Ohio State Buckeyes 52 , Maryland Terrapins 24

Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Raekwon McMillan (5) and teammate Armani Reeves (26) tackle Maryland Terrapins wide receiver Jacquille Veii (34) in the second quarter last Saturday.

(Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer)

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Maybe there's one good thing about the Big Ten being so down this year: Ohio State has a decent shot at winning out.

That is, if you give arbitrary rankings and computer simulations any merit.

According to its Football Power Index, ESPN gives Ohio State a 19.9 percent chance of winning out this season, the best such chances of any Big Ten team. Michigan State only has a 5.9 percent chance, according to ESPN.

The FPI, without getting too technical, is meant to predict a team's performance moving forward the rest of the season. It represents how many points below or above average a team is.

Ohio State, which was ranked No. 13 in both polls this week, currently has the 11th-highest FPI at 21.2. Auburn, which suffered its first loss this weekend, has the highest FPI at 26.7.

The only power conference teams with better chances of winning out than Ohio State are Oklahoma (34.3), Clemson (31.9) and Florida State (22.8). The Sooners and Seminoles are ranked ahead of Ohio State in both polls this week.

Seven of the 12 teams currently ranked ahead of Ohio State in the AP poll have a less than 9 percent chance of winning out, according to ESPN.

ESPN also gives Ohio State a 50 percent chance of winning the Big Ten, by far the best chances of any team in the conference. Michigan State is second with a 21.3 percent chance.

So chalk this up as another reason for Ohio State fans to be optimistic about the Buckeyes' playoff chances. Or lump it in with the "J.T. Barrett for Heisman" talk as as another premature prognostication.

Either way, here are some must-read links as the Buckeyes (4-1, 1-0 Big Ten) get set to host Rutgers this Saturday at 3:30 p.m.

Our Ohio State coverage

National college football links