Predicting who the Ohio State Buckeyes' could face in their first matchup of the College Football Playoffs after loss to the Indiana Hoosier.
After a devastating loss to the Indiana Hoosiers on Saturday night, the Ohio State Buckeyes will now shift their focus to the 2025 College Football Playoffs.
Head coach Ryan Day and his squad were the No. 1 overall team in the nation after taking the crown from the Texas Longhorns in Week One. However, the recent loss to Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers will force the Buckeyes out of the top spot.
My guess is that Ohio State, despite losing in the Conference Championship, will ultimately be the No. 2 team. With the Buckeyes’ only loss occurring against the lone undefeated team in the top-25 by three points, it’s hard to make a case for Georgia or Texas Tech to surpass Day and his squad.
Looking at the potential opponents for Ohio State, this will likely be one of the biggest debates on Sunday afternoon.
As the No. 2 seed, the Buckeyes would play the winner of the No. 7 seed vs No. 10 seed. With Texas A&M not in the SEC Championship game, it’s clear that the Aggies will likely stay put at the No. 7 spot.
Led by head coach Mike Elko, Texas A&M has been one of the most consistent teams this year, finishing the regular season with an 11-1 record.
This includes a win against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and a brutal loss to the Texas Longhorns in Week 14, 27-17. Part of the reason the Aggies have found success this season is the dominant play from their front seven on defense, as the unit is tied for the most sacks in the nation with 41.
The No. 10 seed, however, is completely up for grabs after Conference Championship Week.
Heading into this weekend, the head coach, Marcus Freeman, and the Fighting Irish held the spot, but the Alabama Crimson Tides’ loss to Georgia could ultimately push Notre Dame up in the rankings. Instead, the committee must decide whether to penalize the Crimson Tide for losing a Conference Championship Game, while the Miami Hurricanes did not reach the ACC Conference Championship.
My guess is that the committee will not punish Alabama by making it the No. 10 seed. In this case, Alabama would be set to take on the Aggies in a matchup for the ages.
The Crimson Tide are coming off a rough loss against the Bulldogs, as quarterback Ty Simpson was unable to spark any momentum on offense. Filled with vengeance, Simpson and Alabama will match up well against a stout Aggies’ defense.