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Scarlet Sunrise: CFP chair explains why Ohio State earned No. 1 ranking

IMG_7408by: Andy Backstrom11/01/23andybackstrom
Marvin Harrison Jr. by Matt Parker -- Lettermen Row --
(Matt Parker/Lettermen Row)

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CFP chair explains why Ohio State earned No. 1 ranking

Ohio State clocked in at No. 1 in the first College Football Playoff rankings of the season Tuesday night. The Buckeyes haven’t been No. 1 in the CFP rankings since 2019. It’s just their fourth week atop the country, in the committee’s eyes, in the playoff’s 10-year existence.

No. 2 Georgia, No. 3 Michigan and No. 4 Florida State followed. No. 5 Washington was a notch behind, Executive Director of the CFP Bill Hancock explained on a teleconference call Tuesday night. Then came No. 6 Oregon, the top one-loss team in the initial CFP rankings.

CFP Selection Committee Chair Boo Corrigan joined ESPN’s Rece Davis for a quick round of questions after the rankings release. Corrigan, who also serves as North Carolina State’s athletic director, was first asked why Ohio State deserved the No. 1 spot.

“As we looked at it, obviously the big win at Notre Dame, the win over Penn State, a top-five defense,” Corrigan said. “They’ve got difference makers on offense. Across the board, Marvin Harrison Jr. is an elite player.

“And as we looked at it, we came to the conclusion as a group that Ohio State deserved to be No. 1.”

The question of Ohio State’s inconsistent offensive performance this season came up on the teleconference.

Corrigan acknowledged that it’s part of the Buckeyes’ overall evaluation but doesn’t outweigh the fact that Ohio State has an elite defense and is capable of being quite effective on the other side of the ball.

“The win against Penn State, the win at Notre Dame, the win at Wisconsin,” Corrigan said. “They’ve proven they can do it at home, they’ve proven they can do it on the road. They have explosive plays.”

Corrigan added: “To pick completely on one side when the other side is so dominant, and the offense is really, really good, so we’ve got to take all that into account as we’re looking at it, and we came to the conclusion as a committee that they deserved the No. 1 ranking.”

It’s clear that Ohio State’s pair of top-10 wins — over Notre Dame and Penn State — are held in high regard by the committee. The Buckeyes have the 15th-best strength of schedule, according to the ESPN Football Power Index, whereas No. 2 Georgia and No. 3 Michigan are 100th and 112th, respectively, in SOS, per FPI.

Both Corrigan and Hancock were asked about the Michigan sign-stealing investigation and if it affected the committee’s evaluation of the Wolverines, who have outscored their opponents, 325-47.

“As we went through it, that really wasn’t part of any of the discussions that occurred during our time together,” Corrigan told Davis in his ESPN interview. “It’s an NCAA issue. It’s not a CFP issue.”

Hancock noted on the teleconference: “Michigan has played well all season. The fact of the matter is no one knows what happened. We’re dealing right now — the NCAA is dealing right now with allegations only. The committee makes its judgments based on what happened on the field, and clearly Michigan has been a dominant team.”

RELATED

Tim May: Toughness at root of Ohio State defensive renaissance

Ohio State is making its case for the best defense in the country, and the unit’s toughness is a big reason why. The Buckeyes have been flying around the field all season, especially last weekend at Wisconsin.

“You get these limited number of games, and, really, I think the extra toughness for them comes from the brotherhood, and it’s like, ‘Hey, we put all this work in. Now it’s our job to defend it,'” Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles said. “It’s a tough man’s game, no doubt. No doubt.”

Longtime Ohio State reporter Tim May illustrated that toughness in his latest for Lettermen Row.

Check it out here.

Buckeyes running back Miyan Williams ruled out for season

Miyan Williams is out for the rest of the year, Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day announced Tuesday. Williams, a fourth-year running back who led Ohio State in rushing last season with 825 yards and 14 touchdowns, has struggled with injuries throughout his career, including in 2023.

Williams has been in and out of practice since fall camp and never really got in a rhythm on the ground this season, hence his career-low 3.2 yards per carry.

Here are more details on his situation.

Counting down

Buckeyes vs. Rutgers: 3 days
Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 24 days

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