AP Top 25 Takeaways: Ohio State's Day Will Face Doubters Now • SketchFestNYC

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day questions a referee's decision during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Michigan, Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay Lapreet)

Welcome to the former life of Jim Harbaugh, Ryan Day.

Such is the case at the top of the college football food chain. If he can't win the most important game in the program, questions will be raised about his suitability for the job.

For the second season in a row, Team Michigan beat Harbaugh Day and Ohio State.

Day 45-5 as Urban Meyer's replacement at Ohio State but 1-2 against Michigan.

"We'll figure out what happens next. I don't know exactly what's going to happen next, but that's life in Ohio, " Day told reporters .

Of great concern to Ohio State fans is the fact that the game was played in a way that was supposed to favor the second-place Buckeyes, which meant which quarterback had an advantage.

Backed by star running back Blake Coram, the Wolverines have gone from playoff to big-play machine, throwing for a total of 349 yards and five touchdowns.

Meanwhile, Day was getting fourth and third out of center field.

"This is a game that needs to be played on the field, " Day said. "I don't think you're in a position to change third."

Ohio State finished third with 5 of 16 wins.

Under the sun, Ohio State became a factory for quarterbacks and wide receivers. CJ Stroud is sure to become the third straight quarterback selected in the first round of the NFL draft next April.

Marvin Harrison Jr. is the best receiver in the country. He was one of the top two picks in the first round in the final draft.

The talent doesn't end there. According to the 247Sports All-Star Rankings, Ohio State ranks third in college football's most talented player behind Georgia and Alabama.

Michigan? Number 14.

This is how learning should be, right? It is not whether the training is true or not. Michigan (12-0) planted their flag in the middle of the Ohio "O" block at the 50-yard line after the game. Someone will be responsible for this to happen.

Meyer has never lost to the Wolverines. Before that, it was Jim Tressel who started the Buckeyes' 9-1 streak against Michigan.

Ohio State fans are used to being led by this North team.

When Harbaugh arrived from the NFL's Ann Arbor, Michigan as the savior of his alma mater's football program, Wolverine fans hoped he could turn their fortunes around in the game.

Instead, Harbaugh went 0-5. It didn't matter that he rebuilt the program and pulled Michigan out of great depth. Bottom line: You can't beat Ohio State. And he mocked him.

no more. Michigan may not be the most talented team, but they certainly look like the toughest team, one that can withstand tough challenges.

"This is a spiritual team," Harbaugh said. "They're happy. They celebrate, but they see more.

Stay tuned for the Big Ten Championship against Purdue next week. The win moves Michigan to the College Football Playoff for the second year in a row.

There is still a chance that the bookies will return to the CFP and possibly be released there. After Clemson's loss on Saturday, it looked like the selection committee was running out of good options.

Not what Ohio State had in mind. Last season, Oklahoma State de poached head coach Jim Knowles after the defense broke down for big points.

It didn't work. At least not when it matters most.

So now Day, a highly successful coach with an annual salary of more than $9 million, is being judged for his mistakes and compared to former Buckeyes coach John Cooper.

Cooper is in the Hall of Fame, but he's best remembered by Ohio State fans: 2-10-1 against Michigan.

Give him the Heisman

Caleb Williams holds the Heisman trophy after his streak on the big stage.

The USC quarterback threw three touchdowns, made some impressive runs, and left the Heisman standings as the Trojans defeated No. 13 Notre Dame.

"My teammates told me to do it and after the touchdown I did it," Williams said, showing a familiar strong hand.

The win makes it easy for USC to qualify for the playoffs. If the Trojans can win the Pac-12 Championship, they are in the playoffs. Coach Lincoln Riley went from 4-8 to 11-1 in his first season.

Next week, USC will have a rematch against No. 14 Utah after No. 22 Oregon's epic fall to No. 10 Oregon.

No. 12 Washington scored plenty of points in the Apple Cup win over Washington State to send the Utes to Las Vegas.

Regardless of things there, it's hard to imagine the Heisman going to anyone other than Williams.

He is the eighth USC player to receive the award and the first since Reggie Bush in 2005.

He will become the third Riley quarterback to win the Heisman, joining Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray at Oklahoma.

Williams followed Riley from Norman to USC and once again played Trojan football.

" I stood there and told them what to expect from day one, " Riley said. "A lot of people thought I was crazy, and that's okay…it was a fun run."

who is there

The stakes don't seem particularly high, at least as far as the college football game is concerned, especially before a championship.

Undefeated No. 1 Georgia (12-0) is headed to the Southeastern Conference Championship and appears to be out of the game.

No. 6 LSU (No. 5 CFP) was looking to upset the Bulldogs badly and become the first team with two losses. The Tigers then lost to Texas A&M.

The SEC champion has never missed the playoffs, but if LSU pulls off the unthinkable against Georgia, he'll be the #1 seed.

Right now, the Big Ten and Big 12 title games don't seem particularly important either.

Michigan and No. 4 TCU (12-0) have a deal with Georgia next week regardless.

The Horned Frogs will face No. 15 Kansas State, which trailed TCU by 18 points during the regular season.

If USC loses, who wins?

Ohio State (11-1) doesn't really look like a team worth rebuilding.

After the loss to South Carolina, Clemson's chances were gone. The Gamecocks played the underdogs for the second consecutive week entering the playoffs.

South Carolina followed up last week's win at Tennessee with a win over Clemson (10-2) to snap a streak against a top 10 team.

" The way we've played the last two weeks, I think we're in our own college football tournament, " South Carolina coach Shane Beamer said.

Hey, maybe Alabama isn't alive?

It's a joke. The Crimson Tide (10-2) lost. We might think so.

Nationally

No. 25 UCF needed a late surge that included the best of the season to pull away from USF and earn a spot in the American Athletic Conference title game against No. 19 Tulane….Minnesota got Paul Bunyan's ax for the first time since 1994. . The Gophers beat Wisconsin for the second year in a row, but the Badgers finished 4-3 on Sunday to hire interim coach Jim Leonhard. … Not long after the Oregon debacle, news broke that Ducks offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham had been named the youngest Power Five head coach at Arizona State. Dillingham, 32, was born in Phoenix and graduated from the University of Arizona. Aside from the rumors surrounding Auburn's next coach, the Iron Trophy hasn't gotten the usual attention. But let's look at Tide quarterback Bryce Young, who may have played his last game. Even the last college game. Young passed for 343 yards and three touchdowns against Auburn. He would never win another Heisman or win a national title as a rookie, but he was one of the best players in the Nick Saban dynasty. … Texas Tech beat Oklahoma in overtime for the first time in program history, making it the Sooners and Texas in the same season. At 6-6, Oklahoma had its worst regular season since 1998, the year before Bob Stoops took over as coach.