By: RICK GREEN (DESMOINESREGISTER.COM) -

The heat is on. And Ohio State coach Thad Matta knows it.

“It’s funny, because the older I get, the smarter I get,” Matta, the coach of the nation’s top-ranked team, said Monday. “Quite honestly, it’s like I tell our guys. Just go out and do your job.”

The Buckeyes host No. 12 Purdue today in the week’s “biggest game of the season.”
With six teams ranked in the Associated Press poll, there are a lot of potential “biggest game of the season’’ dates on the schedule.

Ohio State has seven league games remaining against Top 25 teams. No. 2 Pittsburgh plays in the Big East, with seven teams in the Top 25. The Panthers have five games remaining against ranked teams.

No. 3 Duke has zero games remaining against rated foes, a testament to the ACC’s downward spiral. No. 4 San Diego State still must play No. 7 BYU twice, including a road tilt Wednesday.

Purdue, a game behind the Buckeyes in the Big Ten standings, must negotiate a schedule that still has eight games remaining against ranked teams. It’s enough to make a coach feel overwhelmed.

“I think when you stare at your schedule you can feel that way,” Purdue coach Matt Painter said. “You feel, ‘How are we going to get through this?’ ”

Matta said his team has been able to sidestep the media hype surrounding each big game.

“One thing our guys have done is have a tremendous respect for the opponent we play,’’ Matta said. “For me, I’m trying to wake up each day , do the best job I can and hopefully things will work out for us.” …….

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