Ohio State Doesn’t Feel Like Underdog Against Defending National Champion Georgia

"You look at the rankings and see that we’re No. 4, then you look in the past and see what the past No. 4 Ohio State team did."

Ohio State heads into Saturday’s College Football Playoff semifinal against top-ranked and defending national champion Georgia as a 6.5-point underdog, but the Buckeyes don’t view themselves as such.

“This is a prideful group, a prideful program,” offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said during Tuesday’s media availability. “No matter what the spread is, our guys take a lot of pride in chasing greatness, and I think our guys are looking forward to the opportunity and challenge that Saturday presents.”

Ohio State isn’t often an underdog, having played 25 straight games as the betting favorite. But the Buckeyes seem to play their best when counted out by the oddsmakers, as they’re 8-2 in their last 10 games as underdogs, including 3-2 in the College Football Playoff.

“I do feel like people are counting us out, but that’s fine,” quarterback C.J. Stroud said. “We’ve been counted out plenty of times … This isn’t nothing new. I definitely think this is the path that God wanted us on and I’m just rocking with that. If that means we’re the underdog, I’m cool with it.”

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Two of those victories came with Ohio State as the fourth-ranked team in the country, as the Buckeyes knocked off No. 1 Alabama and No. 2 Oregon on their way to the inaugural College Football Playoff National Championship, something the current players are well aware of.

“You look at the rankings and see that we’re No. 4, then you look in the past and see what the past No. 4 Ohio State team did,” wide receiver Emeka Egbuka said. “At the end of the day, Georgia is a phenomenal team and they’re the No. 1-ranked team right now.

“I can’t speak for everyone, but me personally, I don’t feel like we’re underdogs … I feel like with the confidence we have as a team and in our ability, we’re just going to go out there Saturday and play football like we know how to play football.”

That said, Saturday’s game takes place in Atlanta, a little more than an hour west of the Bulldogs’ campus. That could create atmosphere unlike anything Ohio State has seen since the 2008 BCS National Championship against LSU, a de facto road game played in the Louisiana Superdome.

“I always thought it was ‘Ohio Against the World,’ even before this game,” wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. said. “I’m glad we can play them in Atlanta, in kind of their home arena. Kind of always like being the villain and underdog going into the game, so it’s exciting to be able to do that.”

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