Top 5 shakeup: losses by Baylor, Oregon put three SEC teams in hunt

CBSSports.com: Auburn, Missouri go top 5​

It sets up an interesting scenario. Ohio State, 67th in schedule strength, can ill afford a loss but faces a touch challenge in the Big Ten title game against Michigan State, and they have to get by perennial rival Michigan this week at the Big House, where nothing is given, even when Michigan is a 12 and half point home field underdog. Personally, I think Ohio State is vastly overrated and may not have to wait until December 7 to lose their undefeated status.

Alabama, Auburn and Missouri (if the MU Tigers can beat Texas A&M Saturday) will settle things amongst themselves, and it appears regardless of what happens, the SEC will have a dog in the fight for the last BCS title before playoffs begin next year. That has been considered a given most of the year, the assumption being Alabama will be that representative from the South East Conference. But Auburn and Missouri both have a legitimate shot at beating Alabama, and if Ohio State stumbles, that weak schedule meaning a loss takes them out of BCS consideration, it will be somebody from the SEC vs. Florida State for the national championship.

 

Ohio State gave up 35 points to Illinois. ILLINOIS!! They have no pass defense, and they haven't played anyone with any kind of defense. Michigan State allows only 3.82 yards per play, and a nation-leading 236.6 yards per game. Ohio State hasn't faced anything like it, and that assumes they aren't devastated by Michigan, whose greatest offense comes from the productivity of their wide receivers. And again, strength of schedule rankings put Ohio State at # 67, the only school in the top five outside of the top 25 in that category. They SHOULD be blowing people out, but you can't count Illinois as a blow-out since the Illini scored a ridiculous 35 points.

Not that I am any longer interested in the early lines, but 'Bama is 9-1/2 over Auburn, and Missouri 3 over A&M. Ohio State is a two touchdown favorite -- in the Big House?? Give me a break! Ain't no way even a bad Wolverine team loses that big to their traditional rival in Ann Arbor.

 

What are the losing scores in each of those last three you posted? Are any of them close to 35? How many points per game did Illinois average in its previous Big Ten matchups? (19! Though it did score 35 the previous week against Indiana -- which scored 52!)

Ohio State is overrated.

 

LOL. I stick by "vastly." I thought you were trying to defend their #3 ranking. I don't think they are in the top fifteen. I can think of six SEC teams and two or three Big XII teams that would beat them, and think they should count themselves blessed beyond measure they haven't had to play Michigan State in the regular season, or we wouldn't be having this conversation. They'd already be once-beaten.