How Ohio State can make the College Football Playoff after losing to Purdue

After taking a major hit with a loss on the road against Purdue, do the Ohio State Buckeyes still have a path to get in to the College Football Playoff?

The Ohio State Buckeyes went up against Purdue as 13-point favorites, but they left in defeat by a score of 49-20. This is an upset that will drop the No. 2 team significantly down the rankings. The instant reaction from Buckeye fans is that this game has thrown their season off track. That being said, if the Buckeyes recover and win the rest of their games, they should find themselves playing for a chance at a Big Ten championship and potentially even a national title.

Buckeye quarterback Dwayne Haskins led the team with 468 passing yards on 48-of-72 passing but the yards are largely hollow due to the red zone inefficiency, the total lack of a running game and some garbage-time success. The loss is surely going to linger in the minds of Ohio State players, coaches and fans for days and potentially weeks if it keeps the Buckeyes out of the College Football Playoff. After all, the lone loss by this team last year was a 55-20 loss to Iowa. That was only one loss but it was one irredeemable loss.

What does this mean for Ohio State moving forward?

Ohio State needs to win out and win in impressive fashion for style points to potentially impress the Playoff committee. Their next three games are unranked opponents Nebraska, Michigan State, and Maryland. Assuming they win these games, Ohio State will need an impressive showing against Michigan in the Big House for the regular season finale.

If the Buckeyes find a way to beat the Wolverines in what will most likely be a battle of one-loss teams, and they secure a Big Ten championship after that with a win over Northwestern, Iowa or Wisconsin, they should be a playoff team without much drama.

This would give them five consecutive victories, in one of the stronger conferences so far this season. Even though this is a tough loss for the Buckeyes to take at this point in the season, it is not too late to turn it around and make a late-season rally.