As the rest of the college football world begins to see the Ohio State Buckeyes as the Buffalo Bills of college football, Jim Tressel has only one job: To pick up the pieces and try to put Humpty Dumpty back together all over again.

He is in the same place he was a year ago, having been thrashed in the BCS national championship.

As he says, he must recruit as hard as he can for another month, sign the best class he can and then coach as hard as he and his staff can through spring practice.

Then come summer, they must return to work with one mission: Make another run at the title.

In between, he needs to hope that as few juniors as possible decide to declare themselves eligible for the NFL draft.

“I’m guessing (defensive end) Vernon Gholston for sure, because being a fourth-year guy I don’t know how much more he can enhance himself draft-wise … and I’m guessing maybe (linebacker James) Laurinaitis,” Tressel told the Columbus Dispatch in the New Orleans airport Tuesday morning while rushing to catch his plane to the coaches‘ convention in California. “Now, if that’s it — don’t get me wrong, those are two great ones for the Buckeyes — but if you lose three or four, that will make it a little more difficult.”

To which, I have always been puzzled at how much he seems to encourage his juniors to explore their NFL options.

Remember this story that broke on December 13: “Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said that he has encouraged 13 of his underclassmen to fill out the paperwork to gauge where they might go in the NFL draft next spring.”

My take is for a head coach to put the best possible product on the field, year in and year out. Encouraging your juniors to leave for the NFL does not accomplish that goal. Having them pull a Peyton Manning and stay for their senior seasons either because they love Ohio State, want to improve their draft status or want their degree first, does help a coach accomplish it, however.

And to say Gholston could not improve his draft status, I would disagree. If he had a monster senior season, moving up 15 to 20 selections in the first or even second round would make him enough extra money in a signing bonus alone to make his final season at Ohio State pay for itself.

The Buckeyes do plenty to promote players for the NFL, starting with the exposure they receive while at Ohio State. Then there is the NFL day before the draft in which they all can work out in front of hundreds of NFL scouts and general managers. Pushing them out the door prematurely is not one of the head coach’s defined duties.

All it can do is help make your roster one year younger. You don’t think having Ted Ginn Jr., Anthony Gonzales and Antonio Pittman would have helped just a little Monday night in New Orleans?

That said, there is talent stocked no matter how many leave for the NFL. But will it be experienced talent?

As far as the 2008 schedule goes, there is one very good thing: A September 13 meeting at USC can knock down any skeptics’ arrows as far as making the Buckeyes’ schedule a target. It will be no laughingstock as it was in 2007. So an early win in the L.A. Coliseum can go along way toward restoring some credibility.

Also, there are Big Ten road games at Wisconsin, Michigan State and Illinois, where redemption is surely in order.

In the end, Ohio State must win its bowl game next season, no matter where it is. A BCS title in Miami, of course, would be the first choice.

But should the Buckeyes, who will face a Michigan team with a first-year head coach and first-year starter at quarterback at Ohio Stadium, win the Big Ten and get to the Rose Bowl for the first time in 13 seasons — they must win it, if only to eliminate this burgeoning status as a perennial runner-up.

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NEW ORLEANS — I will never forget the scene a year ago Tuesday in Glendale, Ariz., especially the look on many of the Ohio State Buckeyes’ faces as they sat forlornly on the sideline of the University of Phoenix Stadium.

Some reflected a dazed look much like a boxer who had been crumpled to his knees. Some appeared to be in shock, as if they had just discovered their girlfriend was cheating on them.

After the final play and after the confetti had fallen and the scoreboard read 41-14, thousands of Florida Gator fans celebrated their way into the parking lot, many tossing verbal scorn to anyone wearing Scarlet and Gray.

“That’s the best the Big Ten has to offer?” I’ll never forget one shouting into the cool Arizona air. “Hell, there are seven or eight teams in the SEC that would beat that team.”

Well, that team is back again.

Back as Big Ten champions.

Back to the nation’s No. 1 ranking.

Back to the national championship game.

And this time, I have a strong feeling things will be different.

