Comparing Buckeyes CFP resume to other potential contenders

COLUMBUS — The belief is back inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. Ohio State has a clear path to the College Football Playoff.

Just seven days after having hopes dashed on their home field by Michigan, the Buckeyes are back in position to crack the four-team field, even without playing on championship Saturday.

This week hasn’t been easy for this program. It’s been a week of reflection, self-scouting and preparing for all possibilities after coming up short in the all-important rivalry game. Now with another chance to get into the four-team field, however, the Buckeyes have renewed energy, belief and optimism.

“When you go through a few days where you think that maybe your whole season’s gone, and all of a sudden you start to build hope and then you start to see the opportunity where everything’s right out in front of you,” Day said. “It’s almost like a second lease on life.

“There’s been a swing in the whole program here in the last 24 hours. There’s a lot of excitement. The guys were sending text messages last night and really, really excited.”

Ohio State should be excited. Of the three teams still up for a College Football Playoff berth, they’re the only one-loss team. The resume simply looks better than that of Alabama and USC. But let’s break down those resumes just to make sure.

Ohio State resume

Record: 11-1

Loss: 45-23 home loss vs. Michigan (Nov. 26)

Top-25 wins: Two (44-31 at No. 8 Penn State, 21-10 vs. No. 21 Notre Dame)

The case for: Ohio State is the only one-loss team in the country. It has two wins over ranked teams and was considered one of the top-two teams in the country before losing — to a fellow top-five opponent.

The case against: We just saw Ohio State against a CFP-level team. It was beaten by 22 at home.

USC resume

Record: 11-2

Losses: 43-42 loss at Utah (Oct. 15), 47-24 loss to Utah in Pac-12 championship game (Dec. 2)

Top-25 wins: Three (17-14 at No. 16 Oregon State, 48-45 at No. 17 UCLA, 38-27 vs. No. 21 Notre Dame)

The case for: The Trojans have more wins against ranked teams than the Buckeyes and Crimson Tide, and they feature a high-flying offense led by Heisman favorite Caleb Williams.

The case against: They have two losses to the same team. USC had a chance to avenge a regular-season loss — and couldn’t do it.

Alabama resume

Record: 10-2

Losses: 52-49 at No. 7 Tennessee (Oct. 15), 32-31 at No. 14 LSU (Nov. 5)

Top-25 wins: Two (20-19 at No. 20 Texas, 30-6 vs. No. 24 Mississippi State)

The case for: There isn’t much of a case to make other than the three-letter conference affiliation. Alabama has done nothing to deserve to be in the College Football Playoff, especially when compared to USC and Ohio State.

The case against: Alabama has two losses and was just a few plays a five-loss season. Ole Miss, Texas A&M and Texas all nearly beat the Tide. They haven’t looked like a championship-level team for nearly the entire season.

Final verdict

Ohio State is the only one-loss team up for consideration. The College Football Playoff committee has never included a two-loss team in the CFP field. That shouldn’t change on Sunday afternoon.

The Buckeyes should be in the four-team tournament come Sunday.

“Moving forward, we’re going to play loose,” Day said. “We’re going to be aggressive. And we’re going to go at people. There can’t be anyone in our program that presses at all or feels pressure. We’re just going to roll, and I think we can be a dangerous team here in the Playoff.”

Ryan Day just might be right. When comparing the resumes, Ohio State deserves a CFP nod over others in contention.