Ohio State’s place at No. 12 in the first College Football Playoff rankings on Tuesday night left the Buckeyes in a tricky spot. They’re the first team out, and one more loss could knock them out of the field entirely.
The committee’s message was pretty clear: Julian Sayin’s injured throwing shoulder is being held against Ohio State, and Luke Fahey’s first start - a 30-18 loss to USC - hasn’t helped the Buckeyes’ case. Even so, if Ohio State keeps winning, the picture can change fast. A Big Ten Championship is still in play if the conference keeps beating itself up.
But for now, the Buckeyes need help. A lot of it.
That means Ohio State fans suddenly have to become Miami fans on Saturday night. Notre Dame can lock up a CFP spot with a win over Miami, assuming the Fighting Irish don’t stumble later.
But if Miami beats Notre Dame in Week 10, it would do real damage to the Irish’s path. Notre Dame’s final three games are Boston College, SMU and Syracuse, and that stretch isn’t enough to rescue its resume if the loss to Miami lands.
The other big rooting interest for Buckeye fans is LSU. The Tigers sit at No. 14, which puts them in the same crowded bubble neighborhood as Ohio State. But LSU has a chance to take out two teams currently sitting ahead of the Buckeyes: Alabama and Texas.
First comes Alabama, which visits Death Valley in a game with major stakes. The Crimson Tide are ranked No. 5, and that’s part of why Ohio State needs LSU to get the job done. If Alabama takes a third loss of the season on the first Saturday of November, that would open another door for the Buckeyes.
Then there’s Texas. The Longhorns are sitting at No. 7, ahead of Ohio State, and LSU gets them next if it handles Alabama. Given Texas’ win over Ohio State earlier this season, Buckeye fans have every reason to pull for the Tigers again.
There’s just one catch: if LSU keeps winning, it may end up jumping Ohio State too.
In Other News...
Jeremiah Smith Just Got A Huge Heisman Opening For Ohio State
Jeremiah Smith has spent this season looking every bit like the kind of receiver who can tilt the Heisman conversation, and the numbers back it up. He has 62 catches for 1,067 yards and 13 touchdowns, production that places him among the nations leaders in all three categories and has made him a central reason Ohio States offense has stayed so dangerous.
Now the path in front of Smith may be a little clearer after Miami receiver Malachi Toney suffered a high ankle sprain that required surgery and will keep him out for the rest of the regular season. For Ohio State, the development matters because Smith remains one of the Buckeyes most important weapons as they try to lock down a College Football Playoff spot, and any shift in the national award race only adds more attention to what he does next. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio States Oregon Matchup Just Got Complicated By Key Injury Changes
The build-up to Ohio States matchup with Oregon has taken on a different look after injuries started reshaping both sides of the field. The Buckeyes and Ducks were already bracing for a high-stakes game, but the latest injury updates have added another layer of uncertainty, with both teams now having to adjust their plans around key personnel changes before kickoff.
For Oregon, the biggest immediate concern is the status of running back Jordon Davison, who is expected to be out week-to-week with a lower-extremity injury. There is at least some encouraging news on the other side of the ball, with wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan probable to return from a foot injury, but the larger question remains how both teams will handle the ripple effects if the quarterback situation shifts again by game day. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio States Big Ten Path Now Comes Down To Tiebreaker Chaos
Ohio States Big Ten title path is still alive, but it has turned into the kind of standings puzzle that can make a November scoreboard-watcher reach for a calculator. The Buckeyes sit third in the conference, yet they remain in the mix for the championship game if they finish strong and get help from around the league, with the race tightening enough that a three-way tie could become part of the equation.
What makes it messy is how quickly the picture can shift from week to week. A tie involving Ohio State, Indiana and UCLA would send the league into a tiebreaker process built on common opponents and conference winning percentage, and the Buckeyes can still survive one more loss if the right results break their way elsewhere. Lose twice, though, and the margin for error shrinks to the point where Ohio State would need a lot of outside help just to stay in the conversation. [Read more 🡒]