For starters, the Buckeyes have used that January 8, 2007, embarrassment as motivation for every off-season workout, practice and game since (with the aberration being the 28-21 loss to Illinois).

They are hungry to play their best against LSU.

Secondly, they match up well against the Tigers. In other words, LSU’s strength on offense plays into Ohio State’s strength on defense. The Tigers will try to run right at Ohio State and mix in play-action passes and a reverse here or there. Les Miles likes to throw in a trick play or here, so expect a halfback pass or a fake punt.

But I expect the Buckeyes to be ready for it all. This time, there is no spread offense or zone-read option to defend. There is no overconfidence to fight.

Another thing that will shock LSU: This Ohio State team is just as fast as the Tigers, no matter what you read or hear on ESPN.

I expect Beanie Wells to have a big game, because Florida, Auburn and Arkansas gashed LSU’s vaunted defense at times.

I expect Jim Tressel to make this game resemble an Ohio State-Michigan game. Win with a strong running game and flawless kicking game. Play field-position football, eat the clock and win a low-scoring game.

Yes, that team will gain redemption Monday night. That team and that program will capture another national championship. That team will beat LSU and stun the national college football critics, who have labeled them too slow and too overrated to be here in the first place.

I’ll go one further. That team will dominate the Tigers with a stifling defensive performance.

Something to the tune of 24-9.

That team, the Ohio State Buckeyes, will be champions again.

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NEW ORLEANS — Ohio State will play more than a football game Monday night in the Louisiana Superdome.

At stake is more than a national championship, if that is possible.

I believe that the Buckeyes will be playing for the image and overall health of the program for years to come.

Because of the lasting perception that this team is overrated and undeserving because of the 27-point loss to Florida last January 8, this BCS championship game becomes even more crucial.

In other words, this is a must win for the Buckeyes.

It really is.

Should Ohio State lose this game, and even worse if the outcome is not close, it could set the program back years.

Pollsters and the ESPN types would penalize Ohio State even further, if that is indeed possible, into the 2008 season. Too slow. Too soft. Too much of a Big Ten team. Can’t win the big games against the LSUs, Floridas and USCs of the college football world, the critics will say.

Should Ohio State lose again, the Buckeyes will not receive any benefit of the doubt in future polls, no matter their record. For proof, just realize that one Harris Poll voter, which affects the BCS standings, has Ohio State ranked No. 5 right now. Several others had the Buckeyes ranked third or fourth.

“This game is going to make or break our reputation for the next five years,” cornerback Malcolm Jenkins said. “I guarantee it.”

I do, too.

Jenkins is right. This game will carry ramifications into future seasons.

Should the Buckeyes win, all the negatives from the way the 2006 season ended will finally come to an end and their image as a football powerhouse will be restored.

“There’s a lot riding on this game,” Jenkins added. “Not just the national championship, but as far as the Big Ten, Ohio State…the whole reputation.”

If Ohio State wins, on the other hand, not only does it claim another national title — Jim Tressel’s second in seven seasons, but the critics will take the program seriously again for seasons to come — no matter what happens in 2008 or ‘09.

A BCS championship and impressive win over the Tigers would restore much of the luster lost off those silver helmets.

So this isn’t just a game just for the 2007 team. This is a game that will determine how people regard future Buckeye teams as well.

As far as Ohio State football history — going back 117 years — there may never have been a more important game than this one.

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NEW ORLEANS — Be prepared, because you are about to be inundated with negative publicity surrounding your Ohio State Buckeyes.

Almost a week’s worth, if you will.

I am speaking of ESPN and the national media, of course, which has pummeled the Buckeyes for an entire calendar year.

You will read and hear how the Buckeyes are too slow to compete with a speedy team like LSU. You will read and how the Big Ten’s champion is no match for the champion of the SEC, which could compete with the New England Patriots on a good day.

You will be bombarded with images from last season’s championship game debacle — the 41-14 embarrassment delivered by another SEC team, the Florida Gators.

