ESPN’s Paul Finebaum has sounded off regarding Ohio State’s first spot in the College Football Playoff rankings
Paul Finebaum let loose with how he feels about Ohio State’s first College Football Playoff ranking.
The first College Football Playoff rankings have given the Ohio State Buckeyes a clear picture of what they have to do the rest of the way if they want to make the field.
Ohio State checked in at No. 12 in the committee’s first rankings, one spot behind where the Buckeyes sit in the AP poll at No. 11.
Next up for Ohio State is a must-win game against the No. 23 Oregon Ducks on Saturday. It’s another chance for the Buckeyes to pick up a ranked win, and it carries a lot of weight. If Ohio State drops a third game, the season is all but over, and it’s hard to see the Buckeyes playing in the postseason at all.
Ohio State’s fall in the College Football Playoff rankings is drawing scrutiny
The loss to USC and ranking to follow it brought plenty of scrutiny. The Buckeyes went into that game ranked No. 2 in the country, and now they’ve fallen all the way down to No. 12 in the first edition of the College Football Playoff rankings.
Ohio State is without Julian Sayin for the rest of the season, and quarterback Luke Fahey is the guy now. Still, a drop from the second-ranked team in the country to No. 12 is a head-scratcher when you look at the full body of work.
ESPN’s Paul Finebaum was asked on ESPN’s Get Up if Ohio State was given the short end of the stick with its ranking.
“Yes, they did,” Finebaum said. “They went to Texas, Greeny, in the second week of the season. That’s what you’re supposed to do in college football. Indiana doesn’t do that. Most schools don’t. But they [Ohio State] did, and they got completely robbed as a result. I mean, Greeny, this committee is a disgrace. Every one of these committee members should resign, and you and I should go into your favorite bar on the South Side of Chicago and pick 13 people. They would do a better job.”
Indiana sits eight spots ahead of the Buckeyes
Finebaum’s point about Indiana is hard to ignore. Ohio State went on the road and beat Indiana, which is now ranked No. 4 by the committee. The Hoosiers have one less loss than the Buckeyes and have struggled plenty recently.
Despite all of that, Indiana sits eight spots ahead of Ohio State. The Buckeyes have played a tougher schedule to this point, and that includes the loss to Texas in Week 2. Ohio State controlled that game throughout until it blew the lead late. If the Buckeyes had played Howard in Week 2 like Indiana did, they’d be a one loss team.
It’s also hard to hold the quarterback situation against Ohio State. The Buckeyes didn’t lose to USC because of the quarterback. The defense was uncharacteristic in giving up explosive plays, and the offense had some red zone woes that didn’t really fall on the quarterback’s shoulders.
Ohio State controls its own destiny the rest of the way
All of this put together makes the No. 12 ranking feel unfair for the Buckeyes. The good news is that Ohio State controls its own destiny the rest of the season.
Ohio State has Oregon, Northwestern, Nebraska, and Michigan left on the schedule. If the Buckeyes rattle off wins in all four, they’re going to be in the College Football Playoff, and they will have proven they belong there. It won’t be easy, starting with a ranked Oregon team coming in on Saturday.
Until then, it’s hard to argue with Finebaum’s take that the committee dropped the ball in the first rankings. The next few weeks will show whether the Buckeyes can make that ranking an afterthought.
