Ohio State Buckeyes Have Earned No. 1 Spot In College Football Playoff Rankings
Where Ohio State will appear in Tuesday night's College Football Playoff rankings and where it should appear could be different outlooks.
The Buckeyes could appear at No. 2 behind top-ranked Georgia following the Bulldogs' win over rival Florida in Jacksonville.
They could appear behind a Florida State team with three prominent wins, including one against SEC darkhorse LSU to kick off the season.
But the Buckeyes should see their name in the top spot after further deliberation from the playoff committee once the dust settles in Grapevine, Texas. That's, of course, only if the committee follows the standard of what it means to be a qualified playoff contender.
Sure, Michigan and Georgia have the "we've been here before" argument. Washington has one of the best wins in football. Even a one-loss Oregon could fly its way up the rankings after the quacks wrote the Pac-12 program off after a loss in Seattle.
But wins matter in college football: quantity and quality. The No. 3 Buckeyes, one of five remaining undefeated Power 5 programs, have both.
Can the Wolverines say the same?
Can the Dawgs of the Pacific Northwest or the Southeast?
Can anyone? Anyone?
Bueller?
The Buckeyes are the only team with two wins against Top 10 opponents. Sure, Notre Dame and Penn State took a tumble in defeats, but both had single digits next to their names when playing host to Ryan Day's squad or traveling to Columbus for Big Noon Kickoff.
Both also remain ranked inside the top 15. Penn State is ninth and Notre Dame is 12th. Florida State's seen Duke drop out of the polls, while LSU resides at No. 13. Georgia and Michigan have tests ahead, but where's been the testing as of now?
A 20-point win over a Florida team that lost to Kentucky by 19, which proceeded to lose by 38 to the Dawgs?
Michigan's biggest test? Allowing 10 points to Minnesota on the road. It's spooky season, but name someone shaking in their cleats and seeing the Wolverines take on the ghosts of a mid-level program's past.
Per protocol by the bylaw set and written by those in charge, the College Football Playoff selection committee is “instructed to place an emphasis on winning conference championships, strength of schedule and head‐to‐head competition when comparing teams with similar records and pedigree.”
There's one head-to-head matchup worthy of discussing and an undefeated Washington takes Round 1 over the Ducks. Round 2 should be coming next month if all goes according to plan.
Bet on black or bet on the Ducks? Both seemed destined to spend a Friday night in Las Vegas for a swan song Pac-12 title game in December.
The Buckeyes' eight wins include four victories over Power 5 teams — and Notre Dame — that currently have winning records. The four other undefeated rosters have no more than three.
Ohio State Buckeyes running back TreVeyon Henderson (32) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium.
© Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Ohio State and Michigan are the only two unbeaten teams that have faced at least two programs with winning records on the road through Halloween. No one else has more than one.
Does that mean anything to the committee? Do rules matter anymore?
Regarding the strength of schedule per ESPN Power Index, Ohio State ranks 15th nationally. Florida State is 49th. Washington is 75th. Georgia cracks the top 100 on the dot and Michigan pulls up the rear at 111th.
Most ranked wins? Ohio State.
Most top-10 games? Ohio State.
Most wins over Power 5 opponents? The Buckeyes take that one, too.
So, what does the strength of schedule mean?
That's for the committee to decide, even if the decision is as clear as the day not named Ryan.
Yes, Georgia is the two-time defending national champion who still controls its destiny. Michigan holds the same token, though its two belong in the form of Big Ten titles and losses in the playoffs.
To be fair, the Wolverines have pummeled every putrid roster into oblivion this season, both home and away. It's a shame something else is stealing the spotlight from their signs of dominance.
Washington has one of the best passing offenses in the country with a quartet of NFL-made receivers. The Heisman front-runner resides in Seattle, and he was the reason Oregon headed back down south before winter with its tail tucked between a loss.
Florida State has perhaps the best neutral site win of the season. Anything else up to this point?
Ohio State's path to the postseason will stay the same regardless of the number. Win, and you're in; it's that simple.
Lose and the verdict resides in the hands of those in State College and Ann Arbor.
Yes, Penn State still remains alive heading into Week 9.
But being No. 1 is a testament to the job the Buckeyes have done up to this point. Wins over Notre Dame and the Nittany Lions should be impressive enough for a spot in the top four.
If not, there's no room for error the rest of the way.
Speaking of errors, do you know how big of one it would be if the Buckeyes were anyone but on top of the College Football Playoff world?