I mean, by gosh, if they can’t beat a three-loss Illinois team — a team that lost by 32 points to USC in the Rose Bowl — at home, then how can they possibly beat the SEC’s best?

I also have heard all the ESPN types project which team will be the pre-season No. 1 team for 2008 and not one has mentioned the Buckeyes, even though they will lose only two starters on offense and one on defense.

And you will hear those from two-loss Georgia and two-loss USC saying they should be voted national champion in the AP poll should the Buckeyes some how, some way find a way to defeat LSU.

By the time kickoff for the BCS Championship Game rolls around on Monday night, you would never think the Buckeyes would stand a chance to stay on the same field with the vaunted Tigers.

“We understand that people are going to question about last year and people are really going to question I think how legit we are as a team going into this game,” linebacker James Laurinaitis said. “That’s something that’s just a real issue and a real fact. We can’t change that, we just have to try to prepare the best we can and play the best we can.”

They can’t change it for now, other than the way they prepare for the game. As Ohio State fans, the best thing to do now is take it all in, seethe quietly for a week and then hopefully, get the last word by the time the clock strikes midnight on Monday.

This is just how the system works.

The collective media is made of a short attention span and shorter memories. Its last image of the Buckeyes is not of their whipping of Penn State or Michigan on the road. It is of Illinois playing keep-away from them and of the Gators running by them January 8.

Those in Ohio know different. We have seen this Ohio State team dominate every opponent, except the Illini. We have noticed what is likely the fastest defense ever to wear the scarlet and gray. We have been impressed with a team that seems to possess a killer instinct. We have seen them win with a running game one week and a passing game the next. Sure, the schedule was weak, simply because the Big Ten is down, and we know that. And we happened to schedule our neighbors Youngstown State, Kent State and Akron, for some reason.

So to recap: We root for a football team as slow as Forrest Gump‘s mind. Our schedule stunk like a dead walleye lying on the beach during a 90-degree day.

Accept this, too: Ohio State is the Rodney Dangerfield of the college football world.

Soak it all in and grit your teeth with a gleam in your eye.

And take solace in the fact that there is a very good chance that all of it will change come next Monday night.

Popularity: 24% [?]

By no means do I want to jump the gun on something so important, or make unfounded allegations of something as severe as this.

But the following sentence is a shocker:

According to Yahoo! Sports, an official covering the Illinois-Ohio State game, a game filled with controversial officiating, has a history of bankruptcy and gambling, as well as other criminal offenses.

You read that correctly.

There is no evidence that the official improperly influenced the outcome of the game, but after the recent NBA officiating scandal, this kind of report on a Big Ten official has to be a concern for the Conference and the schools.

Remember the officiating controversy following the Illini’s 28-21 shocker in Columbus on Nov. 10?

I had written previously that the Big Ten had reprimanded referee Stephen Pamon and his crew over their many mistakes during their Nov. 3 game — Penn State‘s 26-19 win over Purdue.

The Big Ten as much as said Pamon and as many as three more of his crew members would be either “fired or suspended” following the regular season. Then the Big Ten, due to an officiating shortage and schedules that are made a month in advance, sent Pamon’s crew to officiate No. 1-ranked Ohio State’s home game against Illinois the very next Saturday.

To recap: That was a game in which THREE penalties were called — one on Illinois, two on Ohio State. That was the game in which an Illinois running back clearly fumbled at Ohio State’s 3-yard line and a Buckeye defensive back recovered in the end zone. No fumble was called. The play was not reviewed and Illinois scored its first touchdown on the very next play. That was the game in which there was a clear “pick” play in which a Buckeye defensive back was knocked down by an Illini receiver, allowing another receiver to break wide open for their third touchdown. The back judge in charge of the play was looking directly at the would-be infraction, yet made no call. That was the game in which there were two — and could have been many more — clear would-be holding penalties on the offensive line in the final eight minutes of the game.

Remember, that was a possession in which the Illini consumed the final eight minutes of the game, while holding a seven-point lead.

