Buckeyes Now

College Football Playoff Bracket Predictions: Ohio State Earns No. 1 Seed

The Ohio State Buckeyes are looking to make it to their sixth College Football Playoff since winning the inaugural tournament in 2014.

Zach Dimmitt

Dec 30, 2022; Atlanta, GA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day and Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart pose for a photo during the coaches Peach Bowl press conference at the Westin Peachtree Plaza. Ceb Peachbowl Coaches Kwr 08
Dec 30, 2022; Atlanta, GA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day and Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart pose for a photo during the coaches Peach Bowl press conference at the Westin Peachtree Plaza. Ceb Peachbowl Coaches Kwr 08 / Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA
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The Ohio State Buckeyes missed out on the College Football Playoff last year after a heartbreaking loss to Michigan ended what would've been an undefeated regular season.

But from now on, the Buckeyes, along with a host of other programs, won't have their dreams crushed by one loss, as the new 12-team format will offer more room for error in a sport that's historically been undefeated-or-bust prior to the installation of the CFP, which helped shift things to a one-loss-or-bust approach for teams that want to compete for a national championship.

Oct. 14, 2023; Lafayette, In., USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day pumps his fast after a touchdown by Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Devin Brown (33) during the first half of Saturday's NCAA Division I football game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium in Lafayette.
Oct. 14, 2023; Lafayette, In., USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day pumps his fast after a touchdown by Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Devin Brown (33) during the first half of Saturday's NCAA Division I football game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium in Lafayette. / Barbara J. Perenic/The Columbus Dispatch

The inaugural winners of the first-ever CFP, Ohio State is now expected to be among the front-runners to win it all in the new format next season. In a recent bracket prediction from On3, Ohio State earns the No. 1 overall seed, as the site predicts that coach Ryan Day and co. are due for a revenge tour of sorts next season. 

Here’s the full list of teams from seeds 1-12 (Top 4 seeds get first-round bye).

  1. Ohio State 
  2. Georgia 
  3. Florida State 
  4. Kansas State
  5. Alabama 
  6. Oregon
  7. Texas
  8. Michigan 
  9. Notre Dame
  10. Ole Miss
  11. Tennessee 
  12. Boise State

Here’s what that full bracket would look like, per On3's projections:

Should the bracket play out this way, it'd certainly make for some must-watch cinema. Ohio State could face Michigan in the quarterfinals and would have a shot at ending the Wolverines' hopes at going back-to-back.

With coach Jim Harbaugh and multiple big-name stars now gone, Michigan still has tons of question marks entering next season under first-year head coach Sheronne Moore.

The Buckeyes already have arguably the top transfer class in the country headed into next season, which includes seven players. Safety Caleb Downs (Alabama) and running back Quinshon Judkins (Ole Miss) are the stars, but Ohio State also added quarterback Will Howard (Kansas State), tight end Will Kacmarek (Ohio), quarterback Julian Sayin (Alabama), safety Keenan Nelson Jr. (South Carolina) and center Seth McLaughlin (Alabama).

If the Buckeyes can truly capitalize on this newly-acquired talent, there's no reason they shouldn't at least be in serious contention to win it all next year.

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Zach Dimmitt
ZACH DIMMITT

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