Yesterday, October 22, Ohio State suffered a crushing 24-21 defeat at the hands of Penn State. Special teams miscues cost the Buckeyes, as two blocked kicks proved to be the difference. But as disheartening as this loss may seem, OSU is still in prime position to make it to the College Football Playoff.

For starters, this loss at Penn State is completely different than last year’s meltdown against Michigan State. While the Spartans’ triumph a year ago shut the Buckeyes out of the Big Ten Championship, Ohio State is still very much alive for a spot in the conference title game. By virtue of Penn State’s loss to Pittsburgh, all Ohio State needs are two things to fall its way: First, Michigan has to keep winning. And second, the Buckeyes must win out, including beating Michigan on November 26th at home. Both stipulations are quite doable and present Ohio State with a chance to bounce back in a major way from this demoralizing defeat.

So why was this loss good for the Buckeyes? In addition to OSU’s playoff likelihood remaining relatively the same, this should serve as a massive wakeup call for Urban Meyer’s football team. Meyer’s teams always bounce back after tough losses, as seen from Ohio State’s National Championship run just two seasons ago. We fans should have faith in Meyer and his coaching staff to fix the myriad of problems on display Saturday night. A weak offensive line, the disappearance of downfield passing, and questionable play calling are just some of the issues that were overshadowed by OSU’s special teams debacle. Judging by Meyer’s track record, those problems should be resolved in a matter of weeks.

So as hard as it may be for some, Buckeye fans should be rooting for That Team Up North to keep our own National Title hopes alive.