Ohio State’s College Football Playoff Hopes Hinge On A Notre Dame Loss

No. 12 Ohio State clobbered another opponent Saturday, but only managed to move up one spot in the Coaches’ Poll. The Associated Press disrespected the Scarlet and Gray even further by not moving the Buckeyes up at all, keeping OSU locked in at No. 13.

This comes after the Buckeyes suffered the biggest drop in the polls during the 2014 season after the program’s Week 2 loss to Virginia Tech. Urban Meyer’s team went into that game ranked No. 8 in the AP poll, and dropped to No. 22 with the loss. The coaches were a little kinder, as OSU dropped 11 spots from No. 7.

The program’s initial plummet, paired with its slow climb back up the polls are proof that the college football world doesn’t believe the Buckeyes are worthy of playing in the inaugural playoff, which is absurd.

Oct 18, 2014; Tallahassee, FL, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Everett Golson (5) scrambles out of the pocket against the Florida State Seminoles during the fourth quarter at Doak Campbell Stadium. Florida State defeated Notre Dame 31-27. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

But at this rate, Ohio State is not getting in, no matter how many touchdowns Heisman hopeful J.T. Barrett accounts for against No. 5 Michigan State Nov. 8. Even with all the upsets of two weeks ago, the Bucks hardly gained any ground in the AP poll.

At this juncture of the season, trying to deduce which teams make the playoff will probably make you grab some Advil. But when trying to prognosticate Ohio State’s best chances for getting in the playoff, one team stands out in the polls: Notre Dame.

Depending on which poll you follow, the Irish sit seventh or eighth. Brian Kelly’s squad is coming off the loss to Florida State, but has the most to gain by the top teams in the SEC beating up on each other the rest of the way. If Notre Dame goes unblemished for the remainder of the season, it’s hard to see the Golden-Domers not being among the final-four teams.

Here’s how the CFP might break down:

• The SEC Champion is in.

• Florida State has number No. 14 Louisville this Thursday, but nobody’s expecting an upset. After that, the there’s no real opponent left. If the Seminoles avoid an upset, the Jameis Winston sideshow will carry over to the postseason.

• A second SEC team probably gets in. An undefeated team is unlikely to come form the conference, but just look at the current polls. Five teams occupy the Top 10 in each poll.

• Don’t forget about Oregon, who still has a good Stanford team on the schedule.

But let’s focus on the SEC because Notre Dame’s final spot is so dependent on what happens at the top of the polls.

No. 1 Mississippi State still has to play No. 4 Alabama and No. 3 Ole’ Miss. The Rebels still have to play their in-state rivals, as well as Auburn. The Tigers still have a one-loss Georgia team, in addition to their Iron Bowl finale. The Bulldogs may be the dark horse in the conference if they escape Auburn.