It’s Time to Celebrate for Ohio State, for Now

Some hung over Ohio State fan in Columbus woke up in a cold sweat Sunday morning with this nightmarish newsbreak playing in his head:

This is Bob Bubblehead reporting LIVE for Buckeye Witness News in Columbus: In a stunning development, Ohio State’s invitation to the Fiesta Bowl was rescinded yesterday after it was revealed Oklahoma inexplicably passed Ohio State in the final bowl championship series standings.

Oklahoma, not 13-0 Ohio State, will play No. 1 Miami for the national title in the Jan. 3 Fiesta Bowl. A BCS spokesman said, looking back, he wasn’t sure why the Fiesta Bowl invited Ohio State to the national title game Nov. 23 when Oklahoma still had two games to play and “everyone knows how wacky those BCS computers are.” It was learned a drastic change in the New York Times computer rankings put Oklahoma over the BCS top. Oklahoma, No. 10 the week before Nov. 23, jumped to No. 1 in the last NYT ranking and that gave Oklahoma the decimal point difference.”

Relax, Buckeye fans, it was only a dream, but you know what? I thought the same thing Saturday night in Columbus not long after Ohio State accepted the Fiesta Bowl bid following its 14-9 win over Michigan.

It all seemed so official. John Junker, the Fiesta Bowl executive director, was misty-eyed in the end zone at Ohio Stadium and even formed a giant “0” with his arms as he stood near the Ohio State band’s tuba section. You’ll have to forgive Junker; he’s from Akron.

Yet, in a sport in which two-loss Colorado missed a shot at the national title last year by 0.05 of a point and Miami lost out a year earlier by 0.32, how could anyone make any guarantees?

“There’s no way,” Fiesta Bowl spokesman Shawn Schoeffler said Sunday when asked about the possible Oklahoma surprise. “They [Ohio State] are undefeated. They’re so far ahead.”

True enough. Ohio State, No. 2 in last week’s BCS standings, held a 7.05 lead over No. 4 Oklahoma. But, with Washington State’s loss, the Sooners should move to No. 3 in today’s BCS standings and pick up poll points for moving into the spot vacated by Washington State.

What if Oklahoma thrashed Oklahoma State and Colorado in its last two games? Could they make up the gap on Ohio State?

“I hope not,” Schoeffler hedged, “but you never know.”

You hope somebody did the math on this before Ohio State Coach Jim Tressel accepted the Fiesta Bowl bid.

Schoeffler said the Fiesta Bowl received permission to take Ohio State from Big East Commissioner and BCS coordinator Michael Tranghese.

John Paquette, the BCS’ lead spokesman, confirmed Sunday that Tranghese had given the Fiesta Bowl the go-ahead after determining there was no way Ohio State could fall from No. 1 or No. 2.

So there you have it, Buckeye fans. Not even the BCS nerds can screw up this trip to the national title game.

At least that’s today’s story.

Scenarios Central

OK, USC fans, let’s start that eight-clap: U-rah, C-rah, L-rah, A-rah.

One advantage the BCS system has over a playoff is the strange quirks it produces, such as the delicious prospect of USC rooting for UCLA to beat Washington State on Dec. 7. A Bruin win sends USC to the Rose Bowl.

Here’s a look at the contenders in order of last week’s BCS standings.

1. Miami: Plays at Syracuse this week and hosts Virginia Tech on Dec. 7. Two wins and Miami takes on Ohio State for the national title in the Fiesta Bowl.

2. Ohio State: The only thing left to do before Tempe is pack the Panama hats and golf clubs.

3. Washington State: Saturday’s three-overtime loss to Washington knocks the Cougars out of the national title race, but a win over UCLA puts Mike Price’s team in the Rose Bowl.

4. Oklahoma: Will move to No. 3 in the BCS standings and can steal a spot in Tempe if the Sooners win two games and Miami loses once.

5. Georgia: Needs to win its last two games and hope Oklahoma and Miami lose.

6. Notre Dame: Can still get to the national title game if it beats USC this week and Miami, Oklahoma and possibly Georgia lose.

7. Iowa: The school is stuck in neutral, having played its last game Nov. 16. The Hawkeyes are a longshot to make the Fiesta Bowl, but the Rose Bowl is all but cinched.

8: USC: Ready to play leapfrog? If USC beats Notre Dame this weekend, the Trojans probably will jump over the Irish and Iowa to No. 5. From there, all it takes is a Georgia or Oklahoma loss to get the Trojans to No. 4, which would clinch a BCS at-large berth. Even if USC loses to Notre Dame, it goes to the Rose Bowl if UCLA beats Washington State.

Weekend Wrap

More to ponder: If USC gets to No. 4 in the BCS, and Iowa is the clear-cut other at-large choice, 10-2 Notre Dame might get aced out of a major bowl. We thought the Irish had lawyers to protect them from things like this.

It would be really galling if Notre Dame doesn’t make it but that school from Tallahassee does. Florida State, at 8-4, has clinched a share of the Atlantic Coast Conference title and probably will get the BCS berth. If the Seminoles lose to Florida next week, they could be the first five-loss team to make a BCS game. And gee, didn’t Notre Dame sort of take Florida State to the shed this year?

Washington State’s loss all but assures the Pac-10 will be the only major conference not to have placed a school in a BCS national title game.

The good news is the Pac-10 still can get two schools in BCS games if Washington State goes to the Rose Bowl and USC earns an automatic at-large berth.

One man’s minute-to-minute, ever-changing Heisman Trophy top five: 1. Willis McGahee (Miami), 2. Carson Palmer (USC), 3. Larry Johnson (Penn State), 4. Ken Dorsey (Miami), 5. Brad Banks (Iowa).