Ohio State Buckeyes Tied For No. 1 In College Football Playoff Ranking Appearances

The Ohio State Buckeyes and the Alabama Crimson Tide are tied for first in most College Football Playoff appearance since 2014.

Jan. 11, 2021; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Garrett Wilson (5) celebrates catching a 20-yard touchdown with wide receiver Jameson Williams (6) during the third quarter of the College Football Playoff National Championship against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Robertson/The Columbus Dispatch/USA TODAY Network Ncaa Football Cfp National Championship Ohio State Vs Alabama / Kyle Robertson / USA TODAY NETWORK

The College Football Playoff era began in 2014 and now just 10 years later, the playoff has expanded from four teams to 12 teams. As we take a look back at the old format, the Ohio State Buckeyes sit at the top of one rather interesting list.

Not only do the Buckeyes hold the National Championship title for the inaugural playoff season, but FOX College Football posted a graphic on social media detailing the amount of College Football Playoff ranking appearances since 2014. The Buckeyes and the Alabama Crimson Tide are actually tied at No. 1 with 60 appearances in the top four rankings.

A look at the teams with the most Total Appearances in the College Football Playoff Rankings 👀↓

What surprises you most? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/Q4NSaEg7Gu

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) July 16, 2024

Despite being in the rankings together so many times, the Buckeyes and Crimson Tide have actually only faced off in the College Football Playoff twice. The first time was in 2015 when No. 4 seed Ohio State beat No. 1 seed Alabama 42-35 in the Sugar Bowl. After winning the semifinal matchup, the Buckeyes took down No. 2 Oregon in the National Championship.

The second time these two met was in the National Championship Game in 2021. No. 1 Alabama got their revenge against No. 3 Ohio State in a commanding 52-24 victory.

It does feel a bit surprising that these two have only met in the playoffs twice, but part of that is due to some of the other successful teams in recent times who sit close to the top of the list in appearances as well.

The Clemson Tigers had a long stretch as a threat to win a National Title. Although they have not had the same success in the past few years, they still have 54 appearances in the rankings. That is good enough for the No. 3 spot. The Georgia Bulldogs and the LSU Tigers are two other teams to have won championships in this most recent era. Georgia sits at No. 6 with 48 appearances and LSU at No. 7 with 45 appearances.

Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Justin Fields (1) rushes upfield during the second quarter of the College Football Playoff semifinal against the Clemson Tigers at the Allstate Sugar Bowl in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans on Friday, Jan. 1, 2021. College Football Playoff Ohio State Faces Clemson In Sugar Bowl / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch via Imagn

Even though neither have won a National Championship since 2014, the Oklahoma Sooners are No. 4 with 52 appearances and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are No. 5 with 49 appearances.

The other Big Ten teams with the most appearances behind Ohio State happen to be the Michigan Wolverines at No. 9 with 43, the Oregon Ducks at No. 11 with 38, the Penn State Nittany Lions at No. 12 with 36, the USC Trojans at No. 13 with 33, the Wisconsin Badgers at No. 14 with 32, the Iowa Hawkeyes at No. 15 with 31 and the Washington Huskies at No. 17 with 29.

As we enter the new 12-team playoff era, it will be interesting to see if the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Big Ten continue to have the same level of success in the rankings. From a conference and Ohio State standpoint, the desire for even more championships will be there as well.