.......is this a great country or what!  

Two huge TD runs, two huge plays MD 17-3 end one. 

The Buckeyes should be killing these guys. 

When Syracuse shocked then-No. 17 Virginia Tech in 2016, Orange coach Dino Babers gave an electric speech in the locker room that went viral and remains a part of the program's identity -- along with its penchant for upsets.

Last season, Syracuse knocked off then-No. 2 Clemson 27-24. The Orange came close to doing it again this season, losing at Clemson 27-23

So yes, No. 12 Syracuse can beat No. 3 Notre Dame on Saturday at Yankee Stadium in what will be the only matchup between two top-15 teams in Week 12. Every team in the top 10 of the College Football Playoff rankings won in Week 11, keeping the selection committee's top 10 exactly the same. Nine of those 10 teams play unranked opponents in Week 12......

2. Alabama Crimson Tide
Toughest remaining game: Dec. 1 vs. Georgia (68.1 percent)
Chance to make playoff: 85.9 percent
Chance to win it all: 36.7 percent
Best-case scenario: Finish as undefeated SEC champs. Even if Alabama should lose to Auburn in the Iron Bowl, it would still finish in the top four with an SEC title.

3. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Toughest remaining game: Nov. 24 at USC (71.4 percent)
Chance to make playoff: 77.5 percent
Chance to win it all: 6.4 percent
Best-case scenario: Finish undefeated. If the Irish win their final two games, they should be a lock in the top four.

Worst-case scenario: Lose a game and have everyone else win out. According to Playoff Predictor, both Michigan and Ohio State would get in over 11-1 Notre Dame if either of them won the Big Ten. A 12-1 Big Ten champion Michigan has a 91 percent chance to get into the playoff, compared to a 57 percent chance for an 11-1 Notre Dame. Should the Buckeyes win the Big Ten, they would have a 79 percent chance to finish in the top four, compared to 54 percent for one-loss Notre Dame in this situation. If Notre Dame DOES lose, it should hope the Big 12 champion has two losses -- and that the Irish are still ranked ahead of Washington State......

4. Michigan Wolverines
Toughest remaining game: Nov. 24 at Ohio State (55.1 percent)
Chance to make playoff: 44.7 percent
Chance to win it all: 7.6 percent
Best-case scenario: Finish as a one-loss Big Ten champion. Considering Michigan's firm grip on the No. 4 spot each of the past two weeks (and likely three straight), if the Wolverines win, they're in. Michigan can clinch the Big Ten East before the season finale in Columbus with a victory over Indiana on Saturday (96 percent chance to win) and an Ohio State loss to Maryland (there's just a 17 percent chance that actually happens, according to ESPN's Football Power Index)......

5. Georgia Bulldogs
Toughest remaining game: Dec. 1 vs. Alabama in the SEC championship game (31.9 percent)
Chance to make playoff: 35.9 percent
Chance to win it all: 7.4 percent
Best-case scenario: Beat Alabama to win the SEC title and finish in the top four. The only question here would be if Alabama still finished in the top four, too.

Worst-case scenario: Lose in the SEC championship and be left out. The chances of the SEC sending two teams to the playoff again this season dropped to 26 percent this week, and if Georgia loses again, it won't happen.

 6. Oklahoma Sooners
Toughest remaining game: Nov. 23 at West Virginia (51.8 percent)
Chance to make playoff: 25.9 percent
Chance to win it all: 3 percent
Best-case scenario: Beat West Virginia twice to win the Big 12, and hope that either Notre Dame loses or Northwestern wins the Big Ten -- or both. If Oklahoma, West Virginia AND Iowa State all win this week, the Sooners could clinch a spot in the Big 12 championship game. If OU knocks off the Mountaineers twice in two weeks to finish as a one-loss Big 12 champ, the Sooners would undoubtedly be considered for a top-four spot. They're not getting in, though, at the expense of an undefeated Notre Dame, and there's no guarantee they would get in over the Big Ten champion -- unless it's Northwestern. Considering the current standings, Michigan would probably still hold an edge over OU if the Wolverines win the Big Ten, but it might not be as clear-cut if the Buckeyes take the title.

Worst-case scenario: Lose in the Big 12 title game.

 7. Ohio State Buckeyes
Toughest remaining game: Nov. 24 vs. Michigan (44.9 percent)
Chance to make playoff: 21.8 percent
Chance to win it all: 2.1 percent
Best-case scenario: Win the Big Ten and hope the Big 12 produces a two-loss champion. Remember, the Buckeyes have been staring up at both Oklahoma and West Virginia in the selection committee's top 25. If that continues to hold throughout the regular-season rankings, a one-loss Ohio State as champ could remain stuck behind a one-loss Big 12 champ. One of the biggest storylines to watch down the stretch will be where Ohio State would fall in the committee's ranking if it beats Michigan. If winning the Big Ten East catapults the Buckeyes ahead of the Big 12 front-runners heading into championship weekend, the outlook for Ohio State could take a sharp turn toward the playoff. Ohio State has a 30 percent chance to win out and finish 12-1; if it does, there's a 71 percent chance the Buckeyes will be in the top four.

Worst-case scenario: The Buckeyes suffer an upset at Maryland on Saturday. If OSU is looking ahead to Michigan, it could be a trap against a team trying to become bowl-eligible. If Ohio State loses and Michigan wins, the Wolverines will win the East before they even get to Columbus, and Ohio State's chances of reaching the playoff will drop from 22 percent to 1 percent, according to Playoff Predictor......

NOON EST! *

Ohio State remains in the Big Ten championship and College Football Playoff race with two regular-season games left despite the fact the Buckeyes are still searching for a complete-game performance.  

The No. 8 Buckeyes hit on two orf tyhree phases in a 26-6 victory against No. 24 Michigan State on Saturday.  

MORE: 10 best CFP combinations, from the reasonable to the absurd

The special teams helped set that up. Punter Drue Chrisman landed six punts inside the Michigan State 10-yard line, including five in a row in the second half that helped turn the momentum in the Buckeyes' favor.  

The defense, which was torched for 539 total yards in a 49-20 loss to Purdue on Oct. 20, has its act together. The Buckeyes limited the Spartans to 143 total yards and without a third-down conversion (0 for  in the first half. In the second half, Ohio State forced three turnovers.  

Defensive end Dre'Mont Jones' fumble recovery for a touchdown opened a 16-6 lead, a double-digit advantage the Buckeyes would not relinquish.  

The Buckeyes played well enough in those two areas to gut out a typical cold-weather, November Big Ten grinder against Michigan State. To beat Michigan in two weeks, Ohio State will need its offense to be the third phase — the one that puts the team over the top and earns a berth in the Big Ten championship game for the second straight season.  

Ohio State led 7-6 heading into the seven half and had the ball in Michigan State territory in seven of eight possessions. The special teams set up a safety and Jones' fumble recovery TD. The offense settled for a field goal before Mike Weber finally scored on a two-yard TD run with 1:12 remaining.  

A BIG TEN STORY
The alternate history of Notre Dame football

That was the culmination of an uneven offense performance. Ohio State rushed 16 times for 14 yards in the first half. The Buckeyes stuck with the run for 27 attempts and 115 yards in the second half and averaged 2.9 yards per attempt. Good enough to beat Michigan State — especially with backup quarterback Tate Martell mixed in on third-and-short packages — but not still good enough for those larger goals.  

Dwayne Haskins finished 24 of 39 passing for 227 yards and a TD, part of a season in which he will break numerous passing records at Ohio State. Haskins, however, finished with a 59.1 completion percentage against Nebraska and Michigan State. That's going to need to tick back up to the mid-60s starting with next week's game at Maryland.  

Everyone knows which game follows. That's The Game against No. 4 Michigan, a team that should come into Columbus with the same stakes between the teams as 2016. Ohio State won that meeting 30-27 in double overtime. Those Buckeyes missed the Big Ten championship, but reached the College Football Playoff.  

The winner of The Game will have the opportunity to do both this season. Ohio State might not look like a Playoff team — and it won't until all three of those phases are clicking at the same time — but that is immaterial now. The Buckeyes have their biggest game (and perhaps games) ahead of them.  

This is the time to start playing their best football. In that regard, Ohio State is running out of chances to show that complete game.  

Even D-1AA ND State in the rankings? Yes.