Where Buckeyes are projected in preseason CFP predictions

COLUMBUS — Ohio State is aiming to win back-to-back national championships for the first time in program history.

Yes, the Buckeyes have racked up nine national titles in their illustrious history, but no team in program history has won the title a year after the previous team won it, as well.

Now with a new roster and the same high expectations, Ohio State kicks off its season in less than a week against preseason No. 1 Texas in an early-season statement opportunity.

The Buckeyes are projected by everyone to make the 12-team field in the College Football Playoff to start the season. And Lettermen Row has a full breakdown of where the “experts” believe the Buckeyes will land in the bracket come December. Let’s break them down.

Brett McMurphy, On3

On3 national college football reporter Brett McMurphy has Ohio State making the College Football Playoff as the No. 4 seed, good enough to earn a first-round bye despite not winning the Big Ten. McMurphy has Penn State, the No. 2 seed, winning the league.

McMurphy projects the Buckeyes to earn the No. 4 seed and play in the Cotton Bowl quarterfinal vs. No. 5 Clemson, which took down No. 12 seed Boise State in the projected first round.

From there, he has Ohio State beating Clemson and advancing to face No. 8 seed Alabama in the Fiesta Bowl semifinal on Jan. 8 — and beating the Crimson Tide to advance to the national title game against No. 3 seed Georgia.

McMurphy projects Georgia to beat the Buckeyes for the national title in his bracket.

Other Big Ten teams in McMurphy’s bracket include No. 2 seed Penn State, No. 7 seed Oregon and No. 10 seed Michigan. Notre Dame is his top overall seed.

The Athletic CFP projection

The humans at The Athletic, Stewart Mandel and Scott Dochterman, have the Buckeyes as the No. 7 seed in the bracket and hosting a CFP game in the Horseshoe against No. 10 seed Arizona State — the Big 12 champion — on Dec. 19.

Here’s their projection:

No. 10 Arizona State at No. 7 Ohio State (winner faces No. 2 Texas in the Sugar Bowl)

The Athletic computer model, however, is much higher on Ohio State than that. The model gives the Buckeyes a 81-percent chance to make the College Football Playoff. It gives the Buckeyes a 32-percent chance to win the Big Ten, a 48-percent chance to earn a first-round bye in the tournament and a 14-percent chance to win the national title.

Oh, and it has the Buckeyes as the No. 1 overall seed in the CFP, facing the winner of No. 9 LSU and No. 8 Texas in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day.

CBS Sports’ CFP projection features Ohio State

CBS Sports expert Brad Crawford also has Ohio State as the No. 4 seed in his latest CFP rankings, missing out on the Big Ten title that was instead won by No. 2 seed Penn State.

Crawford has the Buckeyes facing the winner of No. 12 seed LSU at No. 5 seed Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl quarterfinal. If the Buckeyes were to win that game, they’d move on to face either No. 1 seed Texas, No. 8 seed Texas Tech or No. 9 seed Miami in the CFP semifinal.

ESPN duo picks CFP field

ESPN expert Mark Schlabach has Ohio State hosting Boise State in the first round of the CFP. His colleague Kyle Bonagura, though, has the Buckeyes earning a first-round bye, advancing to the quarterfinal.

Schlabach: No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 Ohio State

Bonagura: No. 6 Notre Dame vs No. 3 Ohio State (Cotton Bowl quarterfinal)

Schlabach has the Buckeyes moving on to the quarterfinal after the opening win against Boise State, advancing to face No. 4 Georgia in the Cotton Bowl but taking an extra game to get there.

Schlabach has Ohio State losing to Georgia in that quarterfinal, ending the bid for a second straight national title. Bonagura, however, projects Ohio State to beat Notre Dame and face No. 2 Penn State in the Peach Bowl semifinal. Bonagura says the Buckeyes will fall in that semifinal game to the Nittany Lions.

ESPN FPI

The advanced formula from ESPN gives Ohio State a 35.3-percent chance to win the Big Ten, a 68.9-percent chance to make the College Football Playoff, a 20-percent chance to make the national title game and a 10.3-percent chance to win it all for the second straight year.