Ohio State football picks up win in latest AP Top 25 despite playing no game and having the week off
The Ohio State Buckeyes are moving up the AP rankings during their bye week ahead of returning to action against USC.
The Ohio State Buckeyes had a much-needed bye week in Week 8 of the college football season. Ohio State was coming off a narrow road win over the Indiana Hoosiers, and the timing of the week off couldn’t have been better. Quarterback Julian Sayin is likely out for the rest of the year following the win in Bloomington, and the Buckeyes are preparing to go on the rest of the way without him.
College football saw its fair share of drama in the wins and losses column in Week 8. Luckily for the Buckeyes, they didn’t have to be involved. Despite not playing a game, Ohio State is moving up in the AP poll thanks to what happened around it.
Ohio State moves up the AP poll during its bye week
It was a surprise when AP voters ranked BYU No. 2 following its win over Notre Dame a week ago. That decision already looks a bit silly. BYU lost to unranked UCF in Week 8, and Ohio State reaped the benefits.
In the latest AP poll, the Buckeyes are now No. 2 in the country, sitting only behind No. 1 Miami. Ohio State is right where it wants to be with a road game against USC up next.
The Trojans are unranked with a 6-2 record. USC enters the matchup after being blown out by Wisconsin 24-7 in Week 8, so the Trojans will be looking to bounce back at home against a top-ranked opponent.
Of course, the AP rankings don’t carry much weight in the end. The College Football Playoff poll is what matters, and the first edition of that arrives in a couple of weeks. Still, being ranked No. 2 shows the Buckeyes are in a strong position at this time. Their only loss came on the road against Texas in a game Ohio State should have won before blowing it late.
A tough stretch remains for the Buckeyes
Everything remains in front of Ohio State. The Buckeyes still have a challenging slate that includes USC, Oregon, Northwestern, Nebraska, and Michigan. Coming out of the bye week at No. 2 is a positive for Ohio State considering it had the week off and still climbed.
The Buckeyes are likely turning to backup Luke Fahey the rest of the way, and how the offense handles that change will determine how far this team can go. Ohio State has the talent around the position to win games, but a quarterback change this late in the season puts pressure on everyone else to step up.
The road game against the Trojans will be the first real look at what the Buckeyes look like under Fahey. From here, we see if Ohio State is able to respond with a backup quarterback. Moving on up in the rankings without playing a game is news you’ll take 10 out of 10 times.
