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Ohio State could wind up ranked No. 2 in the country at the end of the season and not make its conference championship game.The Buckeyes lost control of their destiny last Saturday not because of what they did on the field in their second consecutive 62-3 victory but as a result of Michigans loss at Iowa.The Wolverines first setback this season pushed them into a three-way tie with Ohio State and Penn State atop the Big Ten East Division.What the season comes down to is this: If the Buckeyes win their final two games, against Michigan State on Saturday (noon ET, ESPN) and Michigan the following week, theyll need the Nittany Lions to lose one of their final two games against Rutgers and Michigan State to secure a spot in Indianapolis for the Big Ten championship game.If Michigan had remained undefeated entering its annual showdown with Ohio State and then lost to the Buckeyes, it would have created a three-way tie atop the standings, assuming Penn State wins out. The tiebreaker scenario in that case would have favored Ohio State.Michigan, meanwhile, still controls its fate. Penn State, by virtue of an upset of Ohio State, has the next-best chance of going to Indianapolis.So, for the second straight year, Ohio State could ultimately end up being the best team in the Big Ten at the end of the season and not make the conference title game.The question then becomes: Would a one-loss Ohio State team that didnt win its conference championship still land one of the four spots in the College Football Playoff?I see it like this: If we win out all our games, Big Ten championship or not, youre not going to put us in? Buckeyes quarterback J.T. Barrett asked. Like youre going to leave Ohio State out? That doesnt make sense to me.The answers will be provided in the next three weeks. In the meantime, all the Buckeyes (9-1, 6-1 Big Ten) can do is prepare for Saturdays visit to East Lansing to take on the struggling Spartans (3-7, 1-6), who entered the week as 24-point underdogs.Novembers here and we have a big one coming, Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said.Entering the season, Saturdays matchup against Michigan State was one of the games circled on the calendar as a potential blockbuster. But the Spartans, after winning the Big Ten championship a year ago, limp into the game with just one conference win, which finally came last Saturday when they ended a seven-game losing streak with a 49-0 victory over Rutgers.Weve come to play every single football game, so its unfortunate where were at, said Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio, a former Ohio State assistant. But you cant look past it. You cant look backward here; you have to look to the future. Ohio State is a big game for us, for this program, and always has been. A lot of guys from Ohio, so its a special game in that respect.All thats left for Michigan State now is the chance to impact the Big Ten East race in their final two games against Big Ten East co-leaders Ohio State and Penn State. A win Saturday would be a stunner, but the Spartans werent expected to win last year in Columbus.We have reasons to play, even if its in a spoiler fashion, Dantonio said. There are possibilities as we go forward. And I think that as we look at who were playing -- two very good football teams, two Top 10 football teams -- weve got our work cut out for us as we always do. But weve got every reason to play.Ohio State shouldnt have any problems getting hyped for this one, knowing whats at stake as far as their championship hopes. The Buckeyes undoubtedly will also remember the pain of their only loss last year, when Michigan State spoiled a perfect season with an upset on the last play of the game in the rain in Columbus.As the Buckeyes left the field last Saturday in College Park, Md., hours before Michigan stumbled at Iowa, they were feeling good about their performance against Maryland and thinking about avenging the 2015 loss to Michigan State.Theres a little bit of human element that comes into the game, especially with them ruining senior night for us last year and ruining the season we were supposed to have last year, Ohio State guard Billy Price said. Its in the back of your head, absolutely.Ohio State appears to have ironed out issues on offense since the Oct. 22 loss at Penn State, outscoring Nebraska and Maryland 124-3 in the last two games.Theres more of a concerted effort to get the ball in H-back Curtis Samuels hands. He has game-breaking talent -- he is the only FBS player with at least 600 yards rushing (637) and receiving (750), and he has 13 touchdowns (seven rushing, six receiving).He just knows how to make a play, Buckeyes cornerback Marshon Lattimore said. He knows how to go out there and do what he has to do to put us in a position to win. I love when he touches the ball. Josh Bell Jersey . Inter president Erick Thohir says in a club statement on Wednesday that Vidic is "one of the worlds best defenders and his qualities, international pedigree, and charisma will be an asset. Pittsburgh Pirates Jerseys ., and Rudi Swiegers of Kipling, Sask., took sixth spot on Saturday in pairs at the NHK Trophy ISU Grand Prix figure skating competition. http://www.pittsburghpiratesprostore.us/Jung-ho-Kang-pirates-jersey/ . -- The plastic that was taped across the lockers in Oaklands clubhouse came down and the champagne that was on ice went back into the cooler. Bill Mazeroski Jersey . Brazilian national coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has confirmed that the veteran goalkeeper is set to join Toronto on loan, saying it will help him be ready for the World Cup. Willie Stargell Pirates Jersey . Fred Couples, captain of the U.S. side, put it all into perspective. "We know whos in charge," he said. The No. 3-ranked Villanova Wildcats will attempt to win their fourth consecutive regular season tournament when they battle UCF in the championship game of the Gildan Charleston Classic Sunday night at 9:30 p.m. ET.Villanova (4-0) defeated Western Michigan and Wake Forest to reach the final while UCF (3-0) knocked off Mississippi State and the College of Charleston.The Villanova senior class has been part of a group that has registered an impressive 101-13 record along with the 2013 Battle 4 Atlantis, 2014 Legends Classic and 2015 NIT Season Tipoff titles in consecutive years.In the 19-point semifinal win over Wake Forest, guard Josh Hart set a new career-high with 30 points while Mikal Bridges also scored a career-best 19 points.Second to our defense, we were really efficient offensively, Villanova head coach Jay Wright said to reporters after the win over the Demon Deacons. Josh has not just been playing well, but efficiently. So when you get into a game like this, where there are a lot of offensive possessions, and you are playing efficiently, you are going to get some numbers.Hart made 11 of his 14 shots, including 6-of-8 from beyond the arc.Efficient indeed.It really comes down to making the right play, Hart said. We came in with the mindset of, Do the right thing, make the right play. The ball was really moving well today, it wasnt sticking. I think that was the biggest part of the efficiency.UCF advanced to the championship by virtue of a 60-40 victory over the College of Charleston. UCFs defense was outstanding as it held the Cougars to 40 points on 26.8 percent shooting.The last time the Knights played a ddefending national champion came on Nov.dddddddddddd 25, 2011 when they defeated Connecticut 68-63 in the semifinals of the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament. UCF lost to Harvard in the title game.UCF coach Johnny Dawkins understands what the challenge looks like in ousting Villanova, especially since he lost to him last year at Stanford in the NIT Season Tip-off.Jays a great coach and a friend, Dawkins told reporters. Hes done a terrific job with his team. Ive watched them over the years, what theyve done, hes built an amazing program. We have a chance to play for a championship. It will be a great opportunity for our guys to compete against one of the best teams in the nation.UCF graduate transfer Nick Baynard has earned double figures in rebounding in all three wins and he had 10 rebounds, four points and three assists in the win over the Cougars. Before joining UCF, Banyard had reached double figures in rebounds just once in three seasons at New Mexico and Illinois State.B.J. Taylor had 10 assists and zero turnovers in the quarterfinal victory and followed that performance with 21 points in the semifinal round. He leads the Knights in scoring at 17.3 points per game.The defense must rise to another level against Villanova, one of the most dangerous offensive teams in the country.Defensively, I thought it was one of the best efforts weve had this season, Dawkins said after the 20-point victory over the College of Charleston. Both halves, I thought we were as engaged as weve been this year. ' ' '