Despite Early Scare vs. Indiana, Ohio State Still Controls Its Playoff Fate
COLUMBUS, Ohio - If you were looking to pick apart sixth-ranked Ohio State this week, the Buckeyes' 42-27 win over Indiana gave you plenty to work with.
Facing a now 3-8 team on a now six-game losing skid, Ohio State found itself trailing-at home of all places-until late in the third quarter, when a Jalin Marshall punt return jumpstarted a 28-7 Buckeyes run to make a two-score win look much more impressive than it actually was.
But all of Ohio State's shortcomings-and there were plenty on Saturday-pale in comparison to the Buckeyes' clinching of the Big Ten East championship, which will allow them to control their fate in their fight for a spot in the first-ever College Football Playoff.
'That's what we talk about when it comes to November,' Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett said. 'To go out there to compete for championships in November. We're right on course for what we talk about each and every year.'
The Buckeyes' worthiness of a playoff spot will be questioned by those who saw an Ohio State team lack 'game control' against the lowly Hoosiers, surrendering 228 yards and three touchdowns to Indiana running back Tevin Coleman. Comparisons to TCU's close call with Kansas last week are inevitable, especially after the Horned Frogs dropped from fourth to fifth in the playoff rankings three days later.
But it's also worth noting that while TCU's lack of style points didn't help its cause, its drop in the rankings was more of a result of Alabama's climb following its win over former No. 1 Mississippi State than it was the Horned Frogs' 34-30 scare with the Jayhawks. The fact of the matter is that following its Nov. 8 win over seventh-ranked Kansas State, TCU ran out of quality opponents to bolster its resume with, leaving the Horned Frogs in need of more help than any other team still in playoff contention.
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Meanwhile, the Crimson Tide proved just how much a win over a quality opponent can help you, a lesson Ohio State learned two weeks ago with its monumental win over Michigan State. In the matter of three weeks, the Buckeyes jumped a total of 10 spots in playoff rankings, their wins over the Spartans and No. 25 Minnesota legitimizing an otherwise unimpressive schedule.
And in beating Indiana and solidifying its spot in the Big Ten Championship Game, Ohio State guaranteed itself a shot at another resume booster. In Indianapolis, the Buckeyes will face the winner of next weekend's matchup between No. 16 Wisconsin and the Golden Gophers, adding a third potential quality win to Ohio State's case, which would easily make up for any deficiencies the Buckeyes showed on Saturday.
'Sometimes in college football, things don't go exactly as scripted,' Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer said. 'We're fine. I guess whatever the score was-somewhat of a close call. We just have to play better. We still are division champs.'
That's more than No. 4 Mississippi State would be able to say if Alabama wins out, which could ultimately prove to be huge should both the Buckeyes and Bulldogs remain in the hunt for a playoff spot through the next two weeks. According to the College Football Playoff's website, the first tiebreaker when it comes to comparable resumes is 'championships won,' an edge which would go to Ohio State.
As for what comparable means-after all, everything in the playoff system is still unprecedented-that remains undefined. But given that the Buckeyes have two wins over opponents currently ranked in the top-25 compared to Mississippi State's one, it's safe to say Ohio State is at least in that conversation, with its date in the conference title game still looming.
Of course, there's also the argument that the Bulldogs' lone loss to Alabama trumps the Buckeyes' defeat to 5-6 Virginia Tech and that Mississippi State will be able to add to its case with next weekend's Egg Bowl showdown with No. 8 Ole Miss. But that only adds to the importance of Ohio State's clinching of its divisional championship, not only keeping the Buckeyes' resume comparable, but also giving them the tiebreaker in the process.
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'I means a lot,' Ohio State tight end Jeff Heuerman said of the Buckeyes' Big Ten East title. 'It's obviously your goal at the beginning of the year and so we accomplished one of them, but we definitely still have a few left that we need to accomplish.'
That starts with next weekend's regular season finale and rivalry game with Michigan, the lone obstacle standing between Ohio State having a potential playoff spot on the line during its trip to the Circle City. The Buckeyes have plenty they need to work on-starting first and foremost with their run defense-but still appear to have an inside track when it comes to a chance to play for the national championship.
'What a great place to play where you win a division championship, you put 500-some yards on the board, you still feel like you didn't play very well,' Meyer said. 'There's no place else you'd rather play or coach than one where you have high expectations at.'
Ben Axelrod is Bleacher Report's Ohio State Lead Writer. You can follow him on Twitter @BenAxelrod. Unless noted otherwise, all quotes obtained firsthand. All statistics courtesy of cfbstats.com and recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.
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