Now that we are caught up, here’s what Yahoo.com — the website that broke news of Reggie Bush’s many improprieties at USC — reported Wednesday night:

“Yahoo has learned that Big Ten referee Stephen Pamon has a history of bankruptcy, casino gambling, child abuse and allegations of sexual harassment.

“The (Big Ten) conference said it conducted its last background check on Pamon in 2005 and knew of ‘certain civil and criminal records for Pamon,’ according to a conference statement, ‘Upon further third-party review, the conference was satisfied that the financial and criminal issues had been resolved at that time.’

“The conference said that based on the article, ‘the conference office intends to follow up on the veracity and accuracy of the new information and will also provide an opportunity for Pamon to respond as required by the Fair Credit Reporting Act.’

“Pamon, a Big Ten official since 1988, filed for bankruptcy along with his wife in 2002, listing two casinos among the creditors. Pamon also was charged with repeatedly beating three of his girlfriend’s four sons with an electrical cord in 1997, was fired from the Chicago Police Department in 1995, reportedly after two female officers accused him of sexual harassment according to published reports, and was accused by a former wife of striking her and assaulting a 19-year-old niece, according to court records.

“There is no evidence linking Pamon to gambling on games,” Yahoo! Sports reported.

No evidence as yet, and to be fair, perhaps no evidence exists that Pamon or any of his crew members bet on college football.

But in these situations, there’s always a fear that an official could tip off a bookie, whom he was indebted to for a large sum and thusly, the debt would be erased, to “take Illinois and the points this Saturday.” For the record, Ohio State entered the game as a 17-point favorite.

There certainly is a lot of smoke coming from this whole episode. And like the old saying goes, “where there’s smoke…”

Can you imagine the ramifications following a Big Ten investigation if Pamon and/or a crew member actually influenced the outcome of the game?

At the time, the Buckeyes’ loss appeared certain to prevent them from the BCS championship game and the $19 million payout the Big Ten would receive.

More than five weeks later, Ohio State is No. 1 again and headed to the title game. As for the rest, it is up to the Big Ten, and perhaps authorities with some real power, to determine if what happened Nov. 10 on the playing field was legitimate.

After all, following what the NBA discovered a few months ago regarding one of its referees and gambling, I will believe anything.

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I used to write a column with the following content about once per year, but especially since 1998 when the Bowl Alliance and the subsequent Bowl Championship Series have replaced the old bowl system which had existed for much of the past 75 years.

Here’s the bottom line: I do not believe there should be a playoff for major college football.

In fact, I believe a playoff would hurt what I believe is the best game we have in America.

And what I really don’t like are the BCS bashers, who either have a memory as short as Mike Hart or already prefer pro sports to college football anyway.

Why do I feel this way?

Pull up a chair.

I think college football is the BEST game in the country, BECAUSE there is no so-called playoff.

THE REGULAR SEASON:
For starters, because every game is so important, college football owns the best and most exciting regular season of any sport.

Is there any sport where the first month of the season is so interesting? All the way through the final games, it remains so. Do you really pay attention to the NBA in October? Or Major League Baseball in April? What pro sports essentially does is play an entire season to determine 60 percent of its playoff participants. And that’s when the real season begins.

In fact, I wouldn’t watch a regular-season NBA game over an Andy Griffith re-run (black-and-white only), if you paid me. As for baseball, only the pennant races and then the playoffs are crucial to determining a champion. The Yankees can sweep the Red Sox in May, but who cares? If the Red Sox come back to beat them 4-3 for the ALCS, that is what matters.

During a normal college season — and this season was anything but normal — if you lose once in September, your chances at a national championship are severely damaged. If you lose twice in a season, you are out (like I said, during a “normal” season). This season became historic with two-loss LSU in the national championship game.

In other words, the regular-season IS the playoff. For example, think of the past two weeks as the final stages of the playoff with as many as eight teams in the running for the championship game. Oklahoma got beat by Texas Tech and didn’t advance. Kansas got beat by Missouri and didn’t advance. Neither did Oregon, etc. Neither did Arizona State. Then Missouri and West Virginia dropped out at the last minute.

