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How can Ohio State make the College Football Playoff?

By Nathaniel Reeves

COLUMBUS, OH - OCTOBER 28: Quarterback J.T. Barrett #16 of the Ohio State Buckeyes passes against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Ohio Stadium on October 28, 2017 in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio State defeated Penn State 39-38. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OH - OCTOBER 28: Quarterback J.T. Barrett #16 of the Ohio State Buckeyes passes against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Ohio Stadium on October 28, 2017 in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio State defeated Penn State 39-38. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) /
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It would require a lot of chaos, but don’t count the No. 13 Ohio State Buckeyes out of the College Football Playoff picture just yet.

Following a disappointing blowout loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes last weekend, the Ohio State Buckeyes looked to be eliminated from national championship contention. However, all the chaos around college football gives the Buckeyes a slight amount of help should they receive a lot of help.

Following last season’s disappointing showing in last year’s 31-0 semifinal thumping at Clemson, the Buckeyes once again opened the season with national championship aspirations. Those hopes took a major hit in week two in a 31-16 loss to Oklahoma in which Ohio State’s offense once again fell flat.

J.T. Barrett and the Buckeyes turned things around by winning six straight games, including an incredible comeback victory against Penn State to move up to No. 3 in the rankings. Ohio State looked to be cruising towards a Big Ten title but suffered a shocking 55-24 demolition at Iowa last Saturday to drop out of the top ten.

No two-loss team has ever made the playoff, and losing by 31 points to the Hawkeyes is not a particularly good look. Still, the Buckeyes might just have a path if the chaos around the country keeps up, and earned a nice resume-booster win on Saturday by throttling No. 12 Michigan State 48-3.

Besides winning out with a victory over a top-five Wisconsin team in the Big Ten Championship Game, Ohio State’s hopes rest on only one SEC team making the playoff. With Auburn leading Georgia big in the second half, the Buckeyes will be rooting for Alabama to be the lone SEC representative, eliminating both the Tigers and Bulldogs in the process.

Next: Ohio State embarrasses Michigan State: 3 takeaways

It’s going to be hard for the Buckeyes to pass Notre Dame or Clemson unless both are suddenly ravaged by upsets, so Ohio State will be rooting against Miami both on Saturday night and in a potential ACC championship game. The biggest hurdle by far will be the Big 12 champion, as Ohio State is going to need Oklahoma to TCU and then once more while the Horned Frogs themselves will need to lose next week at Texas Tech or in the title game. No. 11 USC is also a factor, although the committee probably won’t take the Pac-12 champion over the Big Ten title winner if both have the same record.

The odds are obviously incredibly long, but Ohio State is not eliminated just yet.

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