Ohio State Buckeyes Remain on Path to Playoff, Need Strong Finish to Secure Big Ten Championship

Ohio State wrote a new narrative thanks to its “Penn” pal, and now the Buckeyes are back on track to chase that elusive national championship.

Only a week ago, pundits were surmising how the two-loss Buckeyes could make the 12-team College Football Playoff with a potential loss at Penn State last Saturday after dropping a 32-31 decision at Oregon on Oct. 12.

Forward to Tuesday, and the Buckeyes were revealed as the No. 2 team behind undefeated Oregon in the first CFP rankings.

What the Buck happened? Penn State. 

That’s all you need to know. The Nittany Lions choked their way to an eighth straight loss to Ohio State by being unable to score on four tries starting from the 3-yard line or stopping the Buckeyes’ running game on the final drive when everyone knew what was happening.

Suddenly, the Buckeyes have a clear path to the Big Ten Championship game and a possible rematch with Oregon. Not only is winning the final four regular season games doable, but anything less would return coach Ryan Day to a James Franklin-level hot seat.

Assuming Oregon runs the table for the first slot in the title game, if the Buckeyes defeat Indiana, it could mean Ohio State, the Hoosiers and Penn State each would suffer one conference loss, in which case the Buckeyes own the head-to-head tiebreakers.

How will it play out for the Buckeyes (7-1, 4-1 Big Ten)?

• Saturday vs. Purdue (1-7, 0-5 Big Ten): The only similarity between Purdue and Penn State is the letter P. The Boilermakers have some talent interspersed throughout their roster, but their only win was against a Larry Bird-less Indiana State in the season opener.

In the know: The “Spoilermakers” have upset a few highly-ranked Ohio State teams, but almost all have been at home. Purdue’s last win in Columbus was 1988 (0-9-0). The Buckeyes will have a chance to pad their stats.

• Nov. 16 vs. Northwestern (4-5, 2-4 Big Ten), at Wrigley Field: The underdog Wildcats will swing for the fences, touch all the bases in search of a win, etc., etc. This is Northwestern’s Super Bowl, or is it the World Series? Combine the quirky setting with the possibility of cold and rain, and the Buckeyes could be in for a challenge. Dare say, for possibly the first time ever, do they have to avoid looking ahead to Indiana?

In the know: In addition to the football team, Ohio State men’s (Jan. 3) and women’s (Jan. 4) hockey teams will play outdoor games at Wrigley Field.

• Nov. 23 vs. Indiana (9-0, 6-0 Big Ten): The Hoosiers have history on their side for an upset. They came to Ohio Stadium in 1987 with an 0-30-1 record, with 23 straight losses, in the previous 31 games in the series. They shocked the No. 9 Buckeyes 31-10, and afterward Ohio State coach Earle Bruce said, “I’ve known about Ohio State football since I was a freshman here in 1949. This is the darkest day in Ohio State football since I have been associated with it.”

In the know: The Hoosiers beat the Buckeyes again in 1988. In the next two seasons, Ohio State won and tied. Since 1991, the Buckeyes have won 29 straight, giving them another 31-game (30-0-1) streak vs. the Hoosiers. Ohio State will have no part of another dark day.

• Nov. 30 vs. Michigan (5-4, 3-3): Among the many things irritating Ohio State fans about the Wolverines are that some of their top coaches (Jim Harbaugh, Bo Schembechler) and most decorated players (Desmond Howard, Charles Woodson) are Ohioans. Also, their best wins in the rivalry are always upsets, whereas Ohio State fans relish anytime an expected win results in a smackdown such as 50-14 in 1968 and 62-39 in 2018. Michigan has won the past three meetings. The Buckeyes know what’s at stake, so their priority will be getting the W, not an exploding scoreboard.

In the know: Because the 2020 game was cancelled by Michigan due to the COVID-19 pandemic (Ohio State fans will never buy that), this is just the second time the game will be in Columbus in six years.