The Associated Press

COLUMBUS — Heading into their second showdown in three weeks, top-ranked Ohio State and No. 10 Wisconsin are saying too much was made of their first meeting and all the words and accusations that followed.

Buckeyes coach Thad Matta is advising Ohio State fans to calm down and leave their animosity at home on Sunday.

“Honestly, we’re probably making a little bit more of that than there really was,” he said of the fallout from Wisconsin’s 71-67 victory on Feb. 12.

While Matta tries to calm the situation, others at Ohio State are sending another message. Either way, it’s unlikely that most Ohio State fans will either forgive or forget. In their minds, the Buckeyes were insulted and mistreated in the game at Kohl Center.

First, the Badgers, ranked No. 13 at the time, came back from a 15-point deficit to end Ohio State’s perfect season and knock the Buckeyes out of the top spot in the polls.

Then Buckeyes center Jared Sullinger alleged in a postgame message on Twitter that one of the Badgers faithful spit in his face as he was trying to escape the floor amid a mass of celebrating fans.

Later, Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan didn’t make a whole lot of friends in Columbus when, in response to questions about the Sullinger incident, he said, “We won the game. Deal with it.”

Matta says all of that ancillary stuff doesn’t have much bearing on the rematch between the Badgers (23-6, 13-4 Big Ten) and Buckeyes (28-2, 15-2).

“None whatsoever,” he said Saturday.

Matta said Ryan tried to call him the day after the first meeting — he took it that a gracious Ryan wanted to clear the air — but the coaches never ended up speaking. They remain on good terms.

Matta said the rematch was no more special than any other date on Ohio State’s schedule. The Buckeyes clinched an outright Big Ten title and the No. 1 seed in next week’s conference tournament when No. 6 Purdue was upset at Iowa on Saturday, 67-65.

“This is game 31 and obviously we’re playing a great opponent,” Matta said.

But despite what Matta says, others at Ohio State haven’t exactly let bygones be bygones. The university is handing out 1,400 scarlet-colored “rah rags” that say “Deal With It” to fans attending Sunday’s game.

On this week’s Big Ten coaches teleconference, Ryan said his comments weren’t meant as anything more than an effort to move on from the earlier showdown.

“Any time I make a statement like, ’Deal with it,’ it’s always about going to (the next game),” he said. “It has nothing to do with anything in particular. The game is played, it’s over, and then you deal with it. That’s all that was. So don’t try to make anything out of that it isn’t. That’s just people that have nothing else to do. We just play. I coach. We play.”

If Ohio State’s players are angry, they’re certainly not showing it.

Asked if this game will have a different tone because of what happened in the first meeting, David Lighty disagreed.

“No, not at all. We’ve been through those things before,” he said. “It’s just like a regular game, when you’ve been on the road and lost before. It’s just us coming out and not letting them feel good, not letting them get a run going like they did up in Wisconsin. Just take care of business. All that other stuff’s behind us now. We just look at what’s ahead of us.”

The Buckeyes were breezing until Wisconsin point guard Jordan Taylor suddenly started dialing in from long range. He scored 21 of his 27 points in the second half as the Badgers beat a No. 1-ranked opponent for the first time since 1962.

Now they can make it THREE times this academic year that they’ve knocked Ohio State out of the No. 1 spot; the football Buckeyes were unbeaten when they lost at No. 18 Wisconsin 31-18 on Oct. 16.

To avoid another loss to the Badgers, Ohio State must prevent Taylor from squeezing off shots while racing around ball screens on the perimeter.

“We’ve got to put more pressure on them,” Buckeyes big man Dallas Lauderdale said. “We basically need to go up and be at the level with our man as he’s setting ball screens, and just meet (Taylor) there.”

The game will be the last at Value City Arena for seniors Lauderdale, Lighty and Jon Diebler, who tied the Big Ten record when he made 10 3-pointers in an 82-61 win over Penn State on Tuesday.

Lighty, a fifth-year senior, scoffed at the idea he might get too emotional. He was already thinking ahead to celebrating the Buckeyes’ fourth Big Ten regular-season title in Matta’s seven years.

“It’s another basketball game for me. I’m an old guy now. It’s just like clockwork — it keeps going,” he said with a grin. “We’re just looking to come in and execute the game plan, try to get stops, try to make plays when we need them and hopefully come out with the win. And hold that Big Ten trophy up.”