Buckeyes Projected College Football Playoff Underdogs
The Ohio State Buckeyes are projected to get back to the College Football Playoff, according to The Action Network's Brett McMurphy.
McMurphy released his bowl projections and hypothetical betting lines for every bowl game this season, and he had the Buckeyes rematching with the Georgia Bulldogs in the Sugar Bowl, which is one of this year's two CFP Semifinals. McMurphy projected Ohio State would be 5.5-point underdogs against Georgia.
When the Buckeyes played the Bulldogs last season in the Peach Bowl, they were five-point underdogs, covering regardless of whether or not kicker Noah Ruggles' last-second 50-yard field goal attempt was made.
Both programs are ushering in new eras under center with Kirby Smart naming Carson Beck Georgia's quarterback last week and Ryan Day tabbing Kyle McCord as the Buckeyes' first to trot out with the offense. Devin Brown will play "meaningful snaps" however.
Georgia returns one of the best defensive units in the country, headlined by Associated Press Preseason All-Americans Jamon Dumas-Johnson, Malaki Starks and Javon Bullard. Ohio State had Tommy Eichenberg and J.T. Tuimoloau named to the AP Preseason All-America team.
Ohio State has been the underdog in each of the last three CFP games it has played. The Buckeyes are 2-1 in those games, blowing out Clemson in the 2019 Fiesta Bowl as 7.5-point underdogs before getting annihilated 52-24 one game later as 9.5-point underdogs to Alabama.
The Buckeyes are no strangers to being underdogs in the CFP, as they have only been favored once in seven games. Ohio State is 4-3 against the spread in the CFP, winning three games outright as underdogs against Alabama and Oregon in 2015 and Clemson in 2021.
Under Day, the Buckeyes are 2-3 against the spread in postseason play, failing to cover by two points in their 48-45 last-second win over the Utah Utes in the 2021 Rose Bowl.
