Kirk Herbstreit Reveals Where He'd Slot Ohio State in Playoff Rankings After Loss to Michigan

As rivalry weekend in college football concludes, the College Football Playoff picture is becoming more defined in which four teams will compete for a national championship in January.

Georgia, the top ranked team from this week’s CFP rankings, concluded the regular season undefeated with a win against Georgia Tech on Saturday. However, No. 3 Michigan dealt No. 2 Ohio State a humbling 45–23 loss at The Horseshoe, the Wolverines’ first win in Columbus since 2000.

ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit shared where he would place the Buckeyes in his top six teams after their loss to Michigan heading into conference championship week and the newest slate of CFP rankings that will be released on Nov. 29. 

Herbstreit dropped Ohio State from No. 2 to No. 6. He kept UGA at No. 1 and moved up Michigan to No. 2. 

TCU sits at No. 3, USC at No. 4, followed by Alabama at No. 5 after LSU’s loss to the Aggies. Herbstreit made the decision to put the Crimson Tide ahead of the Buckeyes based on the nature of the losses. 

To Herbstreit, Michigan bulldozing Ohio State in “The Game” was a disappointing way to lose with CFP title implications on the line. Meanwhile, Alabama’s two losses this season were by a combined four points.

Beyond Ohio State, TCU trounced Iowa State while LSU laid an egg against Texas A&M, effectively ending the Tigers’ CFP chances. USC earned a hard-fought victory against Notre Dame and Alabama secured a win against Auburn in the Iron Bowl.

After the weekend, three teams—Georgia, Michigan and TCU—remain undefeated. The Trojans earning a solid win against the Fighting Irish helped its CFP résumé heading to the Pac-12 title game next week. 

Much like rivalry week, the slate of conference title games will provide even more clarity to what four teams will remain standing heading into bowl season.

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