As the college football regular season quickly comes to a close, each loss has significantly more impact. Here were the worst losses in Week 12.
With the final college football regular season games, conference championship games, and college football bowl games all on the horizon, each loss means more and more. However, not all teams who “lost” this week actually lost the game in which they played. Two teams specifically come to mind.
3. Ohio State and Oklahoma
Neither, No. 10 Ohio State nor No. 6 Oklahoma, had the type of game they had hoped to have in Week 12.
The Buckeyes traveled to College Park to take on the 5-5 Maryland Terrapins. Obviously, the University of Maryland has gone through, as a school, a lot this year. But so has Ohio State. Regardless, the Buckeyes should have easily won this game. However, it took an overtime possession, and poor throw to a wide open Maryland wide receiver for Ohio State to pull this game out. The game ended, 52-51. But this narrow wind likely hurt Ohio State in their hopes of being selected to the College Football Playoff. Even if Ohio State beats Michigan, and wins the Big Ten Championship Game, a one-point win over Maryland is not the level of play for a playoff team.
The Oklahoma Sooners put themselves in a similar position as the Buckeyes. Oklahoma gave up 40 points at home to Kansas….Kansas! Ultimately, Oklahoma won 55-40, but not before exposing their defense, or lack thereof. The Lincoln Riley-Kyler Murray duo has proven to be one of the best offenses in college football. But, the College Football Playoff Committee is not going to put a team that does not have a defense. Even the UCF Knights have shown they have some sort of defense.
Although Oklahoma and Ohio State stayed in the Top 10 in the College Football Playoff rankings, their potential for the Top 4 decreased after Week 12.