Ohio State Buckeyes Projected As One of 16 Teams To Take Advantage of New CFP

While the Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball team was just eliminated from the NIT Tournament, the football team is expected to make their version of the Sweet 16 per CBS Sports.

The month of March is synonymous with brackets and tournaments in the world of college basketball. While the Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball team missed out on the "Big Dance" and was relegated to the NIT Tournament, CBS Sports thinks the football Buckeyes belong in its version of the Sweet 16.

With the expansion of the College Football Playoff to 12 teams and conference realignment dominating headlines, CBS Sports felt it was appropriate to look at college football's Sweet 16: "The 16 teams that are in the best position to take immediate advantage of the new College Football Playoff format."

Dec 29, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day leads warm-ups prior to

Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA

The writer is very clear that this isn't a cut-and-dry playoff ranking, but is more of a list based on the "outlook and opportunity to earn a spot in the historic 2024 12-team field."

After Georgia's ranking at No. 1, the Buckeyes rank No. 2 on the list from CBS Sports.

No. 2 Ohio State

"We're talking about the College Football Playoff in its current format here, something that's likely to change in 2026 and beyond under the new media rights agreement. But, for the next couple years at least, Ohio State is primed to take advantage of a new-look Big Ten. The Buckeyes loaded up on talent in the transfer portal and poached UCLA coach Chip Kelly to be their offensive coordinator, cobbling together one of college football's most impressive offseasons.

"Ohio State's biggest roadblock in recent years, Michigan, is reeling after the loss of Jim Harbaugh and an overwhelming amount of key contributors to the NFL. Of the conference newcomers, Washington and UCLA are breaking in new head coaches and USC is coming off an 8-5 season. Oregon is a team to watch given what it has coming back, but the Buckeyes are at least on par. It'll be a make-or-break two years for Day, though he has a prime situation on which to capitalize."

As mentioned, this could be the best opportunity for a win against TTUN since 2019's 56-27 blowout at the Big House. There was no game between the two programs in 2020 due to the Coronavirus pandemic, but the three seasons that followed saw Ohio State lose to Michigan by a combined score of 117-74.

But with the new CFP format, one loss might not be the death sentence that it has been in the past for some teams, especially when that loss is against another top-ranked team.