Ohio State Buckeyes Control Their Own Destiny in Run to College Football Playoff

The Ohio State Buckeyes have everything in front of them after their win over Penn State.

The Ohio State Buckeyes enjoyed their second signature win of the season on Saturday with a 20-12 victory over the Penn State Nittany Lions. 

That win, combined with the late September 17-14 win over Notre Dame, gave the Bucks two impressive victories over the top 10 teams this year. But with the College Football Playoff right around the corner, it might take one more to get where they want to be at the end of the season.

The Buckeyes control their own destiny with regard to a Big Ten championship appearance. Of course, there's one big game left on the schedule that all Buckeyes fans are looking forward to, and that's the Nov. 25 matchup with TTUN in Ann Arbor.

The Wolverines are currently ranked No. 2 in the nation, just ahead of the No. 3 Buckeyes. Even if things go south for Ohio State in that game, and they somehow fall to the Wolverines, that doesn't mean they can't make the CFP.

With games remaining against Wisconsin, Rutgers, Michigan State, and Minnesota, the Michigan game is really the only threat to the Buck's perfect season. 

And, of course, it's entirely possible that sanctions rain down on the Wolverines as a result of the cheating allegations that coach Jim Harbaugh and the team are currently being investigated for.

Since 2001, the Buckeyes have won 18 of the 21 meetings (there was no game in 2020 due to the Coronavirus pandemic). But after a streak of eight wins in a row from 2012 to 2019, Michigan has its own winning streak of two beginning in 2021.

This could be the year Ohio State coach Ryan Day gets the program back on track against their arch-rivals.