Ohio State football: 93-yard pick-6 may have saved playoff hopes (Video)

Down 9-7 with Rutgers driving, Ohio State football looked like it was in serious danger of losing that No. 1 spot in the playoff rankings.

The Buckeyes trailed at the half after jumping out to a 7-0 lead early and the momentum that the Buckeyes had in the first quarter fizzled away.

Ohio State needed something — anything — to happen as Rutgers was driving.

And the Buckeyes got a gift in the form of a 93-yard pick-six. Jordan Hancock picked off a Gavin Wimsatt pass and took it 93 yards to the house, saving the playoff hopes.

It looked like a great play call with a fake handoff followed by a little floater over the running back streaking down the middle of the field, but it was slightly overthrown and Ohio State sniffed it out, hitting the would-be pass-catcher and popping the ball right into the hands of Hancock who took it 93 yards to the house to give Ohio State a 14-9 lead.

That was good enough for a 10-point swing, at least.

Ohio State football must avoid a meltdown

The Buckeyes lead 14-9 in the third quarter and their margin for error isn’t very big before the final game of the regular season against Michigan. If the Buckeyes lose to Rutgers, they’ll have to win out and beat Michigan on the road in the finale which, as we’ve seen for two years now, is not a given anymore.

If the Buckeyes hold on to win, Hancock is going to be the hero in Columbus for the foreseeable future.