COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Ohio State seems locked into a spot in the first 12-team College Football Playoff as it keeps its high ranking in the third-to-last poll.
The Buckeyes (10-1, 7-1 Big Ten) stayed at No. 2 in the latest playoff rankings, released Tuesday night, ahead of their game Saturday against Michigan, which they've not beaten since 2019. Even if Ohio State suffers its fourth straight loss in the series, they look cemented to make the playoff for the first time since 2022.
Oregon, the only team with a win over Ohio State, is still ranked No. 1 and now the only unbeaten team in the country, thanks to the Buckeyes' 38-15 win over Indiana and Notre Dame's 49-14 drubbing of Army. The Ducks' top spot continues to prevent the Buckeyes from having a first-round bye.
Instead, Ohio State is the No. 5 seed in the projected 12-team bracket. To see a full explanation on how the new 12-team format works, follow this link. In the current projections, the fifth-seeded Buckeyes would play a first-round game at Ohio Stadium on Dec. 20 or 21 against the 12-seed, which is Big 12 conference leader Arizona State. The winner would advance to play Boise State in a quarterfinal at the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona.
Teams in bold are in projected bracket. Bold number is projected seed.
| 1 | Oregon (1) |
| 2 | Ohio State (5) |
| 3 | Texas (2) |
| 4 | Penn State (6) |
| 5 | Notre Dame (7) |
| 6 | Miami (3) |
| 7 | Georgia (8) |
| 8 | Tennessee (9) |
| 9 | SMU (10) |
| 10 | Indiana (11) |
| 11 | Boise State (4) |
| 12 | Clemson |
| 13 | Alabama |
| 14 | Ole Miss |
| 15 | South Carolina |
| 16 | Arizona State (12) |
| 17 | Tulane |
| 18 | Iowa State |
| 19 | BYU |
| 20 | Texas A&M |
| 21 | Missouri |
| 22 | UNLV |
| 23 | Illinois |
| 24 | Kansas State |
| 25 | Colorado |
Week 13 had seven teams in the playoff picture lose, which has repainted the bracket heading into the final week of the regular season.
The picture could change heading into the conference championship games as the season has been full of surprises. While the Big 12 faces more complex title game scenarios, things are simple for Ohio State in the Big Ten.
If the Buckeyes beat Michigan, they set up a date against Oregon on Dec. 7 in Indianapolis for the Big Ten championship and the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff. The Ducks beat Ohio State 32-31 on Oct. 12, and a Big Ten title game matchup would likely be No. 1 against No. 2 in the rankings.
Oregon will try to close out an undefeated regular season on Saturday night when it plays Washington at 7:30 p.m. on NBC4. Indiana and Penn State each have outside shots to make the conference final if they get help from Michigan. The Hoosiers host last-place Purdue at 7 p.m., and Maryland visits Penn State at 3:30 p.m.
If the season ended today (Teams in bold have clinched spot)
