Ohio State moved up four spots to No. 8 in the rankings after a 63-38 victory against Nebraska in Columbus, Ohio.
Everybody knows by now the Buckeyes are playing only for pride because of an NCAA postseason ban, one they probably could have avoided if Ohio State officials had self-imposed it last year and not waited for the NCAA to weigh in on the tattoo scandal.
No doubt every Buckeye is now regretting that decision.
In a year when the Big Ten looks down, Ohio State seems capable of going undefeated. No. 25 Michigan is the only other Big Ten team ranked this week.
The Big Ten has said it will present Ohio State – or Penn State, for that matter – with a Leaders Division trophy if it wins the division.
There’s one more trophy available for Ohio State, though it’s a long shot.
The AP has been crowning a national champion since 1936, and the Buckeyes could conceivably finish No. 1 in the media poll, though it would likely take just about every other team losing at least once.
The last sanction-strapped team to make a similar push was Auburn in 1993, which went 11-0 under Terry Bowden and finished No. 4.
