Clay Travis over at Outkick.com introduced an interesting concept last week that I think I’m going to appropriate. A loss erasure game. It’s when a college team has taken a loss early in the season but manages to “erase” it with subsequent wins. A PRIME example would be the Buckeye’s slip vs Oregon. I’m thinking 56-7 over the #7 team in the country is enough to “erase” the loss.

Speaking of that score, OSU and #1 Georgia BOTH won 56-7. OSU did it vs the #7 team in the country touting a legit Heisman Trophy candidate. Georgia did it against #188 1-AA Charleston Southern. Cupcake week.

So let’s look at our post season bids. Undefeated Georgia stays that way and likely will Top seed. Undefeated UTSA and Cincinnati stayed that way as well but failure to play a D1-A schedule comes with a price.

Next, our one-loss teams. Ohio State has erased their loss (for our purposes) and will likely run the table, by 6 over tsun and double digits vs Wisconsin. Second bid. Alabama’s second loss will keep them out this season. Michigan’s annual loss to OSU will consign it to the same fate. Notre Dame? Do wins over Wisconsin and Purdue “erase” the Cincy loss? I think so. Third bid. Then we get to the Big 12. Okie State is gonna beat Oklahoma. If you’ll recall I called the Baylor win and suggested that Iowa State might also get the win which they nearly did. So believe when I tell you the Cowboys beat the Sooners, twice if need by, take the Big 12 Title and the fourth and final bid.

Everybody lease has 2+ losses (including Oregon, which was predicted on these very pages). That’s your field. Ohio State vs Notre Dame. A classic matchup. Buckeyes by a touchdown. Georgia over Oklahoma State in an interesting game. Hoping the Big 12 video game offense runs ’em ragged. Georgia by double digits. And the Georgia D vs OSU O should be one for the ages.

In HS news my Roughriders edged the Fort Frey Cadets 16-14 to head to the final four where they’ll face Coldwater. An AWESOME program that’s beaten us like five times in a row. Game’s in Piqua. Their schedule wasn’t as tough as our this season which is good, but we have one common opponent – Mechanicsburg. The Indians beat us 30-13 but lost to the Cavaliers 42-6. That does not bode well.

1. Georgia. Still. No end in sight. They’ll beat Bama. Bid.

2. Ohio State. Beat Sparty by 14+. Over tsun by 7. And over the East winner by 10+. Bid.

3. Alabama. But they won’t stay here. No bid.

4. Wisconsin. See #2. No bid

5. Oklahoma State. They’re a figgie better than Oklahoma. They’ll beat ’em twice if they need to. Bid.

6. Michigan. See #2. No bid

7. Notre Dame. Runs the table. Final bid.

8. Oklahoma. Tol’ ya. See #5.

9. Texas A&M. Three loses already.

10. Iowa State. COULD beat Okie State and cost the Big 12 a bid

Cincinnati. STILL not a D-1 schedule. Wins over SMU and Houston MIGHT elevate it enough to get the final bid if Oklahoma State slips.

Oregon? Gonna lose to Utah at LEAST once. Maybe twice. One win does NOT make a season.

Outkick has an interesting write-up on what happens if ALL the wheels fall off: Starting 11: Could a Two-Loss Playoff Team Emerge?

Roughriders won 33-8. Weird scoring. Was 19-8 at the half. Missed xp’s, 2 point conversions. Odd coaching decisions. We play the #3 Fort Frye Cadets next. They’ve played a smidge better schedule than we have. It’s for the Regional Title which we haven’t won in QUITE some time. I’m afraid they’ll beat us, but hope it’s by less that 14. Game’s in Logan.

Only gonna consider teams with not more than one loss.

1. Georgia. Tennessee might score a few points this weekend but they STILL aren’t gonna get beat.
2. Ohio State. 18 over the Boilers. 16 over Sparty. A 6 point scare in Anne Arbor. A romp in the title game. And a bid.
3. Alabama. Loses to Georgia and no bid.
4. Oklahoma. Only one win vs opponent with a winning record. Next three currently ALL have ’em. And Okie State beats them in Stillwater after Baylor and the Cyclones wear them down. Winner of the rematch will get a bid.
5. tsun. see #2.
6. Oklahoma State. see #4
7. Notre Dame. Right now I’d give them my final slot.
8. Cincinnati. If ya wanna make the D1 playoffs ya gotta play a D1 schedule.
9. Wake Forest. see #8

I feel BAD about taking the Golden Dome over the Bearcats … but not THAT bad. ND has played a schedule on par with Alabama and Okie State. The other “whatabout” is Oregon who beat Ohio State. I’m thinking they’ll lose at least one of their two matchups with the Utes and take themselves out of the conversation.

My Polar Bears are 4-5 with one game remaining against the Fighting Student Princes. The OAC is kinda the SEC of D III with Mount Union playing the part of Alabama. As a result three of our loses were to nationally ranked teams by an average of less than 7 ppg. So some good football being played.

And finally round three of the OHSAA playoffs this weekend. The Roughriders dropped another one to ….I GUESS they’ve become our rival …. Mechanicsburg, but still got a #3 seed. When these playoffs started (in 1973) only 12 teams made it in the entire STATE. This year it’s 448! Maybe a quarter of them deserve it. We beat #14 Valley, who didn’t, then beat #6 Northmor by 50 points! Even at 9-2 they weren’t deserving. Definition? You need TWO wins against schools with winning records. If they’re small than you they coun’t 1/2 and if they’re bigger they count 1 1/2. We have four. They had 1 1/2. This week we’ll be facing the Fairland Dragons for the first time in school history. They’re the #2 seed and ALSO have 4 quality wins. Two more wins and we MIGHT bet a Mechanicsburg rematch! Realistically we don’t get past Fort Frye.