COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — No. 4 Ohio State is preparing for its second top-five game of the season this Saturday against No. 3 Penn State, and the result will influence the first playoff rankings next week.
Saturday's games will be the last before the playoff committee reveals its rankings at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Ohio State's position in Sunday's AP poll will change based on Saturday's result, and Tuesday's playoff pairings will show who could stand in the Buckeyes' way of getting in the 12-team field or getting a bye.
NBC4 has provided a look at the projected bracket every week using the most recent AP rankings as a guide.
The Buckeyes have the No. 6 spot in the mock bracket and will likely sit in an at-large spot in the first rankings. Even in scenarios where Ohio State loses to Penn State or No. 1 Oregon is upset by Michigan, the Buckeyes could still be part of the field in the first official rankings.
With the AP poll having a tie for the No. 11 spot, the Buckeyes' opponent for a first-round match is either Clemson or Iowa State. The playoff poll will not have ties.
This final mock bracket has many changes, with the most significant being BYU's jump from the No. 11 seed to No. 4 seed. The Cougars jumped above Iowa State in the AP rankings and now sit as the fourth-best conference winner, which would guarantee them a quarterfinal spot.
Notre Dame finds its way back into the field as it continues to run the table after an early loss to Northern Illinois. Texas A&M now holds sole possession of first place in the SEC standings and is in playoff position for the first time.
No. 4 Ohio State vs. No. 3 Penn State: It cannot be stressed enough how big this game is. A Buckeyes' win gives them a simple path to the Big Ten title game and keeps up the domination over Penn State. If recent history changes and the Nittany Lions win, Ohio State could miss out on the conference title game again and its playoff hopes diminish.
Texas Tech vs. No. 11 Iowa State: Now is a good time to start scouting potential opponents for the Buckeyes. Iowa State could come to Ohio Stadium for a first-round game and looks to stay unbeaten against a 5-3 Texas Tech squad.
No. 18 Pittsburgh vs. No. 20 SMU: Miami and Clemson sit as the top-two teams in the ACC but right behind them is Pittsburgh and SMU. The Panthers (7-0) and Mustangs (7-1) could put themselves in the conversation with a win in Dallas and make the ACC spots more up for grabs than initially thought.
To get you ready for Tuesday's rankings reveal and a sense of how things can change week-to-week, here is a look at what the 12-team brackets would have looked like using the first CFP rankings from each season since 2014.
