Buckeyes live dangerously

The Buckeyes left it late against Illinois

Latest rankings

Ohio State must overcome rivals Michigan next Saturday to remain in contention for the National Championship and the Big 10 titles.

The Buckeyes (12-0, 7-0) survived another road scare before pulling out a 23-16 overtime victory over Illinois at the weekend.

Ranked first in the BCS standings, Ohio State needs a win over Michigan (9-2, 6-1) to earn a trip to the BCS' national title game in the Fiesta Bowl on 3 January.

Even though the game is at Ohio Stadium, the Wolverines are capable spoilers.

In 1995 and '96, Michigan ended undefeated bids by the Buckeyes.

Strong contenders

Meanwhile, Iowa (11-1, 8-0) closed its regular season with a 45-21 win over Minnesota and clinched at least a share of the Big 10 title for the first time since 1990.

The Hawkeyes, with Brad Banks throwing for two TDs and running for two more, are strong Rose Bowl contenders if Ohio State beat Michigan and play in the Fiesta.

But Iowa could also move into the national title picture with just a few more upsets in the final three weeks of the season.

There were a few on Saturday, the biggest being Texas Tech's 42-38 win over state rivals Texas.

The loss knocked the Longhorns (9-2, 5-2 Big 12) out of both the national and conference title races.

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Latest US college football rankings:

1. Miami Hurricanes
2. Ohio State
3. Washington State
4. Iowa
5. Oklahoma
6. Georgia
7. Southern California
8. Notre Dame
9 Michigan
10. Kansas State

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