It is simple — if you win as the season progresses, you advance to the title game.

Think of the 12-game season for each team as a body of work. On Dec. 2, who had the two best bodies of work? Nine times out of 10, those ARE the two teams ranked 1-2 by the BCS. Too many critics get caught up in the rankings before they really matter.

THE BAD OL’ DAYS:
Now let’s go back before the BCS and before the Bowl Alliance System. Look at the national champions over history. In many years, there were TWO per season. I mean Oklahoma and Alabama shared more titles than twins share clothing.

As recently as 1997, we had 11-0 Michigan in the Rose Bowl and 11-0 Nebraska in the Orange. Both won and both were declared national champions. (good thing for Lloyd Carr he didn’t have to face that Cornhusker team).

But really, nobody back then seemed to complain much. This type of season was common on throughout college football history. The record books are full of dual champions during the same season. There was virtually no uproar. Because it was the season, the tradition, the rivalries, etc. that mattered.

Now, all of sudden since the BCS was created, there is an annual uproar.

It seems to me that the critics of the BCS forgot how bad the old system, which lasted for 100 years, was when it came to declaring national champions. It was always by a vote.

BOWL DEALING:
In the early days when I covered college football, up until the mid 1990s, I had to write weekly stories beginning in October about what bowl committee was striking early deals with what teams. We had the Cotton Bowl being arranged in mid-November and then the invitee (by secret handshake) may have lost a game or two after the deal was struck. It was absurd. Now we have bowl tie-ins with conferences and matchups are not determined until following the regular season.

Now that we have adopted the BCS, there is no vote — it is a BCS championship game. It also took away those old bowl allegiances of conference champions, so No. 1 vs. No. 2 teams could meet in a bowl and it has worked perfectly almost every single season since 1998.

We had two of the games of the centuries with Texas-USC in the Rose and Ohio State-Miami in the Fiesta — both for national championships. Another time, in 1999, we had a clear-cut No. 1 versus No. 2 with unbeaten Florida State and Virginia Tech. None of these matchups would have been possible without the BCS.

TV RATINGS:
As it is, despite de-regulation so we can have five or six games on TV at any one time, college football TV ratings continue to climb. It is an extremely popular game as it is.

ATTENDANCE ISSUES:
Have you checked what has happened to attendance for the 119 Division I-A teams? Across the board, it increases every year. Many of the traditional programs have long waiting lists for season tickets.

Now here’s the catch and most proponents of a playoff haven’t thought this far.

For an eight-game playoff, as most BCS critics want, attendance would be a real problem. You would want the playoff to be fair and to be played on neutral sites, right?

So say I am a Buckeye fan. When I look at the bracket, perhaps Ohio State’s quarterfinal game is in Orlando, the semifinal would be in New Orleans and the final would be in Pasadena. Which one can I afford to travel from Ohio to attend? Do I go to Orlando, or save my money for the championship game in Pasadena? I can’t take off work for all three on three consecutive weekends, nor can I afford it.

But I can save enough to go to ONE bowl per year.

And believe me, the locals won’t fill up these huge stadiums in the quarterfinal games of teams of which they have no affiliation.

When critics point to not having this issue in the NCAA basketball tournament, which lasts three weekends, I answer, “Duh … basketball arenas hold 12,000-18,000 fans. Major football stadiums hold 72,000-105,000.”

RIVALRIES:
Most rivalries are played during the final two weeks of the season. Take last season for example. No. 1 Ohio State hosted No. 2 Michigan on the final week of the season. If there had been an eight-team playoff beginning the following week, what happened to that rivalry game?

You’re right — it isn’t worth a $3 steak. If I am Jim Tressel, I would be resting Troy Smith for the playoff. Hey, I have already qualified for the playoff with an 11-0 record. So has Michigan. The bottom line is that a playoff would severely hurt the huge rivalries, which are undoubtedly one of the best aspects of college football.

THE BOWLS:
Like them or not, they serve a real purpose. Ohio State for example, fields 36 men and women’s sports. Most major programs have somewhere in the 20s. From women’s field hockey to lacrosse to synchronized swimming, etc. You know what helps pay for those women’s sports, etc.? That‘s right — bowl money.

Frankly, my daughter is a pretty good fast-pitch softball player. I want her to go to college. I wouldn’t mind if she received an athletic scholarship. She has a better chance of getting one at a BCS school because they have the means to pay for it, because there are 32 bowls generating almost $200 million annually.

If there were a playoff, there wouldn’t be 32 bowls. They would begin slowly dying like an un-watered plant.

OTHER SUB-CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION’S PLAYOFFS:
This time of year, some critics always point to the playoffs held in what was Division I-AA, as well as Division II and II. Then they say something like “See, if they can do it…”

Can any of those critics name three Division I-AA teams? Three Division II teams? Probably not. Did they ever watch a Division I-AA regular season game (not counting Appalachian State’s victory over Michigan)? Probably not. Do they check out the attendance of these games. I know they don’t. Believe me, it’s paltry.

So to cap this off, I will quote former NFL Coach Jim Mora.

“PLAYOFF? PLAYOFF? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?”

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Here’s a hypothetical question for you.

Would you rather No. 1 Missouri lose Saturday’s Big 12 Championship Game, allowing Ohio State to play for the national championship — or would you rather see the Buckeyes play in the Rose Bowl (and all the tradition and pageantry it offers) where they have played only once in 22 years?

OK, let me go one step further.

What if I told you that this is Jan. 8, 2008, and the Buckeyes just lost the BCS Championship Game to West Virginia the night before?

Now, let me ask you again, would you have rather they had gone to the Rose Bowl?

This is a real dilemma and I must admit, I am torn.

If they would be facing a different opponent in New Orleans, I would call this a no-brainer. We should want national championships. And we should want to take on all-comers to play for them.

But the Mountaineers, who surely will trample Pitt this Saturday, pose a real problem for the Buckeyes. They run the same offensive system in which Illinois made Ohio State’s defense look silly. And they run it better and faster!

I don’t know what happened to the Buckeyes’ defense when it comes to the trendy zone-read option, but Florida used it effectively in the 41-14 embarrassment in last season’s title game and the Illini converted third down after third down to control the ball and thus, upset Ohio State three weeks ago.

A few years ago, Ohio State defended this offense very well — but then again, Northwestern and Indiana were the teams in the Big Ten using it. Neither has the athletes of Florida, Illinois and especially, West Virginia.

(At the same time, I have absolutely no doubt that Ohio State would run the ball almost at will against West Virginia’s defense, but that is for another blog).

Just as the Buckeyes are still paying for that Jan. 8 debacle against Florida as far as image and respect go (why else do you think they are ranked No. 3 today while one-loss Missouri and one-loss West Virginia are ranked higher?), another convincing loss in the BCS title game for the second consecutive year would be devastating.

It would have a carry-over effect like we’ve never seen before, not so much on the players, but on how the program is perceived across the nation.

I really don’t know who to root for in this Big 12 Championship Game. Part of me wants to see the Buckeyes in the Rose Bowl, where I think they match up very well with likely opponent USC, even though the Trojans are now healthy.

And part of me wants them to play for it all.

Again, that undoubtedly could be the worst scenario of them all.

The bottom line is this: If they get the chance to play for it all in New Orleans, they MUST win it all.

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Now that Michigan has been disposed of and Ohio State is resting in the BCS clubhouse with an 11-1 record, there remains a possibility the Buckeyes could wind up in New Orleans for the national championship game.

Surely, it would be great to see them play on that fabled grass of the Rose Bowl, where they have played only once in the past 22 years, but let’s face it — a chance to win the national championship is better.

And if you want to see it happen, here are some games to root for:

• Root for KENTUCKY to beat Tennessee this Saturday. Why? Because if the Wildcats would upset the Volunteers, Georgia and not Tennessee would represent the SEC East against No. 1 ranked LSU in the SEC Championship Game Dec. 1. And there is absolutely no doubt that Georgia matches up pretty well and much, much better with LSU than the pass-happy, softer Volunteers do. LSU’s defense is vulnerable to a good running game, and Georgia has had a very good running game over the past four games.
• But first things first - root for ARKANSAS to get fired up to send Coach Houston Nutt out on a positive note this Friday. Should the Razorbacks shock the Tigers in Baton Rouge, the SEC title game is moot.
• Root for Oklahoma or Texas (which would represent the Big 12 South in the league championship game should the Sooners stumble to Oklahoma State Saturday) in the Big 12 Championship Game Dec. 1 against whoever wins this Saturday’s game between Kansas and Missouri. And since the Big 12 title game will be played in San Antonio this year, I believe the improving Longhorns have a better chance to win this game than the beat-up Sooners do. So in that regard, root for OKLAHOMA STATE to upset the Sooners once again and for Texas to win at Texas A&M.
• Root AGAINST West Virginia in its final two games against Connecticut and Pittsburgh. Both will be played in Morgantown.

After all that is said, I believe there is a better chance that LSU and the Big 12 contenders will lose before the Mountaineers will lose again.

I really think West Virginia’s last chance to be eliminated went down the tubes when the Mountaineers survived at Cincinnati 28-23 Saturday.

Therefore, it appears to me that the Buckeyes’ most likely opponent should they reach New Orleans would be a 11-1 West Virginia team, which runs the read-option to semi-perfection. And let me tell you, the Mountaineers are faster on offense than Illinois. At the same time, however, Ohio State should be able to pound West Virginia’s undersized defense.

So draw your own conclusions on what — and who — to root for over the next two weeks.

It all depends on whether you want to see the Buckeyes in Pasadena in a very winnable game against either Oregon, Arizona State or USC — or back in the national title game facing a much tougher task against a team that has had a shorter layoff.

Sound familiar?

Here’s another scenario to consider and I believe this is very likely. If either LSU loses again or the winner of the Kansas-Missouri game loses in the Big 12 Championship Game a week later — but the other component wins — the Mountaineers likely would receive the other bid for the BCS Championship Game over the Buckeyes.

Both would have 11-1 records, should the Mountaineers defeat Connecticut and then Pittsburgh as expected.

Examine their respective schedules and tell me why No. 4 West Virginia holds a 116-point lead this week over No. 5 Ohio State in the AP poll.

The highest ranked team West Virginia has defeated (in this week’s poll) is No. 24 Cincinnati. The Buckeyes’ lone win over a ranked team came over No. 22 Wisconsin (Penn State and Michigan have fallen out of the polls).

Furthermore, the Mountaineers’ lone loss is to unranked South Florida. The Buckeyes’ lone loss is to No. 18 Illinois.

West Virginia’s non-conference schedule: Western Michigan, Marshall, East Carolina, Maryland and Mississippi State.

Ohio State’s non-conference schedule: Youngstown State, Akron, Washington and Kent State.

So again, how and why do the Mountaineers hold such a lofty lead over the Buckeyes?

Again, it all goes back to the Jan. 8 BCS Championship Game in which OSU was beaten by 27 points.

Believe me when I say it: That image lingers in voters minds even though it was a different team and a different year.

Popularity: 30% [?]

I wanted to follow up on something I wrote Sunday, relating to the officiating of the Illinois game.

The following is an excerpt that appeared last week in The Sporting News, written by college football writer Tom Dienhart.

A suspension and possible firings are coming for a Big Ten officiating crew that worked Saturday’s game between Purdue and Penn State.

A source told me Big Ten coordinator of officials David Parry told Purdue coach Joe Tiller that the crew missed several calls during the game in State College, Pa.

“We sent in our usual (report), but there were more than normal this particular game,” Tiller said at his weekly press conference. “I have talked with the Big Ten office. They agreed with us on numerous instances. I’m convinced they’ll take the proper steps.”

The crew is working a game this weekend but will be suspended for games on November 17, according to my source.

I also was told some members of the crew might be fired.

The Big Ten doesn’t comment on specific officiating issues.

The crew that worked Penn State’s 26-19 victory comprised referee Stephen Pamon, umpire Pat Bayers, linesman Jack Teitz, line judge Robert Davis, back judge Dennis Morris, field judge Bobby Sagers and side judge Joe Duncan.”

So guess which crew called the Buckeyes’ game Saturday?

That’s right.

Pamon’s crew missed several calls, including two that led directly to Illinois’ first and third touchdowns, which staked the Illini to a 21-14 halftime lead.

On the first, they missed an obvious fumble on the play before Illinois scored to tie the game 7-7. Furthermore, the replay system what would have overturned the call, and given Ohio State possession at its own 20 while leading 7-0, was not utilized.

On the second, Illinois used an illegal pick play to free a receiver for the third touchdown, putting the Buckeyes into a 21-14 halftime hole. The infraction either went unnoticed, or was not called, by the officiating crew.

Furthermore, the officials’ blew the spot on a third down that led up to the Illini choosing to convert a first down on fourth-and-inches at their own 34 with less than seven minutes remaining. If the ball had been spotted correctly, Illinois would have faced fourth and one and ½ yards, making it unlikely that Ron Zook would have chosen to try to convert the first down.

Therefore, Illinois would have punted and Ohio State would have received at least one more possession.

Of course, none of this can be changed now.

But it appears now that the Big Ten will act, and a few, if not all of this officiating crew will be reprimanded in some fashion — if not fired altogether.

And perhaps, a public apology from the Big Ten for the errors will follow.

Nevertheless, Ohio State still has one loss, is ranked No. 7 and the national championship possibilities are gone for good.

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After covering college football for more than 20 years as a beat writer for a daily newspaper, one of the conclusions I came to years ago: Officials can control a close game without fans ever noticing.

This may sound like sour grapes, but take it as fact: Illinois received two large breaks Saturday in the monumental upset of No. 1 Ohio State. And for the most part, I would bet that most of the 105,000-plus fans never noticed.

After Ohio State jumped to a 7-0 lead, Illinois running back Daniel Dufrene busted off a long run that ended with the official marking him out of bounds at the OSU 3. The ball came loose but either the nearest official never noticed, or blew the play dead. Inexplicably, the replay system was never utilized.

If it would have been, the call surely would have been overturned because Dufrene clearly fumbled the ball before he even began his descent onto the turf. The football also was recovered by the Buckeyes in the end zone, which would have given Ohio State the ball on the 20-yard line and Illinois never would have scored to tie the game 7-7.

Later, the touchdown that gave Illinois a 21-14 lead just before halftime appeared at first to be a broken coverage by Ohio State’s secondary. In reality, it was a designed pick play in which the Buckeyes’ defensive back assigned to the Illini receiver was knocked to the ground by Illinois’ Aurealius Benn, enabling him to break wide open.

An official, staring at the infraction, never reached for his flag. If he had, the Illini would have been penalized 10 yards and likely wouldn’t have scored their third touchdown of the day to take a seven-point lead into halftime.

Without the benefit of replay, fans could sit throughout that three-and-a- half-hour game and not notice either officials’ mistake, let alone the several would-be holding calls on Illinois’ offensive line that seemed to escape the officials’ eyes.

Those are two plays that the Ohio State coaching staff surely noticed in Sunday’s film review. And if they are wise, the tapes will be forwarded to the Big Ten office so the officiating crew can be disciplined or reprimanded, if that step is necessary.

That being said, Ohio State didn’t deserve to win the game simply because the Buckeyes’ defense could not get Illinois’ offense off the field. It appeared as if the Buckeyes didn’t spend a moment preparing for the spread option. They were confused several times, and often played a five and six-man front, before running several run blitzes at Illinois. Few worked.

Here’s hoping they spent the time thinking and working on Michigan. Now that the national championship is gone, a Big Ten championship and Rose Bowl berth would be something for which a guy like John Cooper would have been giddy.

But times have changed and so have Ohio State’s realistic goals.

And another chance at a national title just went up in smoke.

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