Wisconsin’s loss in the Big Ten Championship Game has opened the door. Who will be the 4th team in the CFB Playoff? Alabama or Ohio State?
The College Football Playoff committee could have had it easy. The Top 4 going into the week — Clemson, Auburn, Oklahoma and Wisconsin — all would have won their respective conference championship games. There would have been no doubts or complaining or bemoaning. Everyone in that group would have deserved entry into the CFB Playoff. Heck, even a Georgia win over Auburn would have made things simple: Just swap Auburn for the Dawgs, and go from there. A win for Miami could’ve easily made way for the Hurricanes to trade spots with the Tigers.
But, no. Life isn’t so easy and it isn’t so fair all the time. Clemson and Oklahoma both won their respective title games. They made it look like a breeze against the Canes and TCU Horned Frogs on Saturday. Auburn lost Georgia, but that didn’t complicate things too much. The Bulldogs certainly earned the right to play in the Playoff after going 12-1 with an SEC Championship under their belts.
However, the result in Indianapolis further complicates the matter. 12-0 Wisconsin would have wrapped things up if they defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes. It would be extremely difficult for the committee to leave out a 13-0 conference champion from a power conference. Even though the Badgers’ schedule wasn’t up to snuff, Bill Parcells once uttered, “You are what your record says you are.” A Wisconsin victory would cast little doubt.
Well, the Badgers lost on Saturday night to the Buckeyes. They fought hard towards the end and made it a one-possession game. But, in the end, OSU prevailed. Now the Buckeyes are Big Ten Champions. In an ironic twist, OSU believes they should be in the Playoff over a one-loss team who didn’t win their conference or division.* Sound familiar?
That one-loss non-conference/division winner is the Alabama Crimson Tide. The Tide have been in the Playoff for the last three years. But this year, they seemed to lack any signature wins. And yet, Alabama, based mostly on the eye test, sat 5th as we entered championship weekend. That position seemed to indicate that if something happened, the possibility that Alabama could walk into the Playoff existed.
So, who’s in? Alabama or Ohio State? Let’s look at the cases for each.
The case for the Ohio State Buckeyes
The Buckeyes have garnered two Top 10 wins and three Top 25 wins. They beat the Penn State Nittany Lions in Columbus, pulling off a miraculous comeback. They then took care of the Wisconsin Badgers to win the Big Ten title. Sprinkled in there is a victory over the Michigan State Spartans in Columbus, who OSU absolutely dominated.
Their only losses are to Oklahoma and Iowa. The loss to the Sooners can slide on by. Baker Mayfield and OU are one of the four best teams in the country and will compete for a National Championship. Yes, they lost to Iowa. Yes, it was a very bad loss. But, ask yourself this question. Who didn’t have a loss this year? Based on the games in which OSU excelled, it was clear that it was an off night for the Buckeyes. Weird things happen at Kinnick Stadium sometimes. Don’t look at the losses, just look at the wins.
There’s quality there, and PLENTY more than Alabama has this year. The Crimson Tide had their chance to get to the Playoff. They could’ve beaten Auburn, and then could’ve beaten Georgia. Nobody would’ve bemoaned their SOS or how many quality wins they have then. But, guess what? They blew it. They blew their opportunity. Ohio State didn’t. They rebounded and haven’t lost since that fateful night in Iowa City. They won their division and their conference championship. They belong.