Ohio State Remains in Playoff Position, Ranked No. 4 for the Fourth Consecutive Week
Ohio State has not only won every game they've played this season, but they've never really truly been in jeopardy of losing any of their games - typically the sign of a great team.
The Buckeyes certainly have played like one of the elite teams in college football again this season, but the national debate this week has revolved squarely around their circumstances.
Circumstances beyond their control.
Should Ohio State be included in the College Football Playoff with as many as four fewer games played?
The Buckeyes are scheduled to play a sixth game on Saturday as they try to win a fourth straight Big Ten championship. But would a 6-0 record be enough to convince the 13-member College Football Playoff Selection Committee that they are truly one of the four deserving teams of a coveted playoff spot?
For the fourth week in a row, so far, the lack of games played hasn't been enough of a hinderance to keep them out of the conversation. On the final weekly rankings before the CFP unveils its four playoff teams on Sunday, the top four teams remain in the same order they have all season: No. 1 Alabama (10-0), No. 2 Notre Dame (10-0), No. 3 Clemson (9-1), No. 4 Ohio State.
No. 5 Texas A&M (7-1) has occupied that spot each week as well.
CFP Committee Chairman Gary Barta told ESPN after the rankings were released that there were a lot of challenges this week because 12 of the Top 25 teams from last week did not play, including five of the top six. He said there was some discussion about teams 1 through 5, but there wasn't really a discussion around moving anybody.
The rest of the Top 10 includes: No. 6 Iowa State (8-2), No. 7 Florida (8-2), No. 8 Georgia (7-2), No. 9 Cincinnati (8-0) and No. 10 Oklahoma (7-2).
There was some speculation as to whether or not the Buckeyes could keep their grip on the fourth spot because they didn't play last week against Michigan, their third cancelled game in a five week stretch. But while Ohio State sat at home last week, so did the Aggies. Their game against Ole Miss was postponed for a second time. This weekend, Texas A&M won't compete for an SEC title, but they will have a chance to play Tennessee to add one more data point to their impressive resume.
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Meanwhile, other ranked Big Ten teams include: No. 16 Iowa, No. 14 Northwestern and No. 11 Indiana.
The final selection show on Sunday at noon Eastern Time will unveil which teams qualify for the College Football Playoff. This year's semifinal finals will be played in the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl, both of which will take place on New Year's Day. The winners meet in the National Championship game on Monday, Jan. 11 in Miami, Florida.
But first for the Buckeyes, it's on to Indianapolis for the Big Ten title game against the Northwestern Wildcats.
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