The Ohio State Buckeyes are just one spot out of the top position for the most wins against Top-25 opponents in the CFP era.
The Next Round" podcast listed out each of the power four programs' record vs. Top-25 opponents. There are several very fascinating things in this list that have been compiled over the last 12 seasons.
Ohio State checks into this list as the second-best school in the country in this criterion. They have a 45-14 record against ranked opponents, which trails just the Alabama Crimson Tide's 62-17 record.
Alabama's 62 wins are truly absurd. They have nearly six undefeated regular seasons in the available 12 seasons that they have defeated ranked opponents.
The Buckeyes are incredibly impressive on their run. They have a 65 percent win percentage against ranked opponents, but have been 0-2 in their last two.
In the Big Ten, it is way less consistent than they face a ranked opponent with the perceived value of the Big Ten teams over the past 12 years. It wasn't until the last four seasons that the Big Ten started getting some respect on the National level.
Regardless, when Ohio State gets its opportunity, they typically take advantage of it.
This list is far more than just Alabama and Ohio State. There are so many different storylines on here that stand out.
There are only 16 teams that have 20 or more ranked wins, and Ohio State joins just Michigan as one of the two original Big Ten teams on that list. The new Big Ten era has a couple in that category, such as Oregon and Washington.
The Big Ten has six teams that have fewer than 10 ranked victories, and they would have a seventh if it weren't for Indiana's incredible turnaround. The Hoosiers, even after their two years, only have 11 ranked wins.
Some of the other shocking numbers are that Northwestern has 10 ranked wins in the last 12 years, which is not something I would have guessed. Penn State and Wisconsin have identical 16-31 records. Michigan State has more ranked wins than both of those two with a 17-31 record. The Illinois Fighting Illini have just a 7-28 record in the last 12 seasons.
The list is incredibly fascinating and tells a really interesting story about the Big Ten. It has historically been a very top-heavy conference, and it hasn't been until recently that the skill levels have started to even out.
Even then, the Buckeyes are head and shoulders above the best in the conference, and that isn't changing anytime soon.
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