Ohio State Football: The Buckeyes’ case for being No. 1 in CFP rankings
By Alex Austin
The second College Football Playoff rankings will be released tonight and the biggest question is where the Ohio State football team will rank.
One of the more interesting storylines this week for the College Football Playoff selection committee is between the Ohio State football team and LSU – who should be ranked No. 1?
Last week in the first CFP rankings of the season, Ohio State started off in the top spot with LSU following at No. 2.
The big storylines of the week could play a role in this week’s rankings though:
- LSU beat Alabama 46-41 in the biggest game of the year
- Ohio State dismantled Maryland 73-14 without the best player in college football
Many people are writing it as a forgone conclusion that LSU will be ranked No. 1 when the rankings come out tonight. However, I think Ohio State has some compelling reasons to hold on to that top spot.
A big reason is that Ohio State had a statement win of their own this week. It wasn’t a statement win over a high-caliber opponent, but it was a statement win because of the way they obliterated Maryland. Scoring 73 points against any team is an impressive feat. Doing that without your best player is even more impressive.
Much has been said about how incredible LSU’s offense is this year, and it has been very good, but they have yet to post 73 points on an opponent. In fact, the point spread of 59 points is still more than LSU has scored in all but two games this season.
The way Ohio State won Saturday shows that they have the most offensive and defensive firepower in the country.
LSU boasts the top-rated strength of schedule currently, but Ohio State is not that far off. According to TeamRankings, LSU sits at No. 1 with Ohio State only at No. 5. While I know this is still a dip, it is not as big as many people are making it. The good seasons from Indiana, Cincinnati and Wisconsin could potentially give Ohio State wins over three ranked opponents.
The biggest difference is that Ohio State could own three blow out wins over ranked opponents by the end of the season if IU can find its way into the CFP rankings. The way Ohio State has beaten everyone they have faced should give the Buckeyes an advantage in the eye-test category.
This will be a telling week for the College Football Playoff selection committee as they show how eye test and strength of schedule matchup against each other. I believe LSU will end up taking the top spot, however, I do not think it is a given like so many others seem to believe.
My CFP rankings prediction:
- LSU
- Ohio State
- Clemson
- Alabama
- Georgia
- Oregon
- Utah
- Minnesota
- Oklahoma
- Penn State
The Buckeyes have done everything they can to show they are the best team in the country but I think the committee will think really highly of LSU’s win over Bama.
Next. Week 12 Big Ten power rankings. dark
It will be interesting to see how the real rankings compare to my prediction. Who do you think will rank in the top 10 tonight?