NEO High School Football Week 8: Hudson upset, Hoban stays on top
October 17, 2016A different kind of Cleveland: While We’re Waiting
October 18, 2016Following their heart-pounding, thrilling win over the Wisconsin Badgers in overtime Saturday night, the Ohio State Buckeyes stayed put at No. 2 in both the Associated Press and Coaches polls; like they have for the past few weeks.
After beating Bucky in arguably their biggest game of the year outside of The Game, the Buckeyes had plenty to be excited about in Camp Randall, including coming back against the Badgers and beating them in overtime.
If they hadn’t proven it before this past weekend, the young Buckeyes can not only compete with some of the best players and teams in the country, but they have enough to beat any team in college football. The scarlet and gray have so many playmakers all over the field on both sides of the ball that the opposition has a hard time keeping up. What’s the scariest part for future opponents: the young Bucks will only get better as the season goes on and they get more experience under their belt.
Here are the other Big Ten teams who are ranked in the Top 25 both polls: (AP poll, Coaches poll)
- Michigan: No. 3, No. 4
- Nebraska: No. 8, No. 9
- Wisconsin: No. 10, No. 10
Already halfway through the regular season, Ohio State’s remaining six games will feature two teams who are currently ranked in the Top 10 of both polls: the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Michigan Wolverines, both of which are home games at the Horseshoe.
The Alabama Crimson Tide winning the national championship last season all but secures them the No. 1 spot until they lose. If it wasn’t locked already, their dominating 49-1o victory over the Tennessee Volunteers in Knoxville Saturday afternoon all but showed just how good they are and that they are in fact the best team in the country until they lose.
To keep it simple, the Buckeyes control their own destiny the rest of the way. If they continue to win, they will make the College Football Playoff no matter what happens to other teams around the country.
17 Comments
I watched the game; watched us win; and woke up in the morning sad and convinced we had lost. It was that kind of game.
i felt kind of the same way – but then you have to remember that Wisconsin is a top-10 team and owns possibly the best home field advantage in the game. It was never supposed to be a +10.5 result like the bookies had it.
I still don’t pay much attention to the rankings thing (still too arbitrary), but this is a good point. That home field advantage is incredible – not to mention the bye week of preparation.
And that brings me to this week’s game. Another dumb freaking “white out” in State College after a bye week of preparation. I want to cry “foul” at the conspiracy of scheduling, but I’ve decided that I’m thankful for the attention. After Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and State Penn, no stage for the postseason will be too big for this team. (Notice that I’m foolishly presuming a victory over M*ch*gan? Yeah. I can’t help it.)
I never understood why Tennessee was ranked anywhere near the top-10 at one point. They had played nobody, and the only body they played crushed them. I would hardly be surprised if Tennessee lost at South Carolina next week, too.
Alabama plays a slew of top-25 teams but nowhere near the test that the Buckeyes will face. It is my opinion that the winner of the OSU/Michigan game should be the number 1 team in the country if still undefeated. The Buckeyes will have beaten 4 top-10 teams at that point – 2 on the road.
Ohio State has the best home record in the NCAA over the last 10 or so years (since 2004). The next two best were Oklahoma and Wisconsin, making those 2 huge road wins. Not a bad stamp of approval for #1 if they should go undefeated.
I’m more worried about Nebraska than ichigan.
This all day…felt the same.
However, they had a bye week to prepare…and they did indeed. And they played their A’s off. And they were at home, and that crowd was ready.
It truly was a good test for JT and company…a much stronger test than in Norman, OK.
great game … nice defensive adjustments in the 2nd half … i am shocked this team is ranked # 2 considering most of last year’s squad is now in the NFL.
how about that Cichy kid from Wisconsin ?? … he was all over the field making plays.
Not trolling, but I’m genuinely curious as to why you feel this way.
I know how it sounds – I meant to say that Nebraska comes first; then, Michigan. Worry about Michigan once you’ve gotten through Nebraska.
I cannot root for SUoO, but I won’t feel bad if State Penn loses by 40 this week.
THE SUoO. Come on, man.
[Living here, I can’t tell you how badly I want to see a wipeout of the white out.]
Saggy, that makes much more sense.
And, FTR, my “UM fan dander” wasn’t up; I was just curious if there was something other teams’ fans were seeing that I wasn’t.
the committee has shown they value where the teams they beat end up in the rankings, not where they are at the time they played. subtle but important distinction. the Buckeyes still might have two Top 10 wins on their board at the end of the regular season in this manner though (three will be tough to fit into a year-end rank).
I see Nebraska losing to both Wiscy and OSU. I give them credit for ascending as high as they are, but I just don’t see any redeeming wins on their schedule, what with Oregon being trash and all (and, frankly, only losing AT Nebraska because they went for two on every single touchdown). At Wisconsin and at Ohio State back to back is going to take some of the bloom off that rose, methinks.
I really hope OSU and Michigan are undefeated going into their game. Biggest game in a decade.
Literally. The 2006 Game was CLASSIC.
that is the most probable result. I think the Huskers could hang with Wisconsin if they have a good enough defensive gameplan, but they aren’t quite at their level yet.