Ohio State legitimately faces ending a football season unranked for the first time since 2001. After being thumped for the second week in a row, the Buckeyes have three regular season losses — something that hasn't happened since 2011. Reaching the College Football Playoff for the 13th consecutive year is a goal now on life support.
Head coach Ryan Day decided to deploy freshman quarterback Luke Fahey again to face No. 23 Oregon in the wake of Julian Sayin's injury. After struggling against USC, Fahey failed to find the endzone and threw an interception in the 41-28 demolition by the Ducks. If Day sends Fahey back into the fray for the rest of the year, he's all but admitting five-star recruit Tavien St. Clair isn't deserving of the hype and Ohio State's QB depth is more than depleted.
But not all hope is lost. This season has proven to be chaotic with ranked teams falling weekly. Ohio State will have to bank on that inconsistency to scratch and claw its way into the final spot in the 12-team bracket.
How Ohio State can still sneak into the College Football Playoff
There are three weeks left for the Buckeyes to try and run the table and — with a lot of external help — make a push to steal a bid. Here's how the conclusion of the season looks:
- Nov. 14 vs. Northwestern
- Nov. 21 at Nebraska
- Nov. 28 vs. Michigan
- Dec. 5, Big Ten Championship
At this point, it's rather simple. Ohio State must win all three remaining regular season games. Indiana, USC and Oregon would also have to lose at least once down the stretch to get the Buckeyes into the conference title game in Indianapolis, presumably against current leader UCLA. Upset the Bruins and the committee cannot deny them a berth. Even if they lose, there's some past precedent (albeit unpopular) that could benefit them.
Last season, Alabama took its third loss of the season in the SEC title game, but was still granted entry to the playoff. The committee justified it by saying it would not punish a power conference team for reaching a league title game. Ohio State's situation is slightly different, but the precedent now exists to get one of college football's biggest brands into the national title chase at the last possible moment.
That kind of decision, especially for a four-loss program, would more than ruffle feathers. Fans would claim it's clearly obvious the CFP (and probably ESPN) are conspiring to keep the biggest names in the postseason rather than rewarding the best teams each year. Unless Northwestern, Nebraska or Michigan find a way back into the Top 25 (which is practically impossible now), Ohio State has little argument against that.
There's also the Florida State precedent that could work against the Buckeyes in the above scenario. In 2023, the Seminoles were undefeated but excluded from the then-four-team playoff because starting QB Jordan Travis suffered a season-ending injury. With Sayin likely gone for the year too and Fahey nowhere near his level, the committee could easily keep the Buckeyes outside the bracket to preserve competitive integrity.
There's simply so much that has to go right for the Scarlet and Gray to keep its dozen-season-long postseason streak alive. Ohio State's path to the CFP may exist, but it's bleak, if not unrealistic, at best.
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