said on "See Ball, Get Ball." "That was something (I realized) when I was at Alabama, it was every week, ‘Ok, we’re playing Tennessee this week, we’re playing LSU next week, then we got Auburn.’ You’re playing dudes every week, so that’s something you have to prepare your body for, prepare your mind for."
Downs said getting a chance to play SEC competition in the postseason this past year further validated critical areas with the Big Ten he now benefits from.
"I would say in the Big Ten, you’re going to have four or five games [in a season] maybe where you’re going to have to play high-level competition and really have to be at your highest point. So that’s a difference,” Downs said. "But then again, I said that when I first got to Ohio State and then a lot of the teams that were in the Big Ten, when it came to bowl games, ended up beating the SEC teams [last season]. So I feel like that kind of negated what I said.”
Nonetheless, though, Downs has a chance to get back to the national championship. In about a month or so, we'll see if it happens.