As we all found out Tuesday night, Ohio State Football is ranked as the No. 1 team in the country by the College Football Playoff committee. The group said plenty about the process which you can read all about here.
It was a bit of a surprise nationally, but many believed the Buckeyes were deserving of the top spot due to strength of schedule and two wins over top-10 opponents. To me it made plenty of sense to put Ohio State there, but there is a bigger picture to this.
We have all had a night to think about the rankings and here are my thoughts on Ohio State and it’s No. 1 spot in the College Football Playoff rankings. Here are some of mine.
No. 1 is a good spot
Most appearances in @CFBPlayoff rankings (out of 55 all-time)
Alabama, Ohio State 55
Clemson 51
Oklahoma 47
Notre Dame 44
Georgia 43
Utah 42
LSU 40
Michigan, Oklahoma State 38
Oregon, USC 33
Wisconsin 32
Penn State 31
Auburn 29
Florida 28
Baylor, Iowa, Michigan State,…— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) November 1, 2023
Thoughts
There is some solid history about teams being ranked at the top of the first set of rankings and where they ultimately end up. The Buckeyes have some margin for error: Just two teams before them in the same spot have not made the playoffs. As long as Ohio State doesn’t go into a massive slide, and as long as the number of undefeated and one-loss teams aren’t an outlier, it should make the final four.
The hunted
Weeks ranked as the #1 Team in the country in the 21st Century
Ohio State: 33 Weeks
Rest of the Big Ten combined: 0 Weeks pic.twitter.com/Qu2xTpi5D3— College Football Report (@CFBRep) November 1, 2023
Thoughts
This is no different than the position the Buckeyes have been in for years: They are the hunted. Yeah, they haven’t won a conference title in two years, but Ohio State has been in this position before. It’s comes with the territory. Now this group has to live up to the ranking and perform like it knows how to with that No. 1 next to its name.
Should Ohio State be No. 1?
October 3️⃣1️⃣ #CFBPlayoff Selection Committee Rankings 🏈🏆
1️⃣. Ohio State // @OhioStateFB // #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/SRH3tRuSGc
— College Football Playoff (@CFBPlayoff) October 31, 2023
Thoughts
Résumé-wise, the Buckeyes have a firm grasp as the top team. Eye test? Not nearly the same. As I mentioned on Sunday, having Ohio State inside the top two made plenty of sense. That turned out to be the case, and as great as Ohio State is, Georgia should probably be at the top. The Bulldogs won consecutive titles. Even if the main cast isn’t around, they still haven’t lost a game this fall. A very solid argument can be made for the Bulldogs holding the top spot.
Controlling its own destiny
🌰The Buckeyes lock in the No. 1️⃣ for the first @CFBPlayoff ranking📈
Work ain’t done yet. #GoBucks @OhioStateFB pic.twitter.com/khucjMci2n
— Ohio State Buckeyes 🌰 (@OhioStAthletics) October 31, 2023
Thoughts
Ohio State controls its playoff chances this season: win and get in. There is no worry about not making the playoff if the Buckeyes finish the season undefeated. It will get a bit squirrelly if a loss occurs, but as I mentioned earlier, history favors the Buckeyes if this were to happen. Ideally, there isn’t a defeat, Ohio State wins the Big Ten and retains the top spot heading into the playoffs.
Nationally
Check out the full #CFBPlayoff selection committee rankings for games played through Saturday, October 28.
Where does your team rank as we head into the month of November?
— College Football Playoff (@CFBPlayoff) October 31, 2023
Thoughts
Two of the top four teams will suffer a loss at some point this year. The Buckeyes and archrival Michigan will play in their annual season finale. Georgia has a very tough remaining schedule, while Florida State has the easiest. The other unbeaten, Washington, is looking to sneak in, but like the Bulldogs, the Huskies have a very difficult remaining path.
These last few weeks of the college football season are going to be full of drama and excitement. Buckle up Buckeye fans, the wild ride is about to begin.
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