Ohio State playoff chances: How the Buckeyes sneak in the College Football Playoff
The Ohio State Buckeyes still have a very slim hope of making the College Football Playoff if chaos reigns in conference championship games.
When Michigan beat Ohio State, the Buckeyes had their College Football Playoff hopes essentially dashed.
The likelihood of Ohio State making it into the Top 4 teams with two losses and no Big Ten title was exceedingly low.
The one thing college football likes to deliver is chaos. And, as they say, chaos is a ladder.
Ohio State playoff chances are slim but still possible
There are seven teams ahead of Ohio State in the CFP rankings and only four spots in the playoff. The Buckeyes need just about everything to go their way.
First, they need Georgia to utterly demolish Alabama. It wouldn’t be enough for the Crimson Tide to lose in the SEC Championship Game because they could get in as a two-loss non-conference title winner over Ohio State.
Next, Ryan Day and Ohio State need to be big fans of Michigan on Saturday. The Wolverines need to assert their dominance over Iowa and establish themselves as an unquestionably powerful squad. The Hawkeyes would be eliminated from contention while the Buckeyes’ own loss to Michigan in a blizzard would look stronger.
It’s imperative that Cincinnati loses to Houston in the American Championship Game. It’s equally important for Oklahoma State to fall to Baylor in the Big 12 Championship Game.
That would leave Georgia at No. 1 and Michigan at No. 2 with two places still up for grabs and a hefty debate to follow.
Notre Dame is likely to grab No. 3 in that scenario at 11-1.
The final argument could be between Ohio State, Ole Miss and Baylor.
Ole Miss and Baylor could make their own arguments to get in, especially with the Bears getting a win over the Cowboys. However, Ohio State started the weekend ranked ahead of them.
The Buckeyes might feel more comfortable if Oregon had won the Pac-12. The Ducks blowout loss to Utah doesn’t help.
It would all come down to how the committee perceives Ohio State against the others. It’s not a given, but there’s a chance.
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