Ohio State is having its best season ever. Michigan isn’t.
The Buckeyes are a victory away from getting a chance to win their first national championship since 1968. The Wolverines, win or lose, probably will end up in the Outback or Capital One Bowl.
The stakes have rarely been higher for one team in the storied history of this series. A win, and the Buckeyes finish 13-0 and clinch a spot in the BCS national title game in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 3. A loss would be a knockout blow–they not only fall out of the title game, they fail to win the Big Ten, and Iowa ends up in the Rose Bowl.
Buffaloes in Big 12 title game
COLORADO
AP: 16, Coach: 17
Colorado accomplished what seemed so unlikely two months ago. The Buffaloes clinched the Big 12 North title with a 41-27 win over Iowa State on Saturday night, advancing to the conference championship game for the second straight season.
The Buffaloes (8-3, 6-1 Big 12) got big performances in the fourth quarter from running back Bobby Purify (right) and safety Medford Moorer, helping make up for the losses of Chris Brown and Donald Strickland.
Terrapins hoping for ACC title, BCS
MARYLAND
AP: 18, Coach: 18
Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen will be a big North Carolina State fan this week. The Terrapins need the Wolfpack to beat Florida State to have any chance of winning a second straight ACC crown. Maryland (9-2, 5-1) also has to beat Virginia and Wake Forest. If that happens, the Terrapins would get the conference’s Bowl Championship Series bid only if they finish five spots ahead of the Seminoles in the final BCS standings.
Tech’s stunner opens Big 12 door
TEXAS TECH
AP: 24, Coach: 23
Texas’ defense went into its game against Texas Tech ranked second in the nation in pass defense. But Tech QB Kliff Kingsbury (right) completed 38 of 60 passes for 473 yards and six touchdowns with no interceptions in the Red Raiders’ 42-38 win. The Longhorns allowed 606 total yards–345 more than their conference-best average and their worst in five seasons under coach Mack Brown.
Tech still has a chance for a lot of things. If it beats Oklahoma next Saturday, Tech would win the Big 12 South for the first time and be off to Houston for the league championship against Colorado.
Ducks down, out
OREGON
AP: 29, Coach: 29
Just when it looked like things couldn’t get worse for Oregon (7-4), they did.
Saturday, the Ducks loss to Washington 42-14. Sunday, Oregon dropped out of The Associated Press Top 25 for the first time since the start of the 2000 season. Monday, Onterrio Smith, their best running back, is scheduled to have surgery on his left knee.
