How the new CFP qualification format affects Ohio State football

The Ohio State football program has qualified for the CFP five times in the ten years that it has been in existence, winning it all in the inaugural year. That was when it was a four-team format. This year, things change to a 12-team format to give more teams a shot at a national championship.

Before the demise of the Pac-12, it was initially a 6+6 format with the five Power 5 champions getting an automatic bid, the highest-ranked Group of 5 team getting in, and the next six highest-ranked teams getting in. That format has now changed officially after a vote today.

The format is now a 5+7 format. The Pac-12 essentially no longer exists, so they no longer get an auto-bid. This means the Power 4 get an auto bid and an additional highly-ranked team will get into the College Football Playoff instead of the Pac-12 champ.

This new format will make it easier for the Ohio State football program to get in. In years where they don't win the Big Ten, all they have to do is be ranked sixth through twelfth by the committee. That shouldn't be too hard for a team that is a perennial powerhouse.

While this new format is good for Ohio State, nothing has been decided about the format of the CFP after 2025. That makes me worried for the future of the sport because that could be when conferences decide to break away even further and create their own league.

I'm not going to worry about that right now though. What matters is that today's vote made things easier for Ohio State to qualify for the CFP. With the team they have this year, they will be one of the favorites to not just qualify, but win it all. Here's hoping they do.