JJ McCarthy reveals reaction to avoiding Ohio State rematch in College Football Playoff semifinal

The College Football Playoff field was revealed on Sunday afternoon and it avoided a potential Michigan-Ohio State rematch, with the Wolverines checking in at No. 2 and the Buckeyes sneaking in at No. 4.

At least one person expressed some mild dismay about that result: Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy.

“Deep down, a little bit, but hopefully we see them in the big game,” McCarthy said, asked if he was disappointed not to see the Buckeyes in the semifinals, according to ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg. “It’s the best of both worlds [Ohio State or Georgia], honestly, so no matter who it is, we’re going to be ready for it.”

Instead, Michigan will take on No. 3 TCU in the first round of the College Football Playoff in the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Ariz. The Wolverines enter the game as a nine-point favorite, according to lines released by Caesars Sportsbook.

It’ll be a return trip to the semifinals for the Wolverines, who were also ranked No. 2 in the College Football Playoff following the 2021 season. Michigan lost in the seminal, falling 34-11 to No. 3 Georgia.

In any case, McCarthy seems confident heading into this year’s edition.

Did avoiding Michigan-Ohio State rematch play into rankings?

Ohio State snuck into the No. 4 spot in the final College Football Playoff rankings, but was there any consideration about the Buckeyes potentially moving past TCU? Or, rather, was wanting to avoid a Michigan-Ohio State rematch part of the reason the Buckeyes finished at No. 4 instead of No. 3?

Speaking with ESPN host Rece Davis after the rankings were revealed, CFP selection committee chairman Boo Corrigan answered the question of whether the Michigan-Ohio State rematch possibility factored into their rankings.

“It really wasn’t discussed as we went into it,” Corrigan answered. “As we went into it, our goal was to get the Top 4 teams right, and make sure that we believe in Georgia No. 1, Michigan No. 2, TCU No. 3, Ohio State No. 4 for the reasons I was just talking about in regards to TCU and Ohio State.

“Again, our goal was to get the right four, ultimately the right 25 as we go through this and make sure we’ve got them in the right order, regardless of matchups and conferences and the rest of them.”