Scarlet Sunrise: CFP chairman Warde Manuel explains Buckeyes ranking in first poll release

COLUMBUS — Ohio State was ranked No. 2 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings release on Tuesday night, just behind No. 1 Oregon and just ahead of No. 3 Georgia.

Following the release of the rankings, CFP chair Warde Manuel, also the Michigan athletic director, broke down what the committee liked about the Buckeyes, who would get the No. 5 seed and host No. 12 seed Boise State in a first-round playoff game if the season ended today.

“Ohio State is ranked No. 2,” Manuel said. “They had an impressive win on the road against a strong Penn State team and played No. 1 Oregon down to the wire in Eugene. They’ve had a good strength of schedule, and they’re 5-1 against teams with winning records.”

Manuel was asked by a reporter on a conference call about the decision to rank Ohio State No. 2 instead of Georgia. His answer was quite insightful. He talked highly about the Buckeyes.

“Well, both are solid teams, as you know. Ohio State’s one loss on the road was against the No. 1 team, and they lost by one,” Manuel said. “They had an impressive win this past weekend at Penn State, and they have been very consistent. Top-5 defense. They have had changes on the offensive line but still performed, as you know, and Will Howard and Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson, those three have really moved the offense. So for us, it was the consistency. Georgia, very good team, great win against Texas, a win over Clemson. Consistency in terms of their offense. They’ve had some inconsistencies there, but they have great defense, and they’re allowing only 17 points per game.

“It was a close analysis, but in the end we just felt that Ohio State was a more consistent performer at this point in time, and their loss to the No. 1 — their only loss is to No. 1 Oregon, and that’s how the committee came out with the decision.”

It’s clear that the committee really likes what it has seen from the Buckeyes through eight games. As long as Ohio State continues to win, it’ll be near the top of the rankings.

First set of CFP rankings released

Ohio State checked in at No. 2 in the first CFP rankings. The Buckeyes just collected a signature road win over Penn State, which the committee deemed is No. 6 in the country. Ohio State has one loss, that being to the committee’s top-ranked team in Oregon — a loss that came by one point on the road.

Think Ohio State cares about the rankings? Think again. Buckeyes coach Ryan Day was asked about them on Tuesday during his weekly press conference, opting to take the question and turn it into a praise session for this week’s opponent: a 1-7 Purdue team that just lost at home to Northwestern.

The full initial College Football Playoff rankings can be found below. Teams in bold would be the conference champions, making them the automatic qualifying teams that receive a first-round bye in the new 12-team College Football Playoff.

College Football Playoff rankings (Nov. 5)

1. Oregon
2. Ohio State
3. Georgia
4. Miami
5. Texas
6. Penn State
7. Tennessee
8. Indiana
9. BYU
10. Notre Dame
11. Alabama
12. Boise State

Tyleik Williams injury update: Ryan Day reveals status of star defensive tackle

Ohio State senior defensive tackle Tyleik Williams is being listed as ‘day to day’ according to Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day.

The coach updated the status of Williams on Tuesday during his weekly press conference.

“He’s day to day,” Day said.

Williams left the 20-13 win over No. 3 Penn State midway through the fourth quarter.

Williams appeared to take an awkward fall backward after being blocked on a 2nd-and-6 run from Nittany Lions running back Kaytron Allen that Buckeyes “nickel” cornerback Jordan Hancock quickly snuffed out.

The 6-foot-3, 237-pound Williams had to be helped off the field by Ohio State medical staff. He didn’t return to the game, but his defensive line stepped up in his absence, notably coming up with stop after stop on a goal line stand just minutes later.

ICYMI: Sonny Styles named semifinalist for Butkus Award

Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles leads the Buckeyes team with 52 tackles in his first season as a linebacker after making the transition from safety to linebacker.

He’s one of 15 semifinalists for the Butkus Award, given annually to the country’s top linebacker, for his effort so far this season.

Styles had nine tackles for the Buckeyes in the top-five road win over Penn State on Saturday; he has begun playing some of his best football in the last few weeks alongside fellow star linebacker Cody Simon.

Styles is part of a defense that is one of the top units in all of college football in defending both the run and the pass. Now he’s being honored for how well he has played in this defense through eight games. He’s now a semifinalist for the Butkus Award.

Counting down

Buckeyes vs. Purdue: 4 days
Ohio State vs. Indiana: 18 days
Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 25 days

Are you a Lettermen Row member yet?

Are you ready to get all your latest Buckeyes news in one place? Become a member of Lettermen Row today. With your Lettermen Row/On3+ membership, you’ll not only have access to everything that’s happening with the Buckeyes, but you’ll also be able to peruse other fan sites within the network to hear just how rivals are feeling about Ohio State, as well. Make sure to follow along on X, Instagram and on Youtube for all the latest Buckeyes news you need to know.