Buckeyes and Dawgs have it in the bag

Published 3:55 pm Friday, November 22, 2019

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It’s tough for me to accept, but the end of college football season is in sight.

At the very least, many teams have two games left on their schedules; three games if they’re bowl eligible.

Teams who are gunning for a playoff spot have four or five more games to look forward to, but that is only the top 5 percent of programs in the country.

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So, let’s cherish the closing weeks of the regular season. There are still some great games left to be played. And it starts as soon as noon on Saturday!

Ohio State looks as dominant as ever. Ranked No. 2 in the land and sporting a perfect 10-0 record, the Buckeyes haven’t been challenged by much of anything this season. Their closest games have been won by three or more scores. I really don’t see why Ohio State’s game against Penn State would be any different.

The Buckeyes’ roster has so many stars on it (both in terms of recruiting and talent). Chase Young, maybe the best defensive end in the country, will return to the Buckeyes after a two-game suspension. Malik Harrison is a nightmare for offensive coordinators. Justin Fields is a dual-threat force of nature. I can’t see Penn State stopping any of these guys. The Nittany Lions barely escaped Indiana last week. Their backs are against the wall. If they want to make the Big 10 Championship game, this one is a must-win. Perhaps that will be enough to muster up a little extra mojo from Penn State? Doubtful, though. As exciting as it would be to see Ohio State drop a game, I’m not really sure this will be the one.

Georgia already has its back against the wall. A loss against Texas A&M is out of the question for the Dawgs, who are still trying to prove they belong in the playoff discussion after the haunting loss against South Carolina—which is still being brought up to this day despite wins over Florida and Auburn since then. The best way to shut up the naysayers? Handle your business.

Texas A&M has one of the hardest schedules in the country with games at Clemson, against Alabama, at Georgia and at LSU. This is what Jimbo Fisher signed up for, so let him have it! The Aggies have rolled through their last four games undefeated, with some wins a little closer than others. I have faith Georgia will bring a level of focus needed to win this game, and win it convincingly. There is a new energy around the program after securing the SEC East and punching their ticket to the conference championship. It’s the last home game of the season for the Dawgs. Georgia is on a mission, and will treat this game as such.

Those are the two biggest games with playoff implications. I think Baylor will handle Texas and Oklahoma will smash TCU, putting us one step closer to a rematch of the Bears and Sooners in the Big 12 Championship.