Ohio State’s slide hit a new low Tuesday night.
The Buckeyes checked in at No. 20 in the second College Football Playoff rankings of 2026, the lowest spot they have ever held in the CFP rankings. It comes after Ohio State absorbed its third loss of the season and dropped further out of the playoff picture.
The top of the rankings was led by Georgia at No. 1, followed by Utah, Alabama, UCLA and Notre Dame. Ohio State landed behind Ole Miss at No. 19 and ahead of LSU at No. 21.
Here’s how the full top 25 shook out in the second CFP rankings of 2026: Georgia, Utah, Alabama, UCLA, Notre Dame, Texas, Miami, Tennessee, Indiana, BYU, Kentucky, Texas Tech, Wake Forest, Houston, Iowa, Oregon, South Carolina, USC, Ole Miss, Ohio State, LSU, Missouri, Arizona, Boise State and Oklahoma State.
Ohio State is 6-3 this fall, with wins over Ball State, Kent State, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland and Indiana. Its three losses have all come against teams sitting in the CFP rankings, starting with a Week 2 defeat at Texas and followed by back-to-back losses to USC and Oregon in Weeks 9 and 10.
The Buckeyes are also sitting at No. 20 in the Coaches Poll and No. 21 in the AP Poll, their lowest marks in those rankings since Sept. 21, 2014.
That was the week after Ohio State lost to Virginia Tech, 35-21, at home. The Buckeyes still finished that season with a national title, with Cardale Jones steering the program through a three-game run that included wins over Wisconsin, Alabama and Oregon.
The playoff road is narrow now, but it is not completely shut. Ohio State still has a slim shot at reaching the Big Ten Championship Game, which would give the Buckeyes a possible route into the 12-team CFP.
The numbers behind the team still look stronger than the ranking suggests. Ohio State is No. 4 in Bill Connelly’s SP+ and No. 5 in ESPN’s College Football Power Index. In ESPN’s model, the Buckeyes also own the No. 17 strength of record in the country, along with the nation’s No. 10 strength of schedule and No. 31 remaining strength of schedule.
In Other News...
Ohio State Suddenly Has A Receiver Problem Before Northwestern
The quarterback situation already had enough attention heading into Ohio States matchup with Northwestern, with both teams set to be without their starters under center because of injuries. But the Buckeyes may be dealing with a wider offensive shortage than expected, since three of their top six wide receivers are listed as questionable, adding another layer of uncertainty to a game that already looked like it would require some adjustment.
Brandon Inniss, Phillip Bell and Brock Boyd are all in question, while running back JaKobi Jackson and tight end Max LeBlanc remain sidelined. Northwestern is also shorthanded, with eight players out including starting quarterback Aidan Chiles and cornerback Josh Fussell, so this could turn into a game defined less by star power than by which side handles the attrition better and finds enough reliable options to function on offense. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio States Week 10 Spiral Says Plenty About This Teams Ceiling
Ohio States Week 10 slide has turned into more than a bad stretch, it has become a clear reminder of how thin the margin is when the offense loses its rhythm. With three losses on the books and the Buckeyes trying to navigate life without quarterback Julian Sayin, the conversation around the program has shifted from weekly fixes to bigger questions about how high this team can actually climb in the Big Ten race.
The latest conference pecking order reflects that uncertainty, with Ohio State sitting eighth after Week 10 while other league contenders continue to build momentum around it. For a program that expects to be in the thick of every major postseason discussion, the current spiral says plenty about the ceiling this version of the Buckeyes can reach unless the pieces start coming together soon. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio States 2027 Running Back Picture Just Got More Interesting
Ohio States 2027 running back board picked up a notable addition when Daylon Gordon, a four-star prospect from Wylie, Texas, committed to the Buckeyes after previously being pledged to Texas State. Gordon arrives with a Power 4 offer sheet and gives Ohio State another talented name to build around as the class starts to take shape.
Even with Gordon on board, the Buckeyes are not treating the position as settled. They are still pursuing more running backs for the 2027 class, which keeps the room competitive and leaves open the possibility that this group could grow into one of the more interesting pieces of the cycle. [Read more 🡒]