Ohio State was ranked No. 12 in the first CFP rankings release on Tuesday night. The Buckeyes are now the first team out and are one loss away from falling out of the field altogether.
Clearly, the injury to starting quarterback Julian Sayin's throwing shoulder is being held against Ohio State. Luke Fahey's first start, a 30-18 loss to USC, has the CFP selection committee bearish on the Buckeyes being the same team down the stretch.
Obviously, winning out probably changes this for OSU. A Big Ten Championship is still within reach if the conference continues cannibalizing itself.
Still, it's an uphill climb for the Buckeyes if the teams in front of them don't lose enough.
Since the rankings put Ohio State in a rough spot, here's who Buckeye fans need to pull for in big games soon.
Ohio State fans must cheer on Miami against Notre Dame
Notre Dame can seal a spot in the CFP with a win over Miami, assuming the Fighting Irish don't fumble down the stretch. Though Ohio State took a CFP whooping at the hands of The U last December, Buckeye fans must cheer on the Hurricanes on Saturday night.
Miami running the table otherwise won't shake up the rankings. Wake Forest, at No. 16, is the next highest-ranked ACC squad behind the No. 1 Hurricanes.
If Miami can beat Notre Dame in Week 10, though, it'd effectively eliminate the Fighting Irish. Boston College, SMU, and Syracuse are Notre Dame's final three games. That slate won't save the Fighting Irish's resume.
Ohio State fans must cheer on LSU against Alabama and Texas
It's tough for fans outside of Baton Rouge to cheer for Lane Kiffin. Still, Ohio State fans can appreciate what LSU could do for the Buckeyes down the stretch.
At No. 14, the Tigers are also on the wrong side of the bubble. LSU could pick off two teams ahead of Ohio State over the next two weekends: Alabama and Texas.
The Crimson Tide visit Death Valley in a game that perhaps means the most to Kiffin besides the Ole Miss game in Oxford, Mississippi, this past September that his team lost. Kiffin won a championship with Alabama under Nick Saban, and that's long been thought to be his dream job.
On the other side, Kalen DeBoer could be in trouble if his Crimson Tide takes a third loss of the season during the first Saturday of November. The stakes in this game are massive, but because ESPN had to show its Alabama bias with a No. 5 ranking, LSU is who the Buckeyes need to see win on Saturday night.
If the Tigers survive the Crimson Tide, Texas is on the schedule next. The Longhorns were also ranked ahead of Ohio State at No. 7, which is comically high for UT. Given Texas's win over the Buckeyes earlier this season, it only makes sense to cheer on LSU for a second straight week.
Of course, Kiffin's Tigers probably leapfrog Ohio State if that happens.
Doesn't matter, Geaux Tigers.
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