The big wait: Ohio State’s fate rests with playoff committee

Penn State’s DaeSean Hamilton (5) makes a catch in front of Michigan State’s Grayson Miller (44) during the first half of an NCAA college football game in State College, Pa., Saturday Nov. 26, 2016.

McCray later said Michigan’s players would back up Harbaugh on what he said, but it’s notable when teenagers and 20-somethings are more measured than their 52-year-old coach.

A crowd of 110,045 watched what might just be the second act of a new Ten Year War between MI and Ohio State, with Meyer and Harbaugh playing the roles of Woody Hayes and Schembechler.

Assuming Washington beats Colorado in the Pac-12 Championship Game, who should get the final playoff spot???

The play was 29 Lead, and it will go down in history as how Ohio State beat MI in one of the greatest games ever played by the Big Ten’s most storied rivals. “The Game” hardly needs any more hype, but it returns to the national spotlight for the first time in a decade because the victor is likely to end up in the playoff, with the loser shut out.

Ohio State coach Urban Meyer – who fell to the turf moments after Curtis Samuel ran for the winning touchdown Saturday night – was either too flustered to think about it immediately after the game or didn’t want to get into it. “The stakes are always pretty high for this game”. The Wolverines have done everything in the regular season except the thing that matters most.

No matter how you look at it – or for how long – MI coach Jim Harbaugh wasn’t getting that call.

“No. 2 vs. No 3, really everything on the line”, Butt said. But Barrett, leading the rest of the offense on the way, bowed his neck and authored a late-game classic. “Everybody is going to be tuning in to watch this”. In the third quarter when the Lions were up 17-12, McSorley had a clear path ahead of him but instead made a decision to throw the ball deep to Gesicki, who was between two defenders.Gesicki leaped and caught the ball for a 45-yard touchdown pass.”I’m appreciative of him just giving me a chance and trusting me to put it up and let me go get it”, Gesicki said.

Trailing at halftime, the Badgers capitalized on four second-half interceptions to come back and win 31-17, beating the rival Gophers, hanging onto Paul Bunyan’s Axe and keeping their College Football Playoff hopes alive.

Wes Lunt completed 28 of 54 passes for 377 yards and two touchdowns for IL (3-9, 2-7), which closed out its first season under coach Lovie Smith with three straight losses.

While the AP Poll didn’t have the Boise State Broncos as the highest-ranked Group of Five team, them losing still hurts. Facing a fourth and one at the 16 yard line. Quarterback Trace McSorely’s 248 passing yards per game is third in the conference, he ranks first with a 150.9 passing efficiency. MI had a chance to put the Buckeyes away in the second half, and they never could come up with the one drive to do it.

“That was not a first down”, Harbaugh said.

Minnesota finished the season at 8-4 overall and 5-4 in the conference. He would then run outside the zone to his left and the next time a player had their hands on him was in being embraced by a mob of players after putting the Buckeyes up 30-27, the penultimate play of the game.

Orgeron took over when Les Miles was sacked in September.