College Football Notes: Week 12

The Ohio State Buckeyes remained unbeaten and top-ranked after a thrilling 42-39 victory over Big Ten rival Michigan (11-1) on Saturday.

The win left the Buckeyes at 12-0 in the regular season and Big Ten champions. Next up, a berth in the BCS National Championship Game on January 8th in Arizona. The only question remaining - who the hell are they going to play?

With Cincinnati (6-5) recording the upset of the day by knocking off previously unbeaten Rutgers (9-1) by a convincing 30-11 score, as many as six teams have a shot at facing Ohio State for the title.

Despite the loss, the second-ranked Wolverines are still in the hunt after playing the Buckeyes tougher and closer than any team has this season. Mike Hart ran for 142 yards and three scores and Chad Henne threw for 267 yards and two touchdowns. The problem for Michigan was containing the high-octane offense that is Ohio State.

The Buckeyes rolled up 503 total yards on Michigan - a unit that was allowing just 231 yards entering the game. Troy Smith clinched the Heisman race with his 316 yards passing and four touchdown performance. Antonio Pittman had 139 yards rushing with a touchdown and Ted Ginn Jr. had eight grabs for 104 yards and a score.

Next on the list of potential suitors for the Buckeyes is No. 3 Florida (10-1), a 62-0 winner over Western Carolina. The problem here is playing the Catamounts won't score high on the BCS computers and the Gators still have games remaining with Florida State and Arkansas for the SEC championship.

No. 4 USC won its 32nd straight game at home with an impressive 23-9 victory over No. 17 California (8-3). With the victory, the Trojans (9-1) clinched the Pac-10 championship and at least a berth in the Rose Bowl. As far as the title game, USC still has Notre Dame and UCLA on the docket.

The fifth-ranked Razorbacks struggled against Mississippi State yesterday but had enough to pull out the 28-14 victory and clinch a berth in the SEC title game. Arkansas (10-1) is another contender to meet Ohio State, but has an even tougher time with remaining games against LSU and Florida in the SEC championship.

No. 6 Notre Dame routed Army 41-9 and put themselves in position for the BCS title game. The Irish (10-1) still have to face USC out in LA, but a win there and some other teams faltering, could seal the deal for them. The only thing that doesn't look good on the Irish resume is the 47-21 demolishing they took at the hands of Michigan.

Boise State (11-0), West Virginia (9-1), Louisville (9-1) and Wisconsin (11-1) are too far down in the BCS standings to make a significant impact right now.

One thing is certain, the Buckeyes can relax and study all the potential teams they may face. The pressure is off and the advantage is definitely in their favor. Ohio State did what it was supposed to do and now the real fun begins - watching who emerges from the pack to challenge the Buckeyes for the biggest prize in college football.

Other scores from the top 25: No. 8 West Virginia 45, Pittsburgh 27; No. 9 LSU 23, Mississippi 20 OT; No. 10 Louisville 31, South Florida 8; No. 12 Wisconsin 35, Buffalo 3; No. 13 Boise State 49, Utah State 10; No. 19 Virginia Tech 27, No. 14 Wake Forest 6; No. 15 Auburn 22, Alabama 15; No. 16 Oklahoma 36, Baylor 10; No. 18 Georgia Tech 49, Duke 21; No. 20 Boston College 38, No. 21 Maryland 16; No. 22 Tennessee 39, Vanderbilt 10; and No. 23 BYU 42, New Mexico 17.

Highlight games for week 13 include: Texas A&M (8-3) at Texas (9-2); LSU (9-2) at Arkansas (10-1); Florida (10-1) at Florida State (6-5); South Carolina (6-5) at Clemson (8-3); Georgia Tech (9-2) at Georgia (7-4); Boise State (11-0) at Nevada (8-3); BYU (9-2) at Utah (7-4); Arizona State (6-5) at Arizona (6-5); Wake Forest (9-2) at Maryland (8-3); and Notre Dame (10-1) at USC (9-1).

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