New Life: How Ohio State Can Play for the BCS Title

LSU's loss to Arkansas may just hand Ohio State a ticket to New Orleans.

Kansas is now the unofficial No. 1, with the "Game of the Century" tonight against fourth-ranked (or third-ranked) Missouri.

West Virginia is now No. 2, with games versus No. 20 UConn and Pitt still to play.

Which leaves Ohio State—with their regular season over—and Georgia—who still has to beat Georgia Tech—to round out the Top Five.

The Kansas-Missouri winner will still have to play in the Big 12 title game, where they could possibly be upset by Oklahoma.

If that happens, Ohio State has a chance to make it to the BCS Championship Game.

The problem is that Ohio State's season is finished. Yes, that means the Buckeyes can't possibly lose again—but it also means they can't win again to refresh the pollsters' very short memories.

Remember what happened to Michigan last year. After losing to Ohio State, the Wolverines managed to hold on to a No. 2 ranking—but Florida eventually snuck in to take the their spot.

Why?

Because the Gators played in the SEC title game, in which they impressed the fickle pollsters.

The same fate may well befall Ohio State this year. Michigan fans must be tickled by the irony.

Just for fun, let's assume that the Kansas-Missouri winner does lose in the Big 12 title game. That should, barring a West Virginia loss, lead to a WVU-OSU BCS Championship Game.

But wait—the Bulldogs!

If Georgia beats Tech and wins the SEC Championship Game (they can get there if Kentucky beats Tennessee), I can't see the Bulldogs not playing for the national title.

Like I said, Ohio State has a chance. But the Buckeyes' greatest advantage is also their greatest weakness:

They don't play again until their bowl game.