COLUMBUS, Ohio – A victory over Illinois, no matter how ugly, was still enough to keep the Buckeyes in the No. 3 spot in the latest Bowl Championship Standings.
Predictions that Baylor might overtake Ohio State did not come true, but the Bears narrowed the gap to just a sliver. Oregon rounded out the top five.
After the game in Champaign, Ill., on Saturday, Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer repeated his hope that his players can ignore the national championship picture for now.
“I have to make sure that our focus is on just getting better each week instead of all the national stuff. I think I’m learning a lesson: Just shut your mouth, quit worrying about this, quit worrying about that, let’s get a little better,” he told reporters.
On a gusty afternoon Ohio State (9-0, 6-0) pounded the Illini for 441 yards on the ground in a 60-35 win.
Neither the Buckeyes nor Baylor have much hope of catching first-place Alabama or second-place Florida State in the race to the BCS championship game without a loss from one of the top two. So, the two undefeated teams are fighting for the right to be next in line if the Tide or ‘Noles slip up.
The Buckeyes are ahead of the Bears in both the Harris and USA Today coaches’ polls, but behind Baylor in the computer rankings. The combined average of the six computer rankings has the Bears tied for third with Auburn and Alabama and Florida State tied for first. Ohio State is fifth in the computers.
Ohio State can clinch a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game on Saturday when Indiana comes to Ohio Stadium (3:30 p.m./ABC6).