Each week USA TODAY publishes its list of the best four teams in college football, and some just on the outside looking in. It’s called the Football Four, and it’s just a fancy name for the race for the College Football Playoff. In recent editions, the Buckeyes were on the outside looking in, but slowly worked their way in.
And now, after the win over Michigan State, George Schroeder has elevated Ohio State not just into one of the best four, but as the clear No. 1 seed. Here’s what he says about the Buckeyes.
Even as Ohio State rolled through the early part of the season, it was hard to get an accurate gauge on what we were seeing.
The Buckeyes looked dominant, yes, but the competition in their first five games was less than stellar. A date with Michigan State promised a challenge and provided some clarity: Yup, what we saw was real. Ohio State is real good, y’all.
In the words of selection committee chairmen past, the Buckeyes look complete: powerful offense, dominant defense combining to overwhelm opponents. It’s why they ascend to the top seed in this week’s edition of the Football Four.
The other three teams joining Ohio State are Alabama (2), Oklahoma (3), and LSU (4). Glaringly missing are Clemson and Georgia, though they both appear in the “Four More” category as No. 5 and 6 respectively.
Of course appearing in a mock-up just halfway through the season never won anybody a championship. The Buckeyes will have to continue to play at a high level with arguably its biggest tests yet to come.
