Published: Friday, 12/4/2015 BY DAVID BRIGGSBLADE SPORTS WRITER COLUMBUS — The Ohio State football playoff publicity machine is spinning into motion. A team spokesman emailed reporters to reframe the Buckeyes’ candidacy as a lifetime achievement award — they are not merely 1-1 against ranked teams this season, but 6-1 since last year — while campaign season is in full swing inside the Ohio State locker room. “At the end of the day, it’s supposed to be the four best teams in the country competing for the championship,” left tackle Taylor Decker said Wednesday after the Buckeyes returned to practice for the first time since their 42-13 win at Michigan. “I really do believe with every ounce that we are.” Like his teammates, Decker plans to spend Saturday plopped in his living room watching football, hoping anarchy elsewhere helps shepherd the idle Buckeyes (11-1) back into the playoffs. He has three new favorite teams: No. 10 North Carolina, No. 18 Florida, and No. 20 Southern California. Sixth-ranked Ohio State needs at least one — and likely two — of them to pull off upsets in their conference title games to be back in the playoff debate. Senior linebacker Joshua Perry said his bedroom will double as playoff mission control Saturday. “I’ll be watching the games, I’ll have my laptop, my cell phone, and my iPad going, I’ll have Twitter up, I’ll be checking Google alerts, Facebook, everything,” he said. “I like looking at the commentary, seeing what people have to say.” Of course, players are also realistic, knowing they will have only themselves to blame if the Buckeyes miss the playoffs. Their 17-14 loss to No. 5 Michigan State two weeks earlier promises to linger for months, if not longer. If the Buckeyes sneaked into the final four last year on the strength of their 59-0 win over Wisconsin in the Big Ten championship game, perhaps it only fair that they are punished for their lack of a conference title this season. “It kind of sucks, to put it plainly,” Decker said of Ohio State’s uncertain fate. “I hate that we don’t control our own destiny right now.” Added running back Ezekiel Elliott: “I think we’re one of the top four teams in the nation. …
Continue Reading: OSU plays the waiting game
