Updated

There was a time when Ohio State players could look forward to a break after trading bruises with archrival Michigan.

Not anymore.

No sooner did the second-ranked Buckeyes escape Michigan Stadium with a 43-41 victory — thanks to Tyvis Powell's last-minute interception on a 2-point conversion pass at the goal line on Saturday — than they were already immersing themselves in preparation for yet another make-or-break game.

The Big Ten championship game against No. 10 Michigan State — the only top-15 team Ohio State has played in a school-record 24-game winning streak under coach Urban Meyer — looms on Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Now No. 2 in the BCS standings, the Buckeyes need to win to hang on to a spot in the national championship game.