Although its loss to Wisconsin (6-1, 2-1) cost Ohio State (6-1, 2-1) the chance to control its destiny in both the national title and Big Ten title races, the Buckeyes remain in a favorable position when it comes to making a BCS bowl game appearance for the sixth year in a row.
Because of program prominence and a large fan base known for traveling, OSU has been a hot commodity for bowl games in the past. Two-loss Buckeye teams earned at-large berths to the 2004, 2006 and 2009 Fiesta Bowls.
Should OSU win the rest of its games and finish with a record of 11-1, the Buckeyes would almost certainly finish the season within the top 14 of the BCS standings (the lowest a team can be ranked to garner a BCS at-large bid). OSU sits at No. 10 in the BCS rankings.
The Buckeyes are still in the running for the Big Ten’s automatic BCS berth. However, that would require some help.
As the only Big Ten team left undefeated in conference and regular-season play, Michigan State (7-0, 3-0) controls its fate when it comes to the outright conference title. Iowa (5-1, 2-0) and Purdue (4-2, 2-0) are also undefeated in Big Ten play, and Wisconsin (6-1, 2-1) owns the head-to-head tiebreaker with OSU.
This weekend’s Big Ten slate could have major implications for OSU’s chances in the Big Ten title race if the Buckeyes beat the Boilermakers on Saturday, and Iowa can hand Wisconsin its second Big Ten loss of the season.
Wisconsin coach Brett Bielema said his team knows the implications of its match-up with Iowa.
“Iowa is a program, much like Ohio State, that we have a lot of respect for because of the way they handle their business, the way they execute,” Bielema said after Wisconsin’s win over OSU. “There is a great deal of respect, but we all want the same thing.”
Should the Buckeyes win all of their remaining games, which would include a Nov. 20 road win over Iowa, they would still need Michigan State to drop two games in Big Ten play or lose one conference game and fall behind OSU in the BCS standings at the end of the year.
The Spartans still have games at Northwestern (5-1, 1-1), Iowa and Penn State (3-3, 0-2) on their schedule, as well as home games against Minnesota and Purdue.
With only one loss in the conference, Northwestern is still in play for the Big Ten championship, although remaining games against Michigan State, Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin make for a tough road to the title for the Wildcats.
If a one-loss Michigan State or Northwestern team was to finish ahead of a one-loss OSU team in the standings, OSU would still earn a share of its sixth straight Big Ten title. No team has won the Big Ten with two conference losses since the 2000 season.
Earning the Big Ten’s automatic berth could place OSU in the Rose Bowl for the second consecutive year. Earning an at-large berth would leave OSU’s January destination up in the air.
Winning the remaining games on its schedule will be no easy task for a Buckeye team that gave up 31 points and 184 rushing yards to Wisconsin. The Buckeyes’ remaining schedule includes road games at Minnesota and Iowa, as well as home contests against Purdue, Penn State and Michigan.
OSU quarterback Terrelle Pryor discussed the importance of avoiding another loss.
“We have to bounce back because we can’t let this define us. We can’t lose another game,” Pryor said. “We still have seniors on the team that we want to send out with a great record.”
OSU coach Jim Tressel said he hopes his team isn’t worried about where they’ll be playing this winter.
“My thoughts are all of ‘What do we have to do tomorrow?’ I don’t worry too much about what goes on at the end of things,” Tressel said. “If our guys are sitting there, worrying about what will or won’t be three months from now, then they’re not thinking about the right things.”
