Bruce Feldman details possible path for Ohio State to reach the College Football Playoff

Ohio State did not take the easy way when it came to making the College Football Playoff as a win over Michigan in The Game was all that stood in their way. Now, with no conference title berth to show for their season, Bruce Feldman agrees that the Buckeyes’ path into the four-team field is going to be near impossible.

Feldman detailed the map for Ohio State to make the playoff during ‘The Rich Eisen Show’ on Wednesday. First, they would need Georgia and Michigan to secure the top two spots for themselves. Then, after that, they would need essentially all of the other at-large contenders from No. 4 to No. 8 in Florida State, Texas, and Alabama to lose.

“I think what Ohio State needs to have happen? They certainly need Florida State to lose. I think they need Georgia to win. They need, obviously, Michigan to win. Ohio State then, maybe, could be into the No. 4 slot?” pondered Feldman. “But I think they not only need Florida State to lose. I think they need Texas to get knocked off by Oklahoma State too.”

Still, Feldman knows that that’s asking for a lot to break the Buckeyes’ way. That’s especially so when he reconsiders that their resume also isn’t amongst the best when it comes to potential bids.

“If you’re Ohio State, I think the thing that also hurts them a little bit? Penn State is No. 10, Notre Dame is a solid win on the road – but that’s about it. They had a close loss at Michigan,” Feldman said.

Feldman believes what happened a year ago also isn’t doing any favors for Ohio State. In 2022, a better and more dangerous edition of Ohio State backslid into a spot due to a loss from USC in the Pac-12 Championship. In 2023, these Buckeyes likely won’t get that same benefit of the doubt from the committee.

“The thing that hurts them significantly is when you look at that team? They do not look as dangerous as the team last year,” said Feldman. “The team last year had CJ Stroud and that gave them a puncher’s chance against anybody – they almost took down Georgia and came within a last-second field goal of doing that. Kyle McCord? What I think the committee has looked and seen is a good, young quarterback. But there’s a big difference now in that offense.”

“I don’t think they have as much of a fear factor as an opponent as the team last year did,” said Feldman. “Just from seeing them a lot last year and seeing this team now a lot in person? They’re not as good – maybe a little better on defense but, offensively, they are not the same team.

Again, this would have been a whole lot easier had Ohio State gotten the job done with a win in Ann Arbor. Since they didn’t, though, we all realize that the Wolverines may have already sealed the Buckeyes’ fate.

“I just think it’s going to be a harder sell,” said Feldman.