Ohio State beat that team up north (Photo by Ohio State Athletics)
Buckeyes blast that team up north, are headed to the Big Ten Championship Game, and Miami (Ohio) somehow makes a third straight MAC Championship Game.
Ohio State 12-0 (9-0 in the Big Ten)
All is right in the college football universe as Ohio State finally restored order and blasted UM. Ohio State just played their game, and it led to a victory. The offense was steady, and the defense was fantastic. The Buckeyes are 12-0 for the first time since 2019. Love them or hate them, Ohio State is the flagship program of the state, and are playing great football. The Buckeyes will battle Indiana on Saturday with a ton on the line. The Big Ten title, the #1 seed in the College Football Playoff, the Heisman, and who will be the last undefeated team in the FBS will all be decided in Indy Saturday night.
Cincinnati 7-5 (5-4 in the Big 12)
A weather delay was certainly no help to Cincinnati against TCU, but it ultimately didn’t change the outcome too much. UC falls to 1-11 in the month of November under Scott Satterfield with their 45-23 loss. The Cats now await their bowl fate, and that pressure that was off of Satterfield when they were 7-1 seems to be back, thanks to this four-game skid. Cincinnati needs to get a win in their bowl game to get some momentum back heading to the 2026 season.
Miami (Ohio) 7-5 (6-2 in the MAC)
The MAC tiebreakers threw me for a loop. I still don’t get how Miami, my favorite MAC team, gets in over Ohio and Toledo, when they have the same conference record, but the RedHawks lost to both teams. In a tie between those three, all finishing 6-2 in the MAC, I figured Miami would be the first out. Regardless, they are in the MAC Championship Game for the third straight season. They’ll play Western Michigan in Detroit on Saturday.
Ohio 8-4 (6-2 in the MAC)
If I’m the Bobcats, I’m fuming at how this shook out. Being left out in favor of your rival, whom you beat, has to anger this entire program. Ohio won’t let this keep them down. They’ll look to go 9-4 and finish with a bowl win. Nine wins that include a bowl, beating your rival, and upsetting a Power Four team is a good season for any MAC team.
Bowling Green 4-8 (2-6 in the MAC)
The Falcons ended their season on a high note with a win. Granted, it was a win over now 0-12 UMass, but it snapped a five-game losing streak for Bowling Green. Stopping that losing streak and ending year one of the Eddie George Era on a positive note is important for the program moving forward. You need all the momentum you can get going in to year two.
Toledo 8-4 (6-2 in the MAC)
Toledo and Ohio may form an I Hate Miami (Ohio) Club. With the best offense in defense in yards and scoring in the conference, and finishing in the top two in wins and losses, they have a lot to be ticked off about right now. I wouldn’t really want to be the teams that have to face the Rockets and the Bobcats in the bowl games. Like Ohio, Toledo will be gunning for a nine-win season and a strong finish. They’ve won four straight, and five would be big headed into 2026.
Akron 5-7 (4-4 in the MAC)
Akron’s season has concluded, and they have the most wins in a season since 2017.
Kent State 5-7 (3-4 in the MAC)
Kent State sent Northern Illinois to the Mountain West with a loss and a near-basement finish in their time in the MAC. NIU is 3-9 (2-6 in the MAC) and second to last, ahead of only 0-12 UMass. The Golden Flashes also got their most wins since 2022. 5-7 may not seem like a lot, but when you realize they went 1-23 in 2023 and 2024, 5-7 feels like a conference championship. There’s at least something to build on, and a future to hope for.
Dayton 7-4 (5-3 in the Pioneer League)
Dayton’s season has concluded. The Flyers had their most wins in 2025 since they went 8-3 in 2022.
Youngstown State 8-5 (5-3 in the Missouri Valley Conference)
YSU had the most heartbreaking finish to the season of any of Ohio’s teams this year. The Penguins were at home in the Ice Castle against Yale in the first round of the FCS Playoffs. Things got off to a great start for Youngstown State, and they led Yale 35-7 at halftime! The third quarter was a bit slower, but the lead was still 28, 42-14, midway through it.
That’s when the Meltdown in the Ice Castle began. The Penguins couldn’t do a single positive thing after that. Yale would outscore YSU 29-0 in the fourth quarter and win the game 43-42. One guy you can’t blame the loss on is Beau Brungard. In what is likely his last game at YSU, Brungard went out on his shield. He did what he does. Brungard was 23 of 35 for 317 yards and three touchdowns in the air and had 17 carries for 90 yards for three more touchdowns on the ground. Brungard’s season stats may still win him the Payton Award. This year Brungard is 277 of 403 for 3,260 yards and 26 touchdown passes. He also has 242 carries for 1,468 yards and 27 touchdowns running the football.
Beau Brungard had another great week, but the loss was too much for him to claim this one again. Thomas Gotkowski was good in Miami’s victory. Julian Sayin had his usual sharp game in victory over that team up north. I went with Buckeye freshman Bo Jackson, because his big game was a little unexpected. Jackson had 22 carries for 117 yards and four catches for 49 yards in Ohio State’s 27-9 triumph in The Game.
Bill Willis Award Player of the Week
Writer’s Note: The FBS rankings are from The College Football Power Rankings at TheForkball.com. The FCS rankings are from the FCS STATS Poll.
