Ohio State Football: Buckeyes Await Cotton Bowl Clash After Earning First-Round Bye in College Football Playoff
If you’re wondering whether the Ohio State Buckeyes are suiting up today for the first round of the College Football Playoff - the short answer is no. And there’s a good reason for that.
Despite a tough loss to Indiana in the Big Ten Championship Game - a 13-10 heartbreaker in Indianapolis - Ohio State still locked up the No. 2 seed in the CFP. That high seeding comes with a reward: a first-round bye. So while teams seeded 5 through 12 are battling it out this weekend, the Buckeyes get to rest, regroup, and prepare for their next challenge.
And make no mistake - that challenge is coming fast.
Ohio State will return to action on New Year’s Eve in the Cotton Bowl Classic, where they’ll face the winner of the first-round matchup between No. 7 seed Texas A&M and No. 10 seed Miami. Both teams bring different threats to the table, and you can bet Ryan Day and his staff are already deep into film study on both.
A Dominant Regular Season - Until Indy
The Buckeyes’ regular season was a statement in consistency and control. They opened the year with a gritty win over Texas and then rolled through the rest of the schedule with a mix of explosive offense and suffocating defense. Take a look at the resume:
- Aug. 30: Texas (W, 14-7)
- Sep. 6: Grambling State (W, 70-0)
- Sep. 13: Ohio (W, 37-9)
- Sep. 27: at Washington (W, 24-6)
- **Oct.
4:** Minnesota (W, 42-3)
- Oct. 11: at Illinois (W, 34-16)
- Oct. 18: at Wisconsin (W, 34-0)
- **Nov.
1:** Penn State (W, 38-14)
- Nov. 8: at Purdue (W, 34-10)
- Nov. 15: UCLA (W, 48-10)
- Nov. 22: Rutgers (W, 42-9)
- Nov. 29: at Michigan (W, 27-9)
That’s a 12-0 regular season with wins over multiple ranked opponents and a defense that rarely allowed more than two scores. But the Big Ten Championship Game brought a twist no one saw coming - a defensive slugfest against Indiana that ended in a narrow 13-10 defeat. It was a rare off-day for the Buckeyes’ offense, and it cost them a conference title.
Still, the body of work was more than enough to impress the CFP selection committee, who gave Ohio State the No. 2 spot - and a clear path to the national championship.
What’s Next?
With a bye this weekend, Buckeye fans can take a breath and enjoy the first round of CFP action without the stress of watching their team fight for survival. But that doesn’t mean there’s no Scarlet and Gray on the screen today - Ohio State basketball is in Atlanta, taking on North Carolina in the CBS Sports Classic. So if you’re looking to scratch that Buckeye itch, there’s still a game to tune into.
As for football, the countdown is on. The Cotton Bowl Classic on December 31 will be the next time we see Ohio State on the field - and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
Whether it’s Texas A&M or Miami lining up on the other side, the Buckeyes will be tested. But with a defense that’s been lights-out and an offense capable of explosive plays, Ohio State is very much in the hunt to reclaim the national title.
One thing’s for sure: the road to the championship is about to heat up, and the Buckeyes are right in the middle of it.