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Short of an unmitigated blowout, the Ohio State Buckeyes couldn’t have had a bigger statement game heading into the first week of this season’s College Football Playoff rankings. Off of the heart-stopping, come-from-behind victory over Penn State, the Buckeyes shot up to third in both the AP and Coaches Poll, but since we no longer live in the BCS era, those rankings don’t mean much when it comes to who will play for the national title.
On Halloween night, the College Football Playoff committee released their first rankings, and the Buckeyes found themselves ranked sixth, with Georgia grabbing the top spot. The Bulldogs were followed by fellow SEC power Alabama at No. 2. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish came in third, with their only loss coming to No. 1 Georgia in a one-point game. Defending champion Clemson rounded out the top four.
The No. 6 Buckeyes found themselves seeded one spot behind the No. 5 Oklahoma Sooners, who beat OSU in Columbus in the second week of the season.
First College Football Playoff Rankings
| Rank | Team | Record | Conference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Team | Record | Conference |
| 1 | Georgia | 8-0 | SEC |
| 2 | Alabama | 8-0 | SEC |
| 3 | Notre Dame | 7-1 | Independent |
| 4 | Clemson | 7-1 | ACC |
| 5 | Oklahoma | 7-1 | Big XII |
| 6 | Ohio State | 7-1 | Big Ten |
| 7 | Penn State | 7-1 | Big Ten |
| 8 | TCU | 7-1 | Big XII |
| 9 | Wisconsin | 8-0 | Big Ten |
| 10 | Miami (FL) | 7-0 | ACC |
| 11 | Oklahoma State | 7-1 | Big XII |
| 12 | Washington | 7-1 | Pac-12 |
| 13 | Virginia Tech | 7-1 | ACC |
| 14 | Auburn | 7-2 | SEC |
| 15 | Iowa State | 6-2 | Big XII |
| 16 | Mississippi State | 6-2 | SEC |
| 17 | USC | 7-2 | Pac-12 |
| 18 | UCF | 7-0 | American |
| 19 | LSU | 6-2 | SEC |
| 20 | NC State | 6-2 | ACC |
| 21 | Stanford | 6-2 | Pac-12 |
| 22 | Arizona | 6-2 | Pac-12 |
| 23 | Memphis | 7-1 | American |
| 24 | Michigan State | 6-2 | Big Ten |
| 25 | Washington State | 7-2 | Pac-12 |
While the rankings certainly provide an insight into the way that the committee is looking at the season thus far, history has shown that, at most, only two of the initial top-four will eventually make the playoff.
So, as long as Ohio State wins out, chances are good that the Buckeyes will find themselves in the Final Four come season’s end.