How Ohio State Buckeyes could fare in Tuesday’s College Football Playoff Rankings

Here's how the Buckeyes could stack up in Tuesday's first College Football Playoff Ranking.

Ohio State Buckeyes defensive back Caleb Downs (2) celebrates an interception with cornerback Lorenzo Styles Jr. (3) and cornerback Jermaine Mathews Jr. (7) during the NCAA football game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Nov. 1, 2025. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The playoff committee will release the first College Football Playoff Poll on Tuesday, and one of the biggest questions is who they will rank as the No. 1 team in the country.

Ohio State recently celebrated an impressive 38-14 victory over Penn State, bringing its record to an outstanding 8-0. However, since the Nittany Lions are having a rough season, this win doesn’t carry the same weight as it might in other years.

Since defeating Texas in Week 1, Ohio State has held the No. 1 spot in the AP Poll. Nonetheless, there are a few alternatives that the committee might consider placing ahead of the Buckeyes.

Indiana boasts an impressive 9-0 record, edging past Ohio State by one win since it has yet to experience its second bye week. The Hoosiers also earned one of the best wins in the nation, triumphing on the road against Oregon with a score of 30-20.

The Hoosiers currently hold the top spot in the nation for their margin of victory, winning games by an impressive average of 31 points per game. Since Ohio State and Indiana compete in the same conference, the committee will likely consider its performances against common opponents when making their evaluations.

Currently, the Buckeyes and Hoosiers both only played Illinois, with Indiana winning at home 63-10, while Ohio State won on the road 34-16.

The committee could compare the common opponents and notice that Indiana defeated Illinois by a larger margin, and also secured a top-10 win against Oregon, something the Buckeyes currently lack.

Another team that could take the No. 1 spot away from Ohio State is Texas A&M, which has an 8-0 record. The Aggies are like Indiana, having a great road win, beating Notre Dame in Week 3, 41-40.

The Aggies also defeated LSU on the road in their most recent contest, winning decisively with a score of 49-25. However, Texas A&M had a couple of games where it struggled against inferior opponents, narrowly edging out a 2-7 Arkansas team 45-42 and defeating a 4-5 Auburn team 16-10.

Texas A&M hasn't demonstrated the same level of dominance as Ohio State, making it improbable that it will be ranked higher than the Buckeyes. However, Indiana puts forward the strongest argument.

There shouldn't be a surprise if the Hoosiers are No. 1 Tuesday night, but it won't matter in the end since they both could meet in the Big Ten title game on Dec. 6 for a shot at the No. 1 overall seed in the College Football Playoffs.