For Michigan men from Ohio, Saturday’s game is personal

As we mentioned yesterday, other scenarios are obviously possible. The Tigers have a 10-1 record heading into the regular season finale against SC on Saturday.

Because of the tie-breaker system, Ohio State may not advance to the Big Ten Championship game if they beat MI.

Alabama, Ohio State, Michigan, Clemson and Washington make up the top five.

Ohio State must win and have Penn State lose.

Both had been kicking around this earth for a little less than five years when the teams met in 1970 to decide who would be the Big Ten champion.

One thing to remember is that the CFP committee prefers conference champions. “Their two losses are to top-three teams”.

The real intrigue moving forward deals with the middle section of the four-team playoff.

Last week: Beat Chattanooga 31-3.

Penn State, with running back Mark Allen, closes out the season Saturday vs. Michigan State. Alabama is probably in if they beat Auburn if they aren’t in already. But … come on, Florida isn’t beating Alabama.

But Michigan was led by a former Buckeye assistant Bo Schembechler.

MI is 58-48-6 all-time against the Buckeyes and 27-26-2 in Columbus. Then, they would have to play USC or Colorado again in the title game, and both of them could beat the Huskies.

The University of Wisconsin football team will likely have more at stake Saturday against Minnesota than any of the previous 125 meetings with its biggest rival. A devoted Ohio State fan, James has been on the sideline at Ohio Stadium in the past, but not for a game he said is on his “bucket list”.

Scott enters the game against the Nittany Lions coming off of the best game of his college career: 160 rushing yards and 76 receiving yards with two touchdowns last week against No. 2 Ohio State. Now Meyer coaches the Buckeyes, and they’re facing a MI team looking to lock up the East Division’s spot in the Big Ten championship game and remain on the path to the College Football Playoff.

Rooting interests: With all of the above in mind, everything would be much more clear if MI simply wins out and knocks out three other Big Ten contenders in the process.

Last week: Beat Wake Forest 35-13.

Clemson finishes its regular season against SC and then will play in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game against either Virginia Tech or North Carolina. Clemson, meanwhile, has lowly SC and Virginia Tech or North Carolina. But first the Tigers have to take care of SC – which has won four of its past five games – in Death Valley. That’s two spots, and the last two are essentially going to be fought for with the Big Ten and Washington.

Florida (8-2) made the biggest bolt in the weekly rankings, going from No. 23 to No. 15 after winning, 16-10, at LSU, and winding up one spot shy of its opponent for this weekend, No. 14 Florida State (8-3). The only other team with a possible case to be had for inclusion in this week’s top four was Washington, which bounced back from its only loss, to Southern California, with a smooth win against Arizona State. A MI victory could send Ohio State below the Badgers in the rankings, and UW would then have an opportunity to defeat MI next week in the Big Ten Championship Game in order to rise into the top four.