BIG TEN Buckeyes set sights on final 3 opponents

Ohio State says it can't control the BCS rankings, only Purdue, Illinois and Michigan.
COLUMBUS (AP) -- The Ohio State Buckeyes say they are not going to permit the BCS rankings to be a distraction no matter what the poll voters and the computers decide.
"It's pretty simple," free safety Donnie Nickey said Tuesday. "We keep winning, we end up where we want to be."
Ranked No. 6 just two weeks ago in the complicated formula that determines the teams that will play for the national championship, the Buckeyes climbed to No. 2 on Monday. Oklahoma is ranked No. 1 and Miami is a close third.
With games remaining at Purdue (4-5) on Saturday and at Illinois (3-6) and at home against Michigan (7-2), the Buckeyes know what is in front of them.
"If we take care of our business, the BCS will take care of itself," center Alex Stepanovich said. "At this point, they could put us anywhere and it doesn't matter because if you don't take care of your business in November, the rankings right now really won't mean a thing at the end of the year."
Buckeyes trail Hawkeyes
Ohio State (10-0, 5-0) trails Iowa (9-1, 6-0) in the Big Ten race and cannot afford a slip. The Hawkeyes play Northwestern on Saturday and at Minnesota (7-2) in their final two games.
Nickey said the Buckeyes' remaining games are enough incentive.
"The BCS is flaky. You go from 6 to 2 -- it's all real flaky. You just don't put any weight on it," he said. "The rankings are the rankings. We're 10-0, we've got a chance to be 11-0. That's what drives us. It's not the polls."
As they have all season, the Buckeyes say they're paying no attention whatsoever to Iowa, Oklahoma or Miami -- anyone except the next name on the schedule.
"We know they only remember November," strong safety Mike Doss said. "Our goal is to be undefeated in November and that's how we look at things. So we're just getting ready for Purdue and another big game."
The game matches teams that wouldn't be that different if Purdue had handled close games better.
The Boilermakers (4-5, 2-3 Big Ten) have lost to Notre Dame, Wake Forest, Iowa, Illinois and Michigan by a combined 22 points. All five losses were decided by a touchdown or less, including one in overtime.
When the teams last met in West Lafayette two years ago, Drew Brees found wide receiver Seth Morales all alone behind the Ohio State secondary for a 64-yard touchdown pass with 1:55 remaining to give Purdue a 31-27 win.
Boilermakers interesting
Coach Jim Tressel called Purdue "a very interesting football team" because of its balance on offense and ability to play with every opponent.
Maybe because of that, he declined to elaborate on his team's feelings about the BCS rankings.
"Elaborate? I would say the best thing we should do is elaborate on Purdue and not elaborate on the BCS rankings," Tressel said. "I feel good about the fact that our guys are focused on things one day at a time. The BCS really is only important at the end of the regular season."
With a victory over Purdue, the Buckeyes can tie the school record for wins in a season. Five times Ohio State has won 11 games in a year: 1975, 1979, 1995, 1996 and 1998.