A midseason misstep
Buckeyes will need a rapid recovery after big letdown
Ohio State is once again at a crossroads. For the second consecutive season, the Buckeyes find themselves staring down the wrong end of a humiliating blowout midseason loss, this time to a Purdue team that took advantage of a porous defense that gave up big play after big play. Urban Meyer’s team needs to quickly right the ship or once again find itself left out of the playoff. Michigan is playing like a playoff contender. Since dropping their opener to Notre Dame, the Wolverines have played like a team on a mission, utilizing a championship defense coupled with a power ground game and improved play by quarterback Shea Patterson to win seven straight. It’s not a stretch to believe this team is capable of winning the Big Ten and earning a playoff spot. There’s nothing like rivalry games. Michigan and Michigan State took their hatred to another level Saturday, starting with a pregame scuffle between players that included Wolverines linebacker Devin Bush tearing up the Spartans logo at midfield. Both coaches took verbal jabs postgame, with Jim Harbaugh calling MSU’s tactics bush league. Clemson continues to separate itself from the rest of the ACC. Clemson is the only team in the league ranked in the top 20, with N.C. State and Miami clinging to top-25 spots. With a less-than-challenging Ohio State coach Urban Meyer couldn’t have liked what he saw from his team in their blowout loss to Purdue. schedule remaining, the Tigers find themselves controlling their own destiny. The SEC sees its playoff picture coming into focus. Most prognosticators have penciled Alabama in. Georgia, meanwhile, faces Florida on Saturday with the winner earning a leg up in the East Division and a possible ranking in the top six when the first playoff rankings are revealed. Oklahoma is still a work in progress. The Sooners have one of the more impressive offenses in the country, led by Heisman hopeful Kyler Murray, but if they are going to earn a spot in the playoff, it will need the defense to show improvement under interim coordinator Ruffin McNeil. Washington State holds the Pac-12’s playoff hopes in its hands. The Cougars put on an impressive performance during a 34-20 win over Oregon, making Washington State the only one-loss team in the Pac-12. There’s never been a two-loss team in the playoff, so with upcoming games against Stanford and Washington, there’s a good chance the league’s playoff hopes end quickly. Nebraska gets the first of what could be many wins. It may have taken seven weeks, but coach Scott Frost earned his first win by defeating Minnesota 53-28. The Huskers can earn more victories with games against BethuneCookman and Illinois later this season. Streaks continue. UCF extended its nation-leading win streak to 20. UTEP, meanwhile, saw its nation-worst losing streak stretch to 19 games. Tua Tagovailoa continues to separate himself in Heisman race. The sophomore threw for 309 yards and four touchdowns in three quarters while leading Alabama to its 12th straight win over Tennessee. Tagovailoa still has not played a single snap in the fourth quarter this season.