FOX Sports' Joel Klatt doesn't believe the College Football Playoff's top five seeds were ranked correctly. If it were up to the former Colorado Buffaloes quarterback, the Big Ten would have the top three spots in the CFP's 12-team field.
Klatt ranked the Indiana Hoosiers No. 1, the Ohio State Buckeyes No. 2, the Oregon Ducks at No. 3, the Georgia Bulldogs at No. 4, and the Texas Tech Red Raiders at No. 5. He only believes four of those teams belong, though.
"It won't shock me if any of these four teams actually win the National Championship. They [Georgia] were dominant over Alabama in the SEC Championship. That Bulldogs team is for real." Klatt said of his top four.
"There's something about (Oregon's) balance, the way they run the football, the defense, that defensive line."
"That Buckeyes team is still very good."
"(Indiana's) undefeated. They've proven it. They beat Ohio State."
As for TTU, Klatt said, "I really like them."
Ohio State doesn't lose much confidence after B1G title game
Truthfully, the B1G title game was as idyllic as possible for the Buckeyes in a loss. The pressure of remaining undefeated is gone and now resides solely in the Hoosiers' camp following a 13-10 win for Indiana in Indianapolis. No one thinks one team is clearly better than the other, though.
IU needed that win more. All OSU needed was to beat TTUN in Week 14, and it did.
Maybe the Buckeyes aren't seen as the team to beat any longer, but that might also be an optimal place to be as the three-game quest to repeat begins. They're flying under the radar as defending champions. For now, of course. Beating the brakes off the TAMU Aggies or Miami Hurricanes in the Cotton Bowl Classic would change that narrative quickly.
Ohio State is no underdog in anyone's eyes. They'd probably be favored against anyone else on a neutral field, which is the only kind of field they'll be playing on moving forward. They can still have the greatest season in history by winning this second title and beating three high-quality opponents.
And yet, they're not chasing history with the highest of expectations like they would've had they remained undefeated.
OSU couldn't have been in a better position before the 2025/2026 CFP, given the circumstances of Brian Hartline taking the USF Bulls' head coaching job right before the B1G title game.