Back in October, which is like yesterday in terms of history and an eon ago within the 1,001 happenings of a basketball season, the Big Ten coaches and media picked Penn State to win the conference championship.

Ohio State, the winners of six of the past seven titles and the past three conference tournaments, went unmentioned in either of the three-deep polls. The Buckeyes quietly seethed and went about the business of playing.

Nearly four months later, ninth-ranked Ohio State (23-3, 10-3) and No. 12 Penn State (21-5, 11-3) will begin to sort things out in the Bryce Jordan Center at 7 tonight in front of a big crowd and a national television audience.

With a win, the Lions clinch at least a tie for the regular-season title, which would be their first since 2004. They have one other home game left, against Minnesota on Sunday, to seal matters.

If the Buckeyes win, they can move a half-game ahead of Penn State, with a home game against Minnesota on Thursday and a road game against Nebraska on Sunday remaining on their schedule.

“Every game has value,” OSU coach Jim Foster said. “When you look back, we’ve had some nice wins and some disappointing losses. You can’t trade it out. But to be involved this late in the year with a game that is this meaningful for this group is great.”

The Buckeyes will meet the Lions at full strength. Senior point guard Samantha Prahalis appears to have recovered from the intestinal illness that kept her out of the Indiana game on Thursday. She is eager for the test that Penn State will provide.

“It’s not just the game, it’s the situation,” Prahalis said. “Our backs are against the wall. We put ourselves in the position that we have to win every game now. But I think it’s going to show, are we going to be tough or are we going to be babies? Are we going to get better or not?”

Ohio State is 3-2 over its past five games, with upset losses at Minnesota and Illinois removing any wiggle room it had in the championship race. Penn State, meanwhile, has won five in a row to put move past Purdue, Nebraska and OSU in the standings.

“Penn State is going to be coming hard and we’re going to be coming hard,” junior guard Amber Stokes said. “We’re all going to be grinding. We want this. I’m glad we’re playing against Penn State. It’s going to be a hustle game, and I’m excited.”

The Lions are built around explosive guards Alex Bentley, Maggie Lucas and Zhaque Gray. The Buckeyes counter with Prahalis, Stokes and Tayler Hill in the backcourt.

Hill is the conference scoring leader at 21.3 points per game, followed by Prahalis at 19.8. Lucas is fourth at 19.4.

The Buckeyes lead the conference in scoring at 77.1 points per game. The Lions are second at 75.5 points. Both teams like to push the tempo, so a traditional 58-56 Big Ten tug-of-war game isn’t likely.

That suits both teams.

“It’s fun to play an up-and-down game,” Prahalis said. “We like that style. It’s going to be a good game.”

jmassie@dispatch.com