Ohio State Football: CFP for OSU and OU but not ND?
Eye Test and Resume
The committee has made it clear their job is to invite the “four best” teams, not the “four most deserving” teams to the playoff. The five best are clearly Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Oklahoma, and Ohio State. Georgia would get bumped following a loss to Alabama and now you have your four plus Notre Dame.
Personally, I do not believe Notre Dame would be able to compete with any of the other teams in the top five. Notre Dame struggled with Pitt, Vandy, and USC.
Vandy and USC have speed and athletes. Granted not nearly as many as the top teams or Notre Dame, but they have them and the Fighting Irish struggled. Notre Dame has survived just like Ohio State has, the only difference is they are unbeaten and Ohio State is not.
No disrespect intended to their 12-0 accomplishment but Notre Dame has not really beaten anyone beside a Michigan team that couldn’t even compete with Ohio State. Ohio State is comparable athletically to Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, and Oklahoma?
Notre Dame’s schedule ended up being weaker than anticipated, which is beyond their control, but one could argue it is now slightly weakened after how soundly Ohio State beat Michigan.
After watching and evaluating these teams all season, Notre Dame, Michigan, and LSU all appear as present day second tier 1990s football teams based on their style of play. The Fighting Irish would be the least of these as their offense, with Ian Book at quarterback, is a hybrid of present day college football and that of a few decades ago.
As for Ohio State, the Buckeyes’ inconsistencies throughout the year paired with a 29-point loss to Purdue could cost them a shot at the playoff for the second year in a row. However, if you evaluate the ‘big games” (ranked versus ranked) on Ohio State’s schedule, what do you get?
The Buckeyes stormed back from a double-digit deficit to break Penn State in front of a Whiteout with an outstanding performance from the defense. Ohio State, aside from a handful of plays, shut down both TCU and Michigan State away from home en route to winning by double digits.
Finally, in the biggest game of the season, Ohio State exploded offensively for fifty-five points and added a blocked punt which led to a special teams touchdown to total sixty-two against the No. 1 defense in the country. The Buckeyes’ offense is every bit as good as the Sooners’, but for some reason Ohio State’s shaky defense outweighs their high-octane offense unlike Oklahoma.
The Silver Bullets also played with physicality which was epitomized by Shaun Wade’s hit on Tight End Sean McKeon late in the fourth quarter.
Urban Meyer is known as the Master Motivator and a big game coach. His Buckeyes give him their best when he needed them the most in big games this season. Ohio State has also been able to do what they have done despite off of the field distractions and injuries.
Ohio State is battle tested both at home and on the road and possess the best coach in college football when his team is an underdog, which they would likely be in the playoff.
In fact, Urban Meyer’s Buckeyes are a perfect 7-0 straight up as underdogs since he has been at Ohio State. Included in that record is the improbable three game run in 2014 when Ohio State defeated Wisconsin, Alabama, and Oregon to win the National Title.