Week 11 of the college football season is here, and Ohio State, riding the nation’s longest winning streak at 21 games, enters a bye week as a distant fourth in the national title race.
But even though the Buckeyes are off, they could come away as the week’s biggest winner.
That’s because two of the teams ranked ahead of Ohio State are playing very tough games. No. 3 Oregon travels to fifth-ranked Stanford on Thursday, and top-ranked Alabama hosts No. 13 LSU Saturday night.
Those games could produce the two upsets the Buckeyes need to vault up the BCS rankings, and as a result, into the national title game.
Both the Tide and the Ducks are double-digit favorites. Alabama is favored over LSU by 11.5 points, while Vegas expects Oregon to beat Stanford by 10, according to Sporting News.
LSU wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. isn’t worried about the spread.
“It being Alabama, it feels the way it always feels,” Beckham Jr. said, via Ross Dellenger of The Advocate. “It’s LSU versus Alabama. It doesn’t matter if it’s a three-point spread (or) a 40-point spread.”
The Tigers will need that confidence against the nation’s top-ranked team, especially on the road. Oddly enough, LSU has been incredibly successful when it has traveled to Alabama, winning five of the past six matchups at Bryant–Denny Stadium.
Oregon, meanwhile, is confident going into its matchup with Stanford. According to ESPN, Ducks running back De’Anthony…
Continue Reading: Ohio State Football: How the Buckeyes Can Win Big on Bye Week
