THIS IS NOT A PLAYOFF-CALIBER OHIO STATE TEAM, YOU IDIOT! THIS IS STUPID! STOP WRITING THIS EVERY WEEK!
There. Now that’s out of the way, and you don’t have to post it in the comments below.
That should free you up to take a deep breath, survey the college football landscape, and realize that pretty much everyone other than Alabama is flawed this year.
Nearly half of the top-20 teams in the initial College Football Playoff rankings lost this week, and the Buckeyes weren’t among them.
No. 3 LSU, No. 9 Kentucky, No. 11 Florida, No. 14 Penn State, No. 15 Utah, No. 16 Iowa, No. 17 Texas, and No. 20 Texas A&M all lost. Many got blown out at home – in some cases by unranked opponents.
No. 7 Oklahoma narrowly escaped at Texas Tech, which was playing without its starting quarterback. No. 8 Washington State needed a late score to beat a 5-4 Cal team at home.
Here’s what that means: Alabama is an unstoppable death machine and basically everyone else is flawed in some way.
Per the agreed-upon rules, four teams will make the Playoff. Alabama only gets one of those spots. That means there are three more available, and the Buckeyes are part of an ever-shrinking list of teams that could be a part of that group.
Until the Buckeyes lose another game, or the Playoff Committee decides to forego the four team format in favor of a two-week Coronation Ceremony for the Tide, they’re still a part of the discussion.
Here are the criteria we’re working with.
Your program is named Alabama
The Crimson Tide have made the Playoff in each of the four seasons. They did it in 2017 despite not winning their division, not winning their conference, having zero wins over top-15 teams, and entering the postseason off of a two-score loss in their regular season finale.
The normal rules don’t apply.
Until you see the Tide on the outside of the Playoff looking in, just assume they have an auto-bid every year.
You are an undefeated Power 5 conference champ
No unbeaten Power 5 champion has ever been left out of the field. Major independents like Notre Dame would qualify as well.
You are a one-loss Power 5 conference champ
Oklahoma and Georgia got in this way in 2017, Clemson and Washington did in 2016, Alabama, Michigan State, and Oklahoma in 2015, and Ohio State, Alabama, and Oregon did in 2014.
TCU and Baylor didn’t in 2014, but they were co-champs and didn’t play a conference title game.
No team that has finished 12-1 with a Power 5 Conference Championship Game win has ever been left out.
You are a one-loss Power 5 team
If your regular season resume is strong enough and your loss is early enough in the year, you can overcome not winning your conference.
Ohio State got in this way in 2016, thanks to road wins over top-10 Oklahoma and Wisconsin and a home win over top-5 Michigan.
Wisconsin missed out after losing to Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game in 2017.
Alabama got in this way in 2017, despite losing its last game and having zero wins over top-15 teams. (See “Your Program Is Alabama” above)
You are a two-loss Power 5 conference champ
No two-loss team has ever made the College Football Playoff, but they have gotten close. Penn State was an 11-2 Big Ten champ in 2016 and finished No. 5 in the rankings. Ohio State did the same thing in 2016.
Once you lose your second game, you are all but eliminated from the Playoff discussion.
In a 2007 scenario, where the season devolves into a Thunderdome of massive upsets and everyone has two losses, you’d probably have a decent shot. But that doesn’t happen often.
We’re probably one more Upset Saturday away from having to start tracking those as well.
You are an undefeated Group of 5 conference champ
UCF went 12-0 and was ranked No. 12 in 2017. They were behind a three-loss Auburn team, and one spot ahead of 9-4 Stanford.
Houston went 12-1 in 2015 and was ranked No. 18.
This is ridiculous and unfair to basically half of FBS.
But theoretically, an unbeaten Group of 5 champ could get one of the top four spots.
The season started with all 130 FBS teams having at least some shot at making the final four. Now, only 9 teams are left in one of those groups that has a good chance to make it. One more from the Group of 5 is at least theoretically in the picture.
So who is still alive for the 2018 College Football Playoff race?
Unbeaten Power 5 Teams (3 remaining)
Alabama, Clemson, Notre Dame
For the second week in a row, this number held steady. Alabama and Clemson absolutely destroyed LSU and Louisville, respectively. Notre Dame struggled with Northwestern for a while before winning 31-21.
One-loss Power 5 Teams (6 remaining)
Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Washington State, West Virginia
Kentucky and LSU were thoroughly beaten out of this group this weekend.
Unbeaten Group of 5 Teams (1 remaining)
UCF
Only the defending national champions are left, and should crack the top-10 of the Playoff rankings this week.
Thanks, Tom, for saving us the effort. Although I’ve never ever thought you were an idiot. Just put Alabama and Clemson in it right now and let the rest of us enjoy our season and bowl games. CFB is overrated.
It is time for the Bosa Brothers and the Boren Brothers to stand on the sidelines to cheer on the Buckeyes at The Game!
No excuses!
GO BUCKEYES!!!
It sure would be nice if the Bosa brother would show up on the sideline at The Game to cheer on the Buckeyes. They have NO excuses for them not to be there.
GO BUCKEYES!!!
You mean Joey, right?
I think it’s time to throw a little Tate in there to create a wrinkle. Line him up in backfield to cause confusion, he can run or pass. Do something different and magical. Hell, ND swapped QBs in the middle of the season. Let JK dobbins be QB on RPO. Do something different. Talent is there let it produce something???????????????????
Am I the only one that thinks Haskins’ unwillingness to take contact is a big thorn in the side of the Buckeyes offense. Any type of pressure in the pocket and he typically throws panic passes that are not completed and there have been many instances of those passes that should have been intercepted and were not for various reasons. There is no denying Dwayne’s super arm and great accuracy when he has a clean pocket, but his wide-eyed panic throws and unwillingness to take available running yards when they are staring him in the face are almost comical. That slide he took against Nebraska when he had at least another five yards available was embarrasing. Leadership and respect on a football team are not earned like that. This has been happening all season and when people say “I thought he could run a little bit” have to realize you have to be willing to run.
Yes, he is redefining ONE DIMENSIONAL!
Does anyone even in their WRONG mind think the Buckeyes belong in the playoffs……….even assuming they win out? ROTFLMAO. Alabama or Clemson will stomp the guts out of this team, rendering them an even bigger laughing stock to the CFB world. If Urban wants to do the RIGHT thing by Ohio State, he will crush MSU and the Ann Arbor trailer trash, and throw the BT title game.
The Big 10 and the ACC (Clemson the exception to the rule) and the Pac 10 are battling for the lousiest conference in the Country in 2018. It’s a pathetic shame, but, it is what it is. The SEC isn’t very good either top to bottom, but it IS better than the 3 mentioned above. At least the Big 12 has a couple of viable candidates……..the Big 10 has ZERO. Nope, not even the Ann Arbor trailer trash.
False flag article. Alabama is a lock even if they lose twice (shocking if they even lose once). BOOK IT. Clemson is in the playoff, so you may as well consider them automatic as well. There are 2 spots open, and if the Buckeyes catch Divine intervention and beat all 3 of the remaining opponents, AND continue to walk in that intervention through the BT title game……………should reject a playoff berth……IF offered, because they simply are a lousy football team. Say, WVU, or OU gets in over the Spiteful Irish. That’s 3 teams that would utterly humiliate the 2018 Buckeyes, and the Conference by proxy.
The Big 10 is a certified clown show of a conference at this point, and the 2018 Buckeyes their ring leader BOZO.
Ohio State simply misses Bosa too much to be a dominant team. A lot of pieces of the puzzle are showing glimpses of what could be. The running game is starting to show some dazzle. Haskins can still find a way, if his receivers are on, which has been more hit and miss than is commented on. Michigan looks like a tall order, but I like Ohio State playing in a truly emotional game. Myer is still the better coach!
After what I watched last night just let the conference championship games play out and end the season right there. Just give Alabama the trophy because nobody is going to touch them.
and NO way UCF deserves a playoff spot even if unbeaten..there are over 30 teams that would be undefeated with that piss poor schedule
That’s what many say about Bama’s “cupcake” schedule. UCF beat a power 5 team that was ranked 3 spots above them last year in a bowl game. I don’t care if you play Pop Warner, going undefeated isn’t easy and if they do it twice in a row, they deserve a shot. Or the non power 5’s should sue the NCAA and CFP for anti-trust monopoly violations.
Agree with that. UCF deserves respect and an equal chance. You don’t know they wouldn’t beat some of the teams on a given day. Just because they aren’t from the old boys millionaire club of elites doesn’t mean they aren’t good. Funny how elite fans defend their own easy schedules. Hello, OSU. Why do you think we were ranked #2? How many Buckeye fans still think they have a chance but CFU doesn’t? Lol! I can’t say UCF wouldn’t beat OSU right now. They probably have a better coaching staff.
UFC.
lol I’m glad you got that comment out of the way at the beginning of the article Tom–some of the readers here have been absolute morons lately.I like seeing the updates and as not great as OSU has played–hey, all these other good teams are falling by the wayside with multiple losses and WVU, OKla (who would have lost if TT hadn’t lost their qb) and wash st were all very fortunate to not be handed their 2nd loss (of course OSU survived too this week)….IF OSU run game continues like this last game and Hskins and the pass game dont look average like this last game and back to normal and the defense can just play even a little above average OSU will go into the scUM game with playoff hopes intact…first things first though,.
I’m not going to pull out the crystal ball. MSU struggled with PUR late in the 4th at home and MI only scored 14 on PSU late in the third. Both at home. More concerned with our play calling rather than our run game. No doubt both of those D are better than what we’ve seen. However OSU is far more talented than both of them. Essentially our D shut down NE until late in the game and we had 6 straight O possessions when we could only score 14 not 28 or 35 which would of put the game on ice. The same could be argue about The PUR game. But none the less I’ll need tums the next three games.
I can tell you one thing, that is if the offensive line doesn’t do a better job of blocking, the run game will be shut down again this Saturday against MSU. Then if our LB’s and S’s can’t stop anybody, exceot for that great job Brandon White did, its Katie bar the door for OSU. There’s no way they will beat MSU and most definitely TTUN! On the other hand, get both those mentioned above doing their jobs well and not mediocre, then positive things will take place and at least two of the three remaining game will be victorious for the Buckeyes. Hopefully OSU will continue its domination over MU and Harbaugh! Sure would like to see that continue!
We have linebackers? Pepper, The Big Cat, Little Animal, Cousineau, Boren, Gradishar, Wilhelm, Spiels, Tovar, Diggs, Marek, Carpenter….those are linebackers.
A.J. Hawk…
There won’t be a running game on Saturday. Or put it this way, if they do get a running game going they have a good chance of winning. Unfortunately the Spartans have a great rushing defense so it could be tough sledding. Hopefully we can keep them out of the end zone enough and Duane will have a good passing day and somehow we’ll come out with a win. Mark Dantonio must be salivating all over his game plan.