Ohio State sits at 12th in first College Football Playoff rankings

Still smarting from Saturday’s 30-18 loss to USC, the Ohio State Buckeyes have officially learned where they stand in the eyes of the College Football Playoff selection committee. Despite being ranked among the nation’s top 12 teams, OSU is sitting outside the projected playoff field and has some substantial work to do in order to make the playoff field.

On Tuesday evening, the committee unveiled its first rankings of the 2026 season, placing the Buckeyes at No. 12. At 6-2, Ohio State finds itself in an unfamiliar position, facing the possibility of missing the playoff entirely after entering last weekend as the No. 2 team in the country.

While the CFP obviously does feature 12 teams, being ranked in the top dozen teams does not guarantee a postseason berth. Under the current format (which will likely be blown up yet again after this season), five conference champions receive automatic bids, including the highest-ranked champion from outside the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, and SEC. With Boise State currently ranked 25th, the Broncos would occupy the final playoff spot if the field were selected today, leaving Ohio State as the first team out.

Of course, with four regular-season games remaining and the possibility of playing in the Big Ten Championship Game still alive, OSU still controls its own destiny. Win out and the Buckeyes are obviously in, but without Julian Sayin running the offense, and with the continued struggles of Ryan Day’s team in big games, the committee clearly has concerns about Ohio State’s ability to compete with the top teams in the country.

However, despite the dramatic drop in rankings, there is some historical precedent on OSU’s side. The Buckeyes’ No. 12 ranking is their lowest in the committee’s initial rankings since 2014, and, I’m sure I don’t have to remind you what happened that season. In the very first CFP rankings ever, Urban Meyer’s eventual national championship team debuted at No. 16. Is that a sign of what’s to come? I sure hope so.

Currently, the Buckeyes are eighth in FanDuel’s national championship odds at +1300, behind Georgia (+330), Notre Dame (+500), Miami (+600), LSU (+800), Alabama and Indiana (+1000), and Texas (+1100).

Miami (8-0) claimed the top spot in the committee’s first rankings, followed by Georgia (7-1), Utah (8-0), and Indiana (8-1). Alabama (6-2) rounded out the top five, with Kentucky (7-1), Texas (6-2), UCLA (8-0), BYU (7-1), and Ole Miss (6-2) completing the top 10. Notre Dame (7-1) sits immediately ahead of Ohio State at No. 11, while Tennessee (6-2), LSU (6-2), and Texas Tech (7-1) are the first three teams behind the Buckeyes.

The Big Ten placed six teams in the initial top 25, second only to the SEC’s 10. In addition to Indiana, UCLA, and Ohio State, the conference is represented by No. 19 Iowa (6-2), No. 20 USC (7-2), and No. 23 Oregon (5-3). Interestingly, the Buckeyes have already defeated two of those ranked conference opponents, Indiana and Iowa, while falling to USC this past weekend.

While Ohio State’s position is certainly precarious, the Buckeyes still have four regular-season games remaining to improve their standing, beginning with Saturday’s home matchup against No. 23 Oregon. Despite the Ducks’ three losses, a victory would give Ohio State its third win over a team currently ranked in the committee’s top 25, strengthening a résumé that already includes a road victory over No. 19 Iowa and fourth-ranked Indiana.

The Buckeyes will then host unranked Northwestern on Nov. 14 before traveling to Nebraska on Nov. 21. Neither opponent appeared in Tuesday’s rankings, meaning that unless something changes over the next few weeks, those games will primarily provide Ohio State with opportunities to avoid further damage to its playoff aspirations rather than dramatically improve its standing. The regular season concludes with The Game, and while none of Ohio State’s final three opponents are currently ranked, any of them could potentially work their way into the top 25 by game day.

A four-game winning streak would leave Ohio State at 10-2, essentially guaranteeing them a spot in the CFP field. Another loss, however, would likely end their playoff dreams. For now, Ohio State is on the outside looking in, but with four weeks remaining and several consequential matchups still to be played across the country, the Buckeyes have plenty of opportunities to change that equation before Selection Sunday.