The College Football Playoff Preview Continues– Ohio State

The College Football Playoff Preview Continues–Ohio State.  I have been previewing all four CFP teams this week.  Next up, the Ohio State Buckeyes.

After losing to Michigan in their final regular season game, the Buckeyes were 5th in the penultimate CFP rankings. With USC losing in front of them during Conference Championship weekend, Ohio State slides back in to the top 4 and makes the playoff for the 5th time, the 3rd-most playoff appearances behind only Alabama and Clemson.

Ohio State is the 7th team to reach the Playoff after being outside the Top 4 in the penultimate rankings; 2 of the previous 6 went on to win the National Championship (Alabama in 2017 and Ohio State in 2014). Of these 7 instances, Ohio State this season and Alabama in 2017 are the only ones that made the jump despite not playing in their conference championship game.

The Buckeyes are led by C.J. Stroud, who ranks 3rd in Total QBR and in yards per attempt and is tied for 1st in passing touchdowns this season.  After throwing 44 passing touchdowns last season, Stroud has 37 this season. He is the only player in Big Ten history to record 35+ passing touchdowns in multiple seasons.

With Jaxon Smith-Njigba missing most of the season, Stroud has relied on Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka. They are the 2nd pair of Ohio State teammates to each record 1,000 receiving yards in a season, joining SmithNjigba and Garrett Wilson last season.

Ohio State has won 6 national titles, the 5th-most by any school in the AP Poll Era (since 1936). Note: For USC, this includes its 2004 title which was later vacated.

Most National Titles – AP Poll Era (Since 1936)
Alabama 13
Notre Dame 8
Oklahoma 7
USC 7
Ohio State 6

Before the Michigan loss, Ohio State won each of its first 11 games of the season by 10+ points. It became the 2nd Big Ten team in the Poll Era (since 1936) to start a season with 11 straight double-digit wins, joining 2019 Ohio State.

Georgia’s defense will be tested against Ohio State, which ranks 2nd in points per game this season, trailing only Tennessee. The Buckeyes scored 45+ points in 7 games this season, the most of any FBS team.

Don’t forget to check out Chris’ piece on if a college football were in place for this year.  It’s very interesting.  Sorry Craig!

College Football is not what it used to be. I don't know what has impacted the sport more; NIL or the Transfer Portal. Some teams have obviously been harder than others. The Florida Gators have 14 players listed in the portal according to 247sports. This has become a way for programs to rebuild quickly. Look at what USC has done. They brought in Caleb Williams and Jordan Addison this season, and were a Utah program away from being in the playoff. The season prior to that Alabama grabbed Jamison Williams from Ohio State. Had he stayed healthy in the National Championship game, Georgia might still be in search of their first title since the 1980's. NIL has been awesome for the kids. I think the Transfer Portal is awesome for the fans.

Watch what Deion Sanders does at Colorado in the Transfer Portal. Matt Rhule going to Nebraska could bring some much needed talent to Lincoln. And say what you want about Hugh Freeze (and I've said a lot), he will turn that Auburn program around quickly. And all 3 of those guys will have an easier time rebuilding with the aid of the transfer Portal. The Transfer Portal list is not finalized yet, but we have a pretty good idea of what the biggest names in the Transfer Portal will look like. One name to keep an eye on is UNC Quarterback Drake Maye. He set the record book on fire this year, and was a Heisman candidate before the Heels dropped their last 3 games. So some names can still be added. But here are the biggest names in the Transfer Portal.