Let’s be honest, neither Tom Orr or I expected Ohio State to be at No. 4 when the College Football Playoff committee finished their rankings, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t still things to react to when ESPN blessed us with the CFP participants.
As you know, the playoffs will feature No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl and No. 2 Clemson vs. No. 3 Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl.
The most outlandish reveal on Sunday, however, came when Georgia ended up at No. 5, one spot ahead of No. 6
As you might expect, Tom and I had plenty to say about all of the day’s events.
I decided to compile our thoughts via Twitter and lay them all out in order.
Generally, this is the sort of thing we’d talk about on our Buckeye Weekly podcast, and we probably will later in the week, but for today, consider this a podcast for your eyes that you don’t even have to listen to.
If Georgia gets the 4th spot, I'm gonna move to Canada with all of those Hollywood types who say they're moving to Canada because of an election.
— Tony Gerdeman (@TonyGerdeman) December 2, 2018
Is…. is that not how the process works already?https://t.co/RheNGVP8kx
— Tom Orr (@TomOrr4) December 2, 2018
Herbstreit says he knows they're gonna have a good debate about Georgia being No. 4.
Everybody on the set then agrees Georgia should be in.
What is this word "debate" you mention?
— Tony Gerdeman (@TonyGerdeman) December 2, 2018
Notre Dame gets in at 3. It's the third straight year that a team that didn't win a conference title game gets in.
— Tom Orr (@TomOrr4) December 2, 2018
Snubbed — No College Football Playoffs for Buckeyes in 2018 https://t.co/OuD8AnPNGL via @TonyGerdeman
— Tony Gerdeman (@TonyGerdeman) December 2, 2018
Ohio State is headed to the Rose Bowl for the first time since 2009, and just the third time since 1984.
This time last year, I wrote about how much I wished they were going to Pasadena. Now they are.https://t.co/ovL5rPM0JV
— Tom Orr (@TomOrr4) December 2, 2018
The writing was on the wall for OSU's playoff chances last week when the committee moved Northwestern down 2 spots and outside of the top-20 after a win.
Just like when Mississippi State barely budged after getting smoked by Ole Miss last year, protecting Bama's resume.
— Tom Orr (@TomOrr4) December 2, 2018
This will only be true until the moment when Alabama has a bad loss.https://t.co/ayY4SYVnqP
— Tom Orr (@TomOrr4) December 2, 2018
When Georgia gets left out, even though you love them so, so, so much. pic.twitter.com/YKrsYPFMu3
— Tom Orr (@TomOrr4) December 2, 2018
Also, if you are someone who views a season with a 60-burger against Michigan, a Big Ten Championship, and a Rose Bowl trip as a failure, you should stop following college football.
A 12-1 Big Ten championship season with a blowout win over Michigan is a *GREAT* season.
— Tom Orr (@TomOrr4) December 2, 2018
Two years in a row the Buckeyes are undone by a 9-game conference schedule. Maybe the B1G needs to get in on Chickenbleep Saturday and ditch that 9th game like the SEC.
— Tony Gerdeman (@TonyGerdeman) December 2, 2018
The committee putting Georgia ahead of Ohio State is a final parting shot showing just how little they thought of the Buckeyes this year.
— Tony Gerdeman (@TonyGerdeman) December 2, 2018
Never play the Big Ten West. Nothing good comes from it.
— Tony Gerdeman (@TonyGerdeman) December 2, 2018
Because they have to be careful not to lock themselves in on something when they want to change their minds about it next year. https://t.co/MgRcmpxwGm
— Tony Gerdeman (@TonyGerdeman) December 2, 2018
All consolation prizes should be so historic. pic.twitter.com/2Jbfw9Xjqk
— Tony Gerdeman (@TonyGerdeman) December 2, 2018
I think arguments are going to continue until we finally go to a 37-team playoff where games are voted on by Twitter polls and then Buzzfeed lets us know 10 times when the college football playoffs were totally relatable for a 90s kid.
— Tony Gerdeman (@TonyGerdeman) December 2, 2018
Jim Delany lays mandates down for the Big Ten to make things more difficult for his programs. The SEC is like, "You want us to whack somebody for you? We can do it. We've got guys."
— Tony Gerdeman (@TonyGerdeman) December 2, 2018
It's helping BTN. And that's about it. https://t.co/269DSLPvEx
— Tony Gerdeman (@TonyGerdeman) December 2, 2018
Next year, while Alabama is playing the University of Delaware or whoever, Ohio State is scheduled to play Penn State.
The week before the Michigan game.
This is so stupid, it's mind-boggling.https://t.co/GhsskU037b
— Tom Orr (@TomOrr4) December 2, 2018
It's the 'University of Delaware at Whoever.' Show some cot danged respect!
— Tony Gerdeman (@TonyGerdeman) December 2, 2018
When you get to do this the first weekend of December, it's been a good season. pic.twitter.com/OHYxAfHLva
— Tom Orr (@TomOrr4) December 2, 2018



A 29 point loss to Purdue is far worse than a 7 point loss to Alabama. Eliminate the mid-season meltdowns and everything else takes care of itself. Not sure a coach who allows those should be a conference coach of the year . The real travesty is ND’s #3. No championship, barely escaped against USC, close wins against UM and NW, two teams easily beaten buy OSU.. They will get waxed by Clemson.
…….It’s NOT merely a 7 point loss to Alabama. It’s also a 20 point beat down by LSU. Go watch that game. The final could have been a lot worse.
Completely agree about Notre Dame. It’s comical that they are even allowed in the top 10. They’re a joke.
OU is the only team that might have a say against the Buckeyes, but I really don’t see them being able to out score the Buckeyes offense. Score a lot? Yep. Score enough? Nope.
Loved this, thanks guys. Hard to imagine in 2018 that Southern bias still exists!
ESPN the propaganda station
There is SEC bias, but that is not the reason the Buckeyes are not in the
“final four”. One season it’s a blowout loss to unranked Iowa, then it’s a blowout loss to unranked Purdue. What do we expect ? We should have won those games. If we did, we would have been in the CFP playoff.
Oh, get over it! All this indignation just to soften that Purdue loss (and to a degree, surprisingly competitive Maryland and Northwestern wins) is transparent. As we have known since Woody’s days, In order for OSU to have the perfectly uncontroversial season, do not lose.
The bias seems to be directed more against Ohio State, even in our own conference, Urban has never been coach of the year? Outside the Big 10 we are one of the most hated teams in the nation, such is the price of being a very strong program. An eight team playoff would prove the selection committee wrong.
Perhaps, since the committee (and everyone else) has a bias in favor of the SEC. Maybe it’s in OSU’s best interest to join the SEC and kick out Missouri. Then we can watch the committee, ESPN and Herbstreit squirm trying to find a reason to keep an “SEC champ Buckeyes” out of the playoffs.
Good choice, Tom, since the University of Delaware’s mascot/nickname is: “The Fighting Blue Hens”. Appropriate for chicken(deleted) Saturday.