Ohio State Football: Buckeyes still have strong case to remain No. 1

Week 11 of college football was insane and while LSU has a strong case to be No. 1 in the country, so does the Ohio State football team.

What an action-packed Saturday college football Week 11 brought. The Ohio State football team dominated Maryland 73-14, LSU upset Alabama in Tuscaloosa, and Minnesota rowed the boat over Penn State at home in the surprise of the day.

The Buckeyes checked in at No. 1 in the initial CFP rankings released last Tuesday night. But after the Tigers’ win over the Tide, the question has certainly been raised if LSU should jump Ohio State.

In the long run it may not matter, but it’s definitely a noteworthy debate.

It’s tough to deny or discount what LSU has been able to accomplish through eleven weeks as four of their nine wins have been against top 10 teams. Though only two remain in the top 10, the Tigers now have the best victory in the country, and it was on the road.

Beating Alabama in their house may be enough for the committee to slide LSU into the top spot, but the Tigers have weaknesses, unlike the Buckeyes.

LSU has now surrendered 28 points four times, including 38 twice. The Tigers high-octane offense has masked their lack of defense all season and it was evident on Saturday.

The Tide are in the same position, a great offense has hidden a suspect defense. But what if Alabama is overrated this season and this was a game LSU should’ve won anyway?

Alabama has played one of the weakest schedules in the country and still lacks a marquee win. Their slim opportunity the rest of the way will come against rival Auburn in the Iron Bowl.

Even a victory in impressive fashion may not be enough to vault non-conference champion Alabama back into the CFP. Time will tell, though.

Ohio State, on the other hand, dismantled a struggling Maryland team by 59 points behind 700 yards of offense. No comparison in opponents this weekend for the Buckeyes and Tigers, but Ohio State has continued to handle their business on a weekly basis, leaving no doubt who the better team was that day.

The Buckeyes have been the most complete team in the country this season by a wide margin. LSU may have better wins, but the top-ranked team should be the most complete where you could trust any part of that team to win a game.

More from Ohio State Football

Ohio State has shown us they can still dominate games even without the nation’s best player, Chase Young, which is big in the eyes of the committee especially if Young has to miss extended time.

Justin Fields and the Ohio State offense rank in the top 10 in both scoring and efficiency and have performed at a very high level all year. The Silver Bullets also rank in the top five in both scoring and defensive efficiency, unlike LSU.

Another wrinkle the Buckeyes added on Saturday was the flawless execution of a remarkable onside pooch kick that was almost like a pass from kicker Blake Haubeil to wide receiver Chris Olave. Haubeil also nailed a 55-yard field goal against Northwestern.

Ohio State has allowed us to be able to trust each of their three main units, offense, defense and special teams, to be the difference-maker in a game. LSU has proved their offense is elite but the defense has given up far too many points and yards on the season in all types of games which leads me to believe it will catch up to them in the CFP.

LSU quarterback Joe Burrow may have all but locked up the Heisman Trophy today, but I still think his Tigers should be ranked a close second to the Buckeyes. The committee seemed to give off the impression Ohio State was comfortably ahead at No. 1 on Tuesday.

Next. How does Young's situation impact Heisman race?. dark

I believe the gap has certainly narrowed as Ohio State and LSU are clearly the top two teams in college football, but the Buckeyes are the most complete team and have shown nothing to dispute their top ranking. This will simply just depend on what the committee values more between the eye test or resume.

Home/Ohio State Football