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.
