Ryan Day says Ohio State still deserves College Football Playoff consideration despite loss

Joey Kaufman, The Columbus Dispatch
·3 min read

Ohio State coach Ryan Day said he feels as if the Buckeyes should still merit consideration for a berth in the College Football Playoff despite Saturday’s 45-23 loss to Michigan.

"Obviously it got out of control down the stretch," Day said, "but it wasn't like we were outmatched in terms of just the overall play."

The Buckeyes are poised to drop from No. 2 in the selection committee’s penultimate rankings Tuesday, but the potential remains for them to crack the four-team bracket after finishing with only one loss during the regular season.

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The final rankings that set the postseason are released on Dec. 4 following a weekend of conference championship games.

"As we get to those decisions, you got to look at the body of work and what we've done," Day said. "We got a lot of good pieces on this team and came up short today, but if we were able to get a shot in the top four, we would be a dangerous team."

The scenario for the Buckeyes, among the nation’s highest-scoring offenses, to break into the playoff is not a far-fetched one.

Who needs to lose for Ohio State to make the CFP?

The number of unbeaten teams left for the committee to consider is dwindling. Only three were without a loss by the end of Saturday, a group including Georgia, Michigan and Texas Christian. While the Wolverines beat Ohio State, the Bulldogs topped Georgia Tech, 37-14, and the Horned Frogs handled Iowa State, 62-14.

If all three of them hold serve in their league championship games next weekend, the Buckeyes would be among a small handful of teams jostling for the fourth spot in the field.

The most obvious threat to edge them for that final seed would be Southern California, the highest-ranked team from the Pac-12 that has lost only once this season. The Trojans topped intersectional rival Notre Dame, 38-27, to finish the regular season and will appear in the Pac-12 championship game on Friday. They were No. 6 in the selection committee rankings.

Turmoil elsewhere in the top-10 on Saturday promised to help keep Ohio State in contention for a berth.

Clemson, which began this weekend as one of only two remaining one-loss teams alongside USC within the Football Bowl Subdivision and had been No. 7 in the rankings, lost to in-state rival South Carolina in a 31-30 loss.

Nov 26, 2022; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes fans react to an interception throw by quarterback C.J. Stroud during the second half of the NCAA football game against the Michigan Wolverines at Ohio Stadium. Ohio State lost 45-23. Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-The Columbus Dispatch
Nov 26, 2022; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes fans react to an interception throw by quarterback C.J. Stroud during the second half of the NCAA football game against the Michigan Wolverines at Ohio Stadium. Ohio State lost 45-23. Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-The Columbus Dispatch

Louisiana State, which was ranked fifth last week even with two losses, suffered one of the most inexplicable defeats as it was upset at Texas A&M, which had previously lost six straight SEC games.

LSU was primed to threaten for a berth as it had already clinched the SEC West, setting up a clash with Georgia in the conference's championship game, the type of matchup that could strengthen its résumé if it prevail. But it now has three losses.

No team with multiple losses has made the playoff since the format was introduced in 2014.

The Buckeyes have made the playoff in the past without winning the Big Ten, or even the East Division.

In 2016, they finished 11-1 and made it as the No. 3 seed, carrying a résumé bolstered by a non-conference win over Oklahoma. It didn’t end well, though, as they were ultimately routed by Clemson in the semifinal.

Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @joeyrkaufman.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Can Ohio State still make College Football Playoff? Ryan Day says yes

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