Big Ten Daily (Nov. 29): Ohio State's College Football Playoff Path Still Exists

With Ohio State sitting at No. 6 in the latest rankings, the Buckeyes still have a shot at the College Football Playoff. A lot must go right on Championship Saturday, though.

The College Football Playoff selection committee has created a path for Ohio State to steal one of the four spots in the field. It might be hidden, but it exists.

Ohio State (11-1) fell from No. 2 to No. 6 in the latest rankings following Saturday's loss to Michigan (12-0). The Buckeyes sit behind No. 5 Oregon (11-1) and ahead of No. 7 Texas (11-1) and No. 8 Alabama (11-1).

While the Buckeyes will be lounging at home on Championship Saturday, their one-loss companions will all be in action. For Ohio State to have a chance, it needs all three to lose their respective championship games. It also needs some assistance from No. 14 Louisville (10-2)

Ohio State lost control of its own destiny with last weekend's loss to Michigan in Ann Arbor. But if things fall into place, Ryan Day's squad could still sneak into the four-team field for a fourth time in five seasons.

Here's what needs to happen in each title game:

• Pac-12: No. 3 Washington (12-0) beats No. 5 Oregon (11-1) 
• SEC: No. 1 Georgia (12-0) beats No. 8 Alabama (11-1)
• Big 12: No. 18 Oklahoma State (9-3) beats No. 7 Texas (11-1)
• ACC: No. 14 Louisville (10-2) beats No. 4 Florida State (12-0) 

Simply put, the selection committee would (probably) put Ohio State in the College Football Playoff ahead of Oregon, Alabama and Texas if those teams suffer a second loss.

You could make the argument that Florida State would still deserve a spot with just one loss on its resumé  — especially with that loss coming on a weekend when Ohio State is idle. But the Buckeyes' two best wins this year (No. 10 Penn State, No. 17 Notre Dame) are better than those recorded by the Seminoles' (No. 13 LSU, No. 23 Clemson). 

Ohio State put itself in a precarious situation. It's going to be an unnerving weekend for everyone in Columbus. Everything has to fall perfectly into place for the Buckeyes to get into the College Football Playoff.

Is it fun? No. But it's better than having no shot at all.

Braelon Allen Opts for NFL Draft

After three seasons in Madison, running back Braelon Allen has decided to take the next step in his football journey.

Allen announced that he'll be entering his name in the 2024 NFL Draft. The news came only a few days after Wisconsin ended its season with a 28-14 win over Minnesota to finish 7-5.

The junior running back closed out his career on a high note, rushing for 165 yards and two touchdowns in the win. He also caught three passes for 27 yards.

Over the past three seasons, Allen proved to be one of the most prolific ball carriers in the Big Ten. He burst onto the scene as a freshman in 2021, accounting for 1,268 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground for the Badgers.

Allen carried that momentum into his sophomore campaign, piling up another 1,242 rushing yards and reaching the end zone 11 times. 

The 2023 season marked the only time Allen failed to reach the 1,000-yard mark, ending the regular season with 984 yards and 12 touchdowns. He did miss one game due to injury and was limited in another contest.

Allen should be one of the top running back prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft. It will be interesting to see where the Wisconsin ball carrier winds up at the next level.

While fans in Madison will surely miss his presence on the field, Big Ten defenses certainly won't miss having to stop the elusive running back.

Athan Kaliakmanis Leaving Minnesota

Minnesota will have a new starting quarterback in 2023. Tuesday, Athan Kaliakmanis shared a post on X saying that he has decided to enter the NCAA transfer portal.

Kaliakmanis struggled in his first season as the full-time starter for the Golden Gophers. He threw for 1,838 yards with 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions. The quarterback completed just 53.1% of his passes.

The decision from Kaliakmanis comes after coach P.J. Fleck reportedly met with the quarterbacks, telling the room the staff would search for competition through the transfer portal. That report came via the Star Tribune.

Minnesota's passing attack has been lacking since the 2019 season. The Gophers have feasted on the ground, but the one-dimensional offense hurt the team this season, finishing with a 5-7 record. It's the program's worst record since Fleck's first season in 2017 (also 5-7).

After a disappointing year, it appears that Fleck knows the passing game needs to improve. With Kaliakmanis heading out the door, it puts more pressure on the Gophers to land a quality quarterback through the portal.

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