Buckeyes Debut at No. 2 in College Football Playoff Rankings

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The Ohio State Buckeyes came in ranked at No. 2 in the first College Football Playoff rankings of the 2024 season. The Buckeyes (7-1, 4-1 Big Ten Conference) are fresh off a huge 20-13 win over Penn State (7-1, 4-1). The Nittany Lions came in at No. 6 in the rankings after their loss to Ohio State on Nov. 2.

Ohio State's Current CFP Projection

The Buckeyes currently only sit behind the No. 1 Oregon Ducks (9-0, 6-0) in the standings. They lost 32-31 to the Ducks on Oct. 12 in an instant classic between the two teams. That loss leads to Ohio State being projected at the fifth seed in the current CFP bracket. This means Ohio State would face No. 12 Boise State (7-1, 4-0 Mountain West Conference) at home in Columbus, Ohio if the playoff were to start this week.

The champion of each Power Four conference will receive a bye for the first round this year. Having a bye is absolutely the goal for head coach Ryan Day and his team. However, having the No. 5 seed is still a very favorable situation to find yourself in as a team. A home playoff game against the last team to make it into the playoff would be the biggest advantage a team without a bye could have this postseason. Matching up with Boise State would mean the Buckeyes would face the challenge of containing star running back Ashton Jeanty. The superstar RB has 1,525 rushing yards and 21 total TDs on the season through just eight games.

Ohio State's rushing defense has been stellar this year. They held Iowa star RB Kaleb Johnson to just 86 yards and a single 28-yard TD that came with the defensive starters out late in the game. Johnson is averaging a whopping 142.1 yards per game on the year. That matchup is likely very similar to the challenge they would face against the Broncos.

How the Buckeyes Can Improve Their Position

Ohio State does still have a very clear and achievable path to a bye and even the No. 1- overall seed. If Ohio State wins out, they will find themselves in the Big Ten Championship game. They could very well meet the Ducks for a rematch in that game. Regardless of who they could face, winning the conference championship would give them the highly-coveted first-round bye. In a season that can have up to 17 total games, having the extra game off would be huge for the team.

Ohio State has favorable matchups in their next two games against Purdue (1-7, 0-5) and Northwestern (4-5, 2-4). They then will face No. 8 Indiana (9-0, 6-0) on Nov. 23 before their highly anticipated matchup with Michigan (5-4, 3-3). The last two games of the regular season will each be a difficult test for the Buckeyes. The Hoosiers have been an exceptional unit this year under new head coach Curt Cignetti. The Wolverines are struggling heavily this year, but fans of both teams know all too well that the rivalry game is always a tough matchup regardless of records.

The Buckeyes will continue trying to stay on track to play for a conference championship in December.