Ohio State now sits at No. 2 in the College Football Rankings and ultimately the Buckeyes control their own fate going forward.
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For the Big Ten to crash the playoff party with two teams, it’s going to need some help. Unless, of course, the goal is to rile up everybody (or as they would put it, helping to drive the conversation about college football). We recently came across them via Sole Classics.
What should the rankings have been? Would the CFP committee agree with me in that instance? Alabama (SEC), Ohio State-Michigan-Wisconsin-Penn State (Big 10), Clemson (ACC), Washington-Colorado-USC (Pac 12) and Oklahoma-Oklahoma State (Big 12). Tufele is most closely considering Michigan, Ohio State and Utah and the Wolverines have gained some momentum after the 6-foot-3, 297-pounder took an official visit to Ann Arbor.
ESPN’s rankings reveal show on Tuesday night and was a full hour, and the panel spent an inordinate time arguing about where the committee placed USC … who has three losses.
Two more games Saturday could have playoff ramifications: No. 6 Wisconsin and No. 7 Penn State, both still hoping to make a playoff case by reaching and winning the Big Ten Championship game, are at home against Minnesota and Michigan State, respectively. Coach Frances Schmidt’s first four Ohio State teams shut out the Wolverines by a combined score of 114-0 from 1934 through 1937, but MI broke the streak with an 18-0 triumph in 1938. There was just one huge problem: the play should have never happened and now it is having a huge impact on the College Football Playoff picture. But if there was room only for one?
The same sentiments regarding the game can be felt in MI.
Ohio State has won 11 of the last 12 meetings with MI, including the series only 1-2 matchup in 2006. If they win, they’ll likely get No. 9 Colorado in the Pac-12 championship game.
Even if MI loses, dropping 12 of the last 13 meetings in the series?
“It’s very important”, cornerback Jourdan Lewis said.
“I actually remember it very well, I remember we won the game”.
If so, it would be the first time in the playoff era that two teams from the same conference made the field. “I don’t know. I just don’t know”.
Remember, that’s the same Iowa team that upset MI two weeks ago. Cashman began the season playing mostly on special teams.
For now, however, they have what they really want. The committee frequently cites “top-25 wins”, and thus their tumbles deprived Alabama of two top-25 wins and did some damage to some other resumes. Otherwise, let’s just fill in teams based on the NFL Draft prospectus. That said, if MI replacement quarterback John O’Korn, filling in for injured starter Wilton Speight, can’t handle the hot spotlight of the Horseshoe, OSU may not need more than two touchdowns to win.
Nope, not yet, but not for lack of talking.
Any sort of major change would begin with MI and Ohio State and an annual meeting that dates back to 1897.
Junior linebacker Chris Worley said he watched the game at Cleveland Glenville High School, his future alma mater and the program that produced the biggest star in that game, Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith.
Asked about the postseason possibilities, Meyer dodged the question in his only media availability of the week. There’s no reason to get into how the committee might evaluate that controversial loss until it has to. Virginia Tech can represent the Coastal should it beat rival Virginia or see North Carolina lose to NC State; conversely, the Tar Heels are in if they beat the Wolfpack and the Hokies fall to the Cavaliers.
Is there a team ranked in the teens with a chance? But the Tigers – who have two wins over now ranked teams in Louisville and Florida State – saw their resume take a hit with the Cardinals’ stumble. “It’s not something we’ve had to go through”.
As for the ’06 game, some of the current Buckeyes recalled where they were when the top-ranked Buckeyes clinched a spot in the BCS National Championship Game.
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Ohio State’s path is easy.
