Is Buckeyes' epic beatdown enough

Buckeyes leave their fate to committee following domination of Wisconsin

By TEDDY GREENSTEIN Chicago Tribune

INDIANAPOLIS – This much is clear: Ohio State has the Big Ten's best coach, best offensive coordinator, best third-string quarterback, best skill players and even best band.

This much is unclear: Will that be enough to earn a spot in the inaugural College Football Playoff?

To say that the Buckeyes dominated Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship Game is a bit of an understatement. The final score: 59-0.

Cardale Jones, the third-stringer who entered the game having attempted only 19 college passes, was spectacular: He completed 12 of 17 passes for 257 yards and three touchdowns with no turnovers.

Ohio State's Ezekiel Elliott outrushed soon-to-be-Heisman Trophy finalist Melvin Gordon 220-76. Elliott went for 60 on a fourth-quarter jaunt despite the loss of a shoe.

The game effectively ended with the Badgers trying to run out the clock before halftime. Michael Bennett stripped Gordon, and Joey Bosa scooped up the loose ball for a 4-yard score that made it 38-0 before an announced 60,229 at Lucas Oil Stadium.

"I don't think there's any doubt we're one of the top four teams in America," Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer said.

The playoff selection committee will release its final four Sunday. Alabama and Oregon locked up spots. Maddening Florida State sneaked past Georgia Tech in the ACC title game, and it seems inconceivable that the committee would snub a 13-0 team, especially one that scheduled what had the makings of an imposing threesome: Oklahoma State, Notre Dame and Florida.

So the final spot will be decided among Texas Christian, Baylor and Ohio State. All have one loss.

The ugliest belongs to the Buckeyes, who fell at home to Virginia Tech by two touchdowns. But that occurred in Week 2, before J.T. Barrett — subbing for the injured Braxton Miller — blossomed into a star.

But which team has the most quality victories?

The committee determined last week that TCU's five trumped Baylor's three. That's why TCU was No. 3 in the rankings while Baylor was sixth.

Baylor did take down No. 9 Kansas State in very impressive fashion Saturday, 38-27. So that closes the gap. TCU crushed hapless and hopeless Iowa State 55-3. Baylor and TCU are 11-1.

Well, Ohio State is 12-1 after obliterating No. 13 Wisconsin (10-3), a team that entered with seven consecutive victories and a defense that led the nation in forced three-and-outs.

The Buckeyes have beaten three ranked teams (Michigan State, the Gophers and Wisconsin) away from home in the past month.

It's pretty safe to assume that the Buckeyes would get the support of Badgers coach Gary Andersen. But he wasn't ready to think about that in the immediate aftermath of his team's demolition.

"This will sting," Andersen said. "It's one thing to get beat but another thing to get beat that way."