Inside Ohio State's path to winning back-to-back national championships

The No. 2 seed Ohio State Buckeyes are rapidly approaching their path to another national championship.

Along that journey will be a series of rematches, starting with an old rival in the No. 10 seed Miami Hurricanes and a potential opportunity to exorcise old demons in the Fiesta Bowl against the No. 3 seed Georgia Bulldogs. If all goes right, Ohio State could also earn a chance to redeem itself against the No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers.

The Buckeyes enter the College Football Playoff with arguably the highest expectations and the most talented roster, of all 12 teams who make up the bracket. Despite this, Ohio State still has its weaknesses, from offensive struggles to nagging injury concerns.

The Buckeyes will kick off the CFP quarterfinals Wednesday during the Cotton Bowl as they look to enter the new year one step closer to back-to-back titles.

After weeks of owning the No. 1 seed, Ohio State was knocked down one rank due to the 13-10 loss to the Hoosiers in the Big Ten Championship Game. While the Buckeyes are not seeded as the top contender, they are the favorite to win it all.

Ohio State is given -128 odds to win the national championship according to FanDuel Sportsbook. Below them is Indiana, followed by Georgia, Oregon and Texas Tech.

Coach Ryan Day and the Buckeyes aren’t just favored by happenstance. Starting with freshman running back Bo Jackson, the Cleveland-native looked playoff ready in the Big Ten title game. Jackson finished against the Hoosiers with 83 rushing yards, averaging 4.9 per carry, and in doing so, surpassed 1,000 yards rushing over a 12-game stretch this season.

The Buckeyes’ run game had been struggling all season, however, that narrative slowly changed with Jackson’s continuous development. Every game this season, the freshman back would improve, and alongside him, the entire running back room would follow. Even though the Buckeyes’ passing game is the premier unit, the run game will be the most important offensive group if the program wants to make it to Hard Rock Stadium.

On the defensive side of the ball, Ohio State has been playing at a national-best. Led by coordinator Matt Patricia, the Buckeyes rank No. 1 in points and yards per game allowed and No. 3 in opponent red zone scoring percentage.

Ohio State’s red zone protection will be the defensive key, as evidenced by their performance against the Hoosiers in the Big Ten title game. Indiana only scored one touchdown on four red zone possessions, earning just 13 points. If the Buckeyes can hold any team in the playoffs to under 13 every game, they should cruise.

That is if the offense can get back on track.

A combination of injuries and inconsistent play has held the Buckeyes back from being considered the consensus No. 1. Starting with the injuries, wide receivers Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate battled with nagging pain during the middle and end of the season, with both returning during the Buckeyes’ 27-9 win over Michigan.

While Day claims that both pass catchers are ready to go for the playoffs, one reaggravation of the injuries is enough to sideline either playmaker, which would challenge quarterback Julian Sayin during the high-stakes playoff matchups.

Mixed in with the offensive injuries is inconsistent play, mainly struggles turning red zone drives into touchdowns. This was once again revealed against the Hoosiers, where the Buckeyes would struggle against Indiana’s high-powered defense, most notably turning the ball over on downs inside Indiana’s 5-yard line. The Buckeyes had issues converting as well, only advancing the ball on third down 33 percent of the time.

The Big Ten Championship Game acted as a dress rehearsal for Ohio State’s playoff run, and possibly a teaser to what the National Championship Game will look like. Everything the Buckeyes thrived and struggled with all season was present in their loss against the Hoosiers. If Ohio State wants to compete for their second straight championship, the issues against Indiana must be fixed.

The Buckeyes will begin their playoffs on Wednesday inside AT&T Stadium as they face the No. 10 Hurricanes, who upset the No. 7 Texas A&M Aggies to advance. Ohio State is -9.5 favorites over their old rivals, and without looking too far ahead, should meet No. 3 Georgia in the semifinals Jan. 8.

Assuming the Buckeyes do advance, and Georgia defeats No. 6 Ole Miss, Ohio State will face the Bulldogs for the first time since their heartbreaking New Year’s Eve loss almost three years ago. This will be a chance for the Buckeyes to get revenge on the Bulldogs, who won the national title that year 65-7.

Finally, Ohio State’s playoff revenge tour could be capped with a College Football Playoff National Championship Game against Indiana. Considering the Hoosiers are the second favorite to win the national championship, expect Indiana to be competing for their program’s first national title.