Paul Finebaum not out on Ohio State as National Championship contender after loss vs. Michigan

The Ohio State Buckeyes dropped their second game of the season and their fourth straight against the Michigan Wolverines on Saturday. That loss also ended up knocking the Buckeyes out of the Big Ten Championship Game. With all of that, there is concern that Ohio State is no longer a national championship contender.

Despite that loss, while making an appearance on SportsCenter, analyst Paul Finebaum played a game called ‘Paul-In or Paul-Out’ where he shared that he’s not yet out on Ohio State as a national championship contender.

“I’m Paul out,” Paul Finebaum said. “Call me crazy, but I saw this movie a couple of years ago. Remember? Ryan Day blew the Michigan game once again. He comes back three weeks later in Atlanta, has a two touchdown lead against Georgia, nearly pulls it off, and they would’ve been the national champion.”

This is the first season of the 12-team College Football Playoff. That has given teams more room for error to make the field. So, while more information is going to be coming on Tuesday with the latest selection committee rankings, it does seem like the Buckeyes are going to make the field. That gives Ohio State an opportunity to atone for the loss.

“This is still the most talented team in the country,” Finebaum said. “Breaking news, they’re not the best coached teams. In fact, they’re one of the worst coached teams, but they’re still capable because of the talent on that roster. I think they can still do it.”

On major loss to Ohio State missing out on the Big Ten Championship Game is likely going to come down to seeding. While the selection committee is difficult to predict, it’s now not possible for Ohio State to get a bye and it’s possible they miss out on hosting in the first round.

Heather Dinich assesses Ohio State’s standing in College Football Playoff after Michigan loss

ESPN insider Heather Dinich added her own thoughts on Ohio State and where the Buckeyes currently stand as it relates to the College Football Playoff.

“I have Ohio State seeded at number eight. That means they would be the last team awarded a first round home game that’s given to a team seeded five through eight. So not only are they in the College Football Playoff, but if it were today, they would be hosting Tennessee,” Dinich said.

“I do expect, though, the selection committee to have a significant discussion between Ohio State and Georgia and who to rank higher. I gave the edge to Georgia because they have three wins against CFP top 25 teams: Clemson, Texas and Tennessee, whereas Ohio State has two top 10 wins against Penn State and Indiana. Remember, Ohio State might wind up having a win against the Big Ten champ if Penn State can somehow find a way to beat Oregon.”