The Ohio State Buckeyes fell last night to the Indiana Hoosiers, and as it turns out, was a blessing is disguise for the Buckeyes.
The Ohio State Buckeyes woke up on Sunday morning licking their wounds from a very tough loss to the Indiana Hoosiers on Saturday night in the Big Ten Championship Game.
It was very clear that the Big Ten Title Game featured the two best teams in college football. Both played high level football, and if that game were played 10 times, it's likely that Ohio State wins five of those.
The result on Saturday set the stage for the final College Football Playoff rankings and the bracket for the postseason.
Indiana checks in at the top spot in the bracket, and it is well deserved. The Hoosiers proved on Saturday night that they are the best team in the country, and they are slotted as such this year. The unfortunate part about being the top seed is that they will catch one of the better round one teams on New Year's Day in Pasadena. If you don't believe it, just ask 2024 Oregon.
At number two is the Ohio State Buckeyes. Head coach Ryan Day and his squad nearly went wire-to-wire as the best team in college football this year, but were passed up by the Hoosiers on Saturday night. Ohio State is still considered one of the two or three best teams in College Football. They will get their chance to repeat as the number two seed.
The Georgia Bulldogs check in at number three after another impressive game on Saturday afternoon against the Alabama Crimson Tide. They took it to the Alabama Crimson Tide and cemented themselves as one of the top four teams, and well-deserving of a bye.
At number four is the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Texas Tech quietly put together a very strong season in the Big 12. Their lone loss came when they didn't have their quarterback earlier in the season. They are one of the teams that can compete with the upper echelon of teams. They will get their chance from the number four seed.
INSTANT REACTION: Ohio State Loses Heavyweight Fight to the #2 Indiana in Big Ten Championship Game
The Ohio State Buckeyes fell in what turned out to be an amazing back-and-forth heavyweight fight in the 2025 Big Ten Championship. The game was back and for...
Hosting the first round of the College Football Playoff is the Oregon Ducks. Oregon got beaten by the Indiana Hoosiers in October but has been steady ever since. They aren't the usual Duck team that has been a juggernaut in the past couple of seasons, but they have an offense that can compete with anyone and a defense that is tough as nails.
At number six is the Ole Miss Rebels. It is the right thing to do to include the Rebels in the playoff, but it certainly feels like they are a lame duck team. They made the playoff without their head coach and will get to host in the first round.
At number seven, the Texas A&M Aggies hold the spot. A&M was blessed with the easiest SEC schedule this year, and they took advantage of it. The most recent time on the field they were beaten handidly by the Texas Longhorns and showed that the doubt surrounding this program is warranted. They get to host in the first round of the playoffs.
At eight, the Oklahoma Sooners secure the final home game in the first round of the Playoffs. Oklahoma showed some very high highs this season, and their lows were low. They will get their chance to chase the title from the number eight seed.
Here is where it gets interesting.
At number nine, the Alabama Crimson Tide punched its ticket to the CFP. This is the first surprise of the playoff selection, as Alabama has one of the best wins in college football, and also just got beaten by them on Saturday.
At ten, the Miami Hurricanes make the flip! The Hurricanes are rewarded for being Notre Dame in Week One of the season. The data points were similar, and the head-to-head matchup ended up mattering. Miami gets into the playof,f and they are at the ten seed.
The first of the two Group of Four teams is the Tulane Green Wave. Outside of one major slip-up against UTSA, the Green Wave have been solid all year long. They get the tip of the cap to be the first Group of Five team to make the Playoffs.
The final spot in the College Football Playoff goes to the James Madison Dukes. Thanks to the Duke Blue Devils, JMU was the fifth-highest-ranked conference champion, and because of that, their ticket is punched, and they round out the 12 teams competing for the National Championship.
The stage is set, these are the 12 teams who will fight it out for the National Championship.