Scarlet Sunrise: Buckeyes only team that ranks top five in both offensive, defensive efficiency
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Buckeyes only team that ranks top five in both offensive, defensive efficiency
Ohio State is the only team in the FBS to rank inside the top five in both offensive and defensive efficiency this season, according to ESPN’s David Hale, who reported that eight schools currently rank inside the top 30 of both categories and an additional eight are in the top 40 on both sides of the ball.
In a FiveThirtyEight article from Josh Planos this week about how Ohio State is being slept on a bit this year, Planos noted that the 2022 Buckeyes are tracking more than 7.0 points of efficiency higher than their 2014 iteration, which of course snuck into the College Football Playoff and won it all.
ESPN measures offensive and defensive efficiency on a 0-100 scale. It’s determined by the offense’s/defense’s “contribution to scoring margin on per-play basis, adjusted for strength of opposing” defenses/offenses faced