P.M. Ohio State links: Figuring out bowl games is no bed of roses

Who will play in the Rose Bowl? Most likely a Big Ten team and a big ol' question mark.

So you want to know who's gonna play in the Rose Bowl? It'll be somebody from the Big Ten for sure, and maybe somebody from the Pac 10. Oregon, which is leading the Pac 10 right now with a 6-0 record, has to go to the Rose Bowl ... unless the Ducks are invited to the BCS Championship game, this year in Phoenix. Then it's katy-bar-the-door on just whom the Big Ten team will play.

Here's the fun part: According to BCSfootball.org, the team that's higher in the BCS standings will play in the Rose Bowl this year. Which means that if things stay the way they are, Oregon and Auburn will play in Phoenix in the BCS National Championship Game, and either Wisconsin, Michigan State or Ohio State will face either TCU or Boise State in the Rose Bowl.

Here's how the Chicago Tribune breaks down the chances for Big Ten schools to face the Horned Frogs or the Broncos:

Michigan State (9-1, 5-1)
Remaining schedule: Off, Purdue, at Penn State.
Book your flight: If the Spartans beat Purdue and hold off the surging JoePas, they will root for Iowa against Ohio State on Nov. 20. Why? Because if Michigan State, Wisconsin and Iowa are all 7-1, Iowa gets eliminated from the tiebreaker because of overall record (its nonconference loss to Arizona) and the Spartans get the nod over Wisconsin because of their 34-24 victory.
Make sure it's refundable: Penn State has gone from demoralized (33-13 home loss to Illinois) to dangerous in a span of four weeks. As Ohio State's Jim Tressel said: "Every year you see (the Nittany Lions) get better. Their kids learn and grow. They have an excellent football IQ." History buffs will note that Michigan State is 0-8 in State College since Penn State joined the Big Ten.

Wisconsin (8-1, 4-1)
Remaining schedule: Indiana, at Michigan, Northwestern.
Book your flight: At No. 7, the Badgers are the Big Ten's highest-ranked BCS team. And if Wisconsin, Michigan State and Ohio State end up in a tiebreaker, the top dog from BCS standings will go to Pasadena. Why is that? Because Ohio State didn't play Michigan State and Wisconsin beat one (Ohio State) but not the other (Michigan State).
Make sure it's refundable: Wisconsin likely will need the Buckeyes to beat the Hawkeyes in Iowa City. Far from impossible, but the Buckeyes have left Ohio Stadium just three times this season and played impressively only once. And that came against barely breathing Minnesota.

Ohio State (8-1, 4-1)
Remaining schedule: Penn State, at Iowa, Michigan.
Book your flight: Ohio State needs to win out and either pray for a Wisconsin loss or jump the Badgers in the polls. Ohio State trails Wisconsin in both popularity contests (the USA Today coaches and Harris polls) — and is five spots lower in the computer ratings. So if the Badgers keep winning, the Buckeyes could vault Wisconsin only by thrashing their opponents.
Make sure it's refundable: Tressel is not the thrashing type. But at least Ohio State (No. 9) is ahead of Michigan State (No. 11) in the BCS standings.

Anybody got an aspirin?

How do you spell "motivation?"
Well, for Nittany Lions running back Evan Royster, it's spelled "s-e-v-e-n-t-e-e-n." Oddsmakers say that's how many points by which Penn State is an underdog going into Saturday's game against Ohio State in Columbus.

Here's how the Columbus Dispatch put it:

Penn State senior running back Evan Royster didn't pretend he and his teammates didn't notice that's the margin by which Ohio State is favored Saturday.

"It was actually brought up yesterday," Royster said in a conference call yesterday. "It's kind of insulting."

... "I think we've proven that we can put points on the board and we can win games," said Royster, who became the school's all-time leading rusher in the Michigan game. "I think a lot of people will take offense to (the point spread), and I think it'll make us work even harder."

All that hard work is likely to pay off ... in making the the Nittany Lions the best-conditioned team to lose the Buckeyes this season.

From The Plain Dealer
Beat writer Doug Lesmerises noted in his story today that November is traditionally the time when the Buckeyes revert to being primarily a running team. But this year could be different, thanks in no small part to the development of Terrelle Pryor as a throwing quarterback.

"In this day and age, balance is so critical and we've gotten to the point, I think, where we've got probably better balance right now than maybe since Troy was a senior," Tressel said, referencing the undefeated regular season of 2006.

It's unlikely the Buckeyes will throw that away unless they encounter impossible weather, which is always more of possibility in November than in September. But it's not likely to be the plan.

"I think we'll have a pretty balanced attack this year, and I don't see us changing a whole lot," said H-back and tailback Brandon Saine.

Ah, the old "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" plan. What a concept.