Ohio State, Iowa State lead

A key sequence in the fourth quarter sums up how things stand when No. 3 Penn State meets No. 4 Ohio State: close, but not quite.

The Nittany Lions fell for the eighth straight time in the series against the Buckeyes, losing 20-13 after failing to score in four straight plays at the goal line with about five minutes remaining. Despite all the obvious improvements the offense has made under new coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, the Nittany Lions' chances of competing for the Big Ten Championship will likely be derailed by spotty play at this crucial point.

All is not lost. For weeks, Penn State has been considered one of the safest bets in the College Football Playoff, albeit with an overall bid. Given the team's only loss and the smooth schedule for the rest of November, that remains very likely.

But this was a game the program had to have and one the Nittany Lions easily could have had, although that doesn't lessen the pain of another loss to Ohio State.

Needing a win in one of college football's most hostile road environments to stay on track for a rematch against Oregon in early December, the Buckeyes recovered from some early mistakes by quarterback Will Howard to post one of the best regular-season bowl victories to achieve subdivision.

This defensive stance in the fourth quarter comes a week after another key stop in the red zone in a close win over Nebraska. In hindsight, that 21-17 win appears to have been influenced by the Cornhuskers' ranking between road trips to No. 1 Oregon and State College.

What happened after Drew Allar forced an incompletion might be even more impressive. Leaning on their own end zone, the Buckeyes made quick work of running 59 yards in 10 plays to secure the victory. That is a statement for both teams.

When both sides work together – something that was missing against the Ducks – you can understand why Ohio State could be the best team in the Big Ten and a favorite for the national championship.

And as the Buckeyes move up in the US LBM Coaches Poll, the Nittany Lions are in embarrassment. Not because they lost; This is nothing new for Penn State or coach James Franklin. That's what happened when the game was on the line, with a series of failures on offense and a give-up sequence on defense.

You would always shake your head if you hadn't seen it before. This key Big Ten matchup lists Saturday's biggest winners and losers:

winner

The Big Ten

Ohio State's win is really good news for the Big Ten. Should PSU take care of business until the end, the league is assured of getting at least three teams into the playoffs, perhaps even four should No. 13 Indiana continue to climb the rankings under new coach Curt Cignetti. While that math likely would have remained the same if the Buckeyes lost – they would have suffered two road losses to two of the best teams in the country – Saturday's result is the best possible result for the conference.

Indiana

The Power Four's most surprising success story unleashed another new achievement. After Michigan State took a 10-0 lead, the Hoosiers scored 47 unanswered points to reach 9-0 for the first time in program history. After missing last weekend with a thumb injury, quarterback Kurtis Rourke completed 19 of 29 attempts for 263 yards and four touchdowns without an interception. To put this incredible start under new coach Curt Cignetti in perspective, consider that Indiana was ranked 17th in the Big Ten's preseason media poll, one spot behind the bottom.

Miami

For the fourth time this season, No. 5 Miami flirted with disaster before pulling away and remaining undefeated. This time, Duke defeated the Hurricanes with a 28-3 run that bridged the first and second halves to take a 28-17 lead with 10 minutes left in the third quarter. The response was impressive: Cam Ward threw three touchdowns and the Hurricanes scored five total and won 53-31. There's an aspect of this victory that underscores the skepticism about Miami's viability as a true national championship contender. But let's give the Hurricanes some credit: Other contenders have fallen by the wayside or been relegated as favorites as Miami continues toward the program's most successful regular season in decades.

Vanderbilt

A 17-7 win over Auburn sends Vanderbilt to the bowl game for the first time since 2018 and increases the chances of the program's first win since 2013, the last of James Franklin's three seasons with the Commodores. Fueled by an influx of transfers from New Mexico State, particularly quarterback Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt has already tripled last year's win total with games against South Carolina, No. 16 LSU and No. 7 Tennessee to close out the regular season.

loser

Iowa State

Living on the Edge has finally caught up to No. 10 seed Iowa State. After escaping with a 38-35 win over Central Florida last Saturday, the Cyclones took the lead with two minutes left but couldn't get a late defensive stop and lost 23-22 to Texas Tech. The loss prevents Iowa from reaching 8-0 for the first time in program history. With Brigham Young (No. 12), Kansas State (No. 15) and Colorado either undefeated or suffering a loss in conference play, the Cyclones must now take over the league lead to earn a spot in the Big 12 Championship Game and the opportunity to secure a guaranteed playoff spot.

Arkansas

No. 18 Mississippi's emphatic 63-31 win over Arkansas featured record-breaking performances from quarterback Jaxson Dart and wide receiver Jordan Watkins. Dart had a school-record 515 yards rushing and tied the school record with six touchdown passes. While star Tre Harris was sidelined, Watkins set school records with 254 yards and five scores. After more than a difficult month, the rebels' victory comes on Tuesday evening, which should be very well received by the selection committee. But just as the win gets the Rebels back on track, the lopsided home loss spells serious trouble for Arkansas and coach Sam Pittman. While the Razorbacks had won two of three to move into the top half of the SEC standings, they have now lost three straight at home. This inability to take advantage of the exhibition games could limit Arkansas to six wins, which may not be enough to save Pittman's job.

Virginia Tech

This season didn't go as planned for a team expected to contend for the top 25. Playing at Syracuse, Virginia Tech took a 21-3 lead midway through the third quarter, lost 24-21 less than a minute into the fourth quarter, and regained a lead with a 31-24 lead to tie the game at 29 Seconds before the end equalized and then lost 38:31 in overtime. Tech lost despite running for 249 yards, the program's worst loss since a 260-yard loss to the Orange in 2021.

Memphis

The 44-36 loss to an undermanned Texas-San Antonio team is a fatal blow to the Tigers' already slim chances of representing the Group of Five in the playoffs. After two losses in American Athletic play, Memphis will now need a major shakeup at the top of the standings to secure a spot in the conference championship game. Given that Memphis started the year as the Group of Five favorite, not even competing for the AAC crown is a huge disappointment. The Roadrunners played with an injury-plagued roster that included the loss of three starting offensive linemen. They gained 408 yards on offense and benefited from two turnovers.