Buckeyes Loss May Be Big 12's Gain

  It was pure college football melodrama. Late in the fourth quarter, the Ohio State Buckeyes were clinging to a narrow lead in a hard fought contest against a team that was considered to be a 19 point underdog. Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. We’ve seen Ohio State struggle against teams that don’t have their level of talent, only to watch the Buckeyes have the ball bounce their way in the waning moments of the game to preserve the win.

 But this one didn’t follow the script. The Buckeyes lined up for a field goal that would secure the win against the unranked but tough Nittany Lions. The kick was blocked and the ball bounced into the arms of Grant Haley, who took the ball all the way to the end zone. The Penn State defense held on the final series and the mighty Buckeyes went down.

 So, who really lost? And who stands to win as a result of this? The answers may not be as easy as they seem.

OHIO STATE

Yes, they lost the game and that’s always bad. But tOSU is almost never just playing for one game. They’re playing for a playoff spot. Did this loss diminish their hopes of obtaining one of those four golden tickets? Not really. They dropped a few spots in the polls, but not far enough that a victory over Michigan at the end of the year won’t propel them right back into the picture. The Buckeyes don’t have a cakewalk for the remaining four games until they face the Team Up North but they should win them. Northwestern, Nebraska, Maryland and Michigan State stand in their way. If they lose any of those five they will likely be out of contention. Bottom line? This loss isn’t a determining factor for the Buckeyes.

THE BIG TEN

This is where the real issue lay. Now that Ohio State has lost, the playoff spot will most likely come down to the winner of the Ohio State-Michigan game. It was possible that the Big 10 could’ve gotten two teams into the playoff. The loser of the OSU-Michigan game might not fall far enough to knock them out of fourth place. That’s not likely now. So the Big 10 is a virtual certainty to get one of their teams in unless something unprecedented happens. But they most likely won’t get two.

BIG TWELVE/BAYLOR/WEST VIRGINIA

College football is a zero sum game. Someone’s misery is someone else’s treasure trove. The Big 12 has been bad mouthed all season as not being worthy of consideration. Some of that talk is merited. Most of it is not. Conferences rise and fall in cycles. The Big 12 is not as powerful this year as they are in most years when considered in total. But the ACC is proving that they aren’t anywhere near as good as they were touted early in the year too. Miami in the top 10? Notre Dame ranked in the top 10? (Yes, I am aware that Notre Dame is only a stepchild of the ACC but I’m still counting them) Pac 12? Anybody remember when Stanford was in the top 10?

The truth is that you have a wobbly Clemson team that is very talented but has been living on the edge. You have a Louisville team that is no doubt talented but darn near lost to Duke. The Pac 12 has one team that has the look and feel of a playoff contender. That’s Washington.

 So why is the Big 12 getting pounded on while others have an easy go in the media? You can make a pretty good case that the SEC is the strongest conference top to bottom and that the Big 10 is next. After that it’s not so clear if you’re objective. The answer is simple. The media lack objectivity. The Big 12 is being punished because the standard bearers right now aren’t Oklahoma and Texas. They are Baylor and West Virginia. As long as the old stalwarts are in control the sports media plays along. But if you try to put the Mountaineers or to a lesser extent the Bears into the playoff, well, you’d better buckle up. It’s going to be a rough ride.

 Baylor is a known quantity. We understand they have talent. But do they have the depth to see this thing through with only 70 scholarship players? Disaster is just a turf toe away every week for the Bears.

 But hear this; West Virginia is tough. West Virginia is snarling. West Virginia means business. Take a cue from their basketball team the past few years if you want to have an understanding of what this disrespected school in this disrespected state is all about. They are a no-nonsense, up in your face aggressor that backs down from no one. They may have the best receiving corps in the country. Their offensive line is a top ten unit and the best lineman they have is out for the season. Their senior quarterback that no one wanted has quietly improved into a quality P5 leader and passer. The defense is just…..nasty. It’s a blitz early, blitz often, blitz from places you don’t think we’ll blitz from scheme.  They gamble a lot. And one of these days it may cost them a game. But it also may not. And if it doesn’t, West Virginia will be coming to a college playoff near you, whether your favorite sports commentator wants them to or not. And they probably will have the Penn State Nittany Lions to thank for it.