Where Buckeyes are projected in latest College Football Playoff predictions

COLUMBUS — Ohio State boosted its College Football Playoff resume in a massive way a few weeks ago, scoring a road win against previously-undefeated Penn State before steamrolling Purdue and Northwestern in back-to-back weeks.

After another top-five win, this one coming at home against previously-unbeaten Indiana, the Buckeyes are projected by everyone to make the 12-team field.

Now it’s time for The Game between Ohio State and Michigan.

Lettermen Row combed through the college football ecosystem and found some of the bowl projections, where experts are expecting the Buckeyes to finish the season and the potential matchups in the College Football Playoff. Let’s break them down.

On3 projections

On3’s Ari Wasserman has the Buckeyes making the CFP as the No. 5 seed. He has Ohio State as the top seed in the bracket after winning the Big Ten title game over Oregon in a rematch of the regular-season game.

Here is where he sees the Buckeyes landing in the bracket:

No. 1 Ohio State (will play winner of No. 9 Texas at No. 8 Tennessee in the Rose Bowl)

Ari’s show partner, Andy Staples, also has Ohio State as the No. 5 seed with Oregon as the top seed. His projection:

No. 12 Arizona State at No. 5 Ohio State (winner faces No. 4 Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl)

Here’s what Staples has to say about the Buckeyes:

The Buckeyes gave up an opening drive touchdown and then put the clamps on Indiana Saturday. Ohio State probably is the nation’s most talented team, and it wouldn’t be shocking if the Buckeyes beat Oregon in the Big Ten title game and ascend to the No. 1 seed. But first things first. There is the little matter of a three-game losing streak to Michigan. Ohio State will spend this week trying to snap that with extreme prejudice.

Andy Staples, On3

The Action Network CFP projection for Buckeyes

The Action Network writer Brett McMurphy has the Buckeyes making the 12-team field as the No. 5 seed. He has the Buckeyes hosting No. 12 seed Boise State as a 18-point favorite in the Horseshoe on Dec. 21.

McMurphy has Ohio State winning that game and moving on to face No. 4 seed Arizona State in the Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 31 — and do so as a 17.5-point favorite over the Sun Devils. He then has Ohio State winning that game to move to the CFP semifinal against top seeded Oregon. In that rematch of top Big Ten teams, McMurphy listed the Buckeyes as a 3.5-point favorite on a neutral field.

McMurphy has Oregon beating Ohio State and moving onto the national title game against Oregon.

CBS Sports’ CFP projection features Ohio State

CBS Sports expert Jerry Palm actually has Ohio State as the No. 1 seed in his latest CFP rankings again this week, beating Oregon in a rematch in the Big Ten title game to earn the first-round bye and punch a ticket to the Rose Bowl.

Palm has the Buckeyes facing the winner of No. 9 seed Indiana at No. 8 seed Notre Dame in the Rose Bowl. If the Buckeyes were to win that game, they’d move on to face either No. 5 seed Oregon, No. 12 seed Arizona State or No. 4 seed Boise State in the CFP semifinal.

The Sporting News CFP projection

Bill Bender from The Sporting News has the Buckeyes as the No. 5 seed in the bracket and hosting a CFP game in the Horseshoe against No. 12 seed Boise State.

Bender then has the Buckeyes moving past Boise State onto a Fiesta Bowl matchup against No. 4 seed and Big 12 champion Arizona State. After beating Arizona State, the Buckeyes would move on to face No. 1 seed Oregon in the Cotton Bowl semifinal after the Ducks take down No. 8 seed Georgia.

In Bender’s bracket, he has the Buckeyes beating Oregon and reaching the national title game for a date with No. 2 Texas.

The Athletic CFP projection

The folks at The Athletic have the Buckeyes as the No. 5 seed in the bracket and hosting a CFP game in the Horseshoe against No. 12 seed Boise State.

Here’s their projection:

No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 Ohio State (winner faces No. 4 Iowa State in the Fiesta Bowl)

The Athletic gives the Buckeyes a 99-percent chance to make the College Football Playoff. It gives the Buckeyes a 48-percent chance to win the Big Ten, a 51-percent chance to host a CFP game and an 29-percent chance to win the national title.

College football writer Stewart Mandel from The Athletic did projections of his own, and he has Ohio State beating Oregon in a Big Ten title game rematch — and beating the Ducks to capture the No. 1 overall seed. The Buckeyes would face the winner of No. 8 seed Texas and No. 9 seed Tennessee in Mandel’s bracket.

ESPN duo picks CFP field

Both ESPN experts Mark Schlabach and Kyle Bonagura have Ohio State hosting a playoff game in the first round of the CFP. But they’re in slightly different arrangements in terms of opponents.

Schlabach: No. 12 SMU at No. 5 Ohio State

Bonagura: No. 12 Arizona State at No. 5 Ohio State

Schlabach has the Buckeyes moving on to face No. 4 seed Boise State at the Fiesta quarterfinal, while Bonagura has the Buckeyes doing the exact same thing.

Both Bonagura and Schlabach have Ohio State beating the Broncos in the quarterfinal round, moving on to face top seed Oregon in the semifinal at the Cotton Bowl — but losing to the Ducks.