College Football Playoff Rankings Don’t Matter To Ohio State, Ryan Day Right Now

Day said he isn't concerned with where the Buckeyes are ranked tonight. "What matters is beating Northwestern."

The first College Football Playoff rankings of the season will be revealed this evening, but Ohio State head coach Ryan Day won’t be among those tuned into ESPN at 7 p.m.

“I will be at practice, and if I’m not at practice, (I’ll be) watching the film, getting ready for Northwestern,” Day said during his press conference on Tuesday afternoon.

The Buckeyes have four playoff appearances in eight seasons since the sport moved to a four-team field in 2014, appearing in the initial top four on two occasions (2019 and 2020).

The other two instances, they moved into the top four from No. 6 (2016) and No. 16 (2014), proving a lot can happen over the course of the next five weeks until the selection show.

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That said, there was also one season in which Ohio State appeared in the initial top four, only to miss out on the playoff altogether after suffering a late-season defeat to Michigan State (2015).

“Do I think we deserve to be in the top four? Absolutely,” Day said. “Do I think it matters all that much right now? No. What matters is beating Northwestern.”

To Day’s point, the Buckeyes still have four regular-season games remaining, including the highly anticipated rivalry matchup with Michigan, which will also likely be in the top four this evening.

If Ohio State handles its business each week moving forward, including a potential trip to the Big Ten Championship Game on Dec. 3, the Buckeyes will be in the playoff. Plain and simple.

If they slip up along the way, though, that’s when it’ll be time for Day and his team to worry about the rankings and where they potentially fit into the playoff picture.

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