BUCKEYES MUST WIN OUT AND GET HELP TO MAKE PLAYOFFS

Ohio State went into East Lansing, Michigan on Saturday night and came away with a very impressive 49-37 win over Michigan State to reestablish itself as a legitimate playoff contender in college football. However, the Buckeyes don’t control their own destiny. They not only need to win out, including the Big 10 title Game, but they need a lot of help just to have a chance of getting into the first ever College Football Playoffs.

Here are the teams that are ahead of O.S.U. in the rankings or just behind them and what their remaining schedules look like. Urban Meyer and his Buckeyes will not only have to take care of business on the field, but they’ll be doing a lot of scoreboard watching in the coming weeks to see if they can get the help necessary that would make them one of the four choices by the College Football Playoff selection committee to play for a National Championship in the new four team playoff format.

Mississippi St. (9-0) – at Alabama, Vanderbilt, at Ole Miss – Potential SEC Title Game

Florida St. (9-0) – at Miami, Fla., Boston College, Florida – Potential ACC Title Game

Oregon (9-1) – Colorado, at Oregon St – Potential PAC 12 Title Game

Alabama (8-1) – Mississippi St., Western Carolina, Auburn – Potential SEC Title Game

TCU (8-1) – at Kansas, at Texas, Iowa St. – No Big 12 Title Game

Arizona St. (8-1) – at Oregon St., Washington St., at Arizona – Potential PAC 12 Title Game

Baylor (8-1) – Oklahoma St., Texas Tech, Kansas St. – No Big 12 Title Game

Ole Miss (8-2) – at Arkansas, Mississippi St. – Potential SEC Title Game

Auburn (7-2) – at Georgia, Samford, at Alabama – Potential SEC Title Game

Nebraska (8-1) – at Wisconsin, Minnesota, at Iowa – Potential Big 10 Title Game

OHIO ST. (8-1) – at Minnesota, Indiana, Michigan – Potential Big 10 Title Game