It's Rivalry Week in college football, where the regular season officially ends with some of the biggest games. It's never a surprise that the game that officially kicks off Rivalry Week is between the Michigan Wolverines and Ohio State Buckeyes, better known as "The Game."
For Ohio State, they were looking to end their three-game skid against their hated rivals, while clinching a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game. Not to mention, it would help them get a step closer to clinching a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff if they were to defeat Oregon at Lucas Oil Stadium. But, the Buckeyes won't have to worry about that.
On Saturday, Michigan beat Ohio State 13-10. That's right, Ohio State was held to just 10 points by Michigan's defense. With that, the team lost out on a chance to compete for the conference championship and a first-round bye.
In the process, Ohio State helped out a team with their College Football Playoff path — the Texas Longhorns.
For more Rivalry Week content, check out FanSided’s Ultimate Guide to College Football Rivalries, an in-depth and interactive look at the deep traditions, rich history, iconic venues and memorable moments of college football’s biggest rivalries.
Ohio State inadvertently helped improve Texas' College Football Playoff resume
While the Texas Longhorns were among the top teams in the nation this year, they didn't have the most impressive of wins. They were 2-1 against ranked teams this season. The lone loss was to the Georgia Bulldogs. But those two wins were a 34-3 victory against the Oklahoma Sooners, and a 31-12 win over...Michigan.
Michigan was not the team they were last year, which was a winner of the CFP National Championship. In fact, they fell far outside of the rankings. But, the fact that Wink Martindale's defense was able to hold Ohio State's offense to just 10 points, while they averaged 37.8 points per game this season, is incredibly impressive. In turn, this helped Texas' case of making the Playoff, regardless of whether they make the SEC Championship Game or not.
On Saturday, the Longhorns are in College Station to take on the Texas A&M Aggies. The winner of this game will face off against Georgia in the SEC Championship Game. The winner will earn a Top Four seed in the Playoff and a first-round bye.
Not only did Ohio State hand bragging rights to Michigan for another year, but they also helped out Texas.