Ohio State Football: A fight to the finish for the Buckeyes
It will be a battle down the stretch for Ohio State to make the College Football Playoff.
The Ohio State football team did what they had to do this past Saturday. It wasn’t pretty, nor was it ever certain they would pull out the win, but The Buckeyes earned a much-needed victory at home against Penn State.
Quality one loss teams litter the top 25, The Buckeyes are just one of many deserving teams who are looking to make the cut for the playoffs. The argument can be made for and against Ohio State making the cut, with the Penn State victory being their biggest argument for.
For the Buckeyes, the task left at hand is pretty simple. Win out and you’re in. JT Barrett took command of this offense, making precision passes and running the offense with ease like he has done his entire career.
Urban Meyer will need Barrett to be a superstar for the rest of the season. While the schedule isn’t too daunting, especially with the Michigan Wolverines not looking as formidable as they did earlier this season, the Buckeyes will still need to play near perfect football the rest of the stretch.
With so many teams in play for a playoff spot, Ohio State can’t afford to struggle against inferior opponents. Michigan State is arguably their toughest regular season opponent left; fortunately, the Buckeyes and Spartans will play in Columbus.
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At the beginning of the season, I was convinced Ohio State would take care of business and make it to the playoffs without much adversity. Well, they faced adversity the second game of the year, and to the point that JT Barrett started hearing conversations about him potentially getting benched.
The Oklahoma game was a wake-up call; it exposed a few of Ohio State’s flaws. Less than great offensive line play, lack of consistency by the offense and holes in the defense that could be exposed.
Penn State took advantage of those flaws, but it still wasn’t enough. Urban Meyer has made a career out of proving people wrong when they doubted his team, and he’s not finished doing that just yet.
Next: Week 9 Big Ten Observations: Who is Up, Who is Down?
While the pool of one loss deserving teams are extensive, Ohio State controls its own destiny. Win out and the Buckeyes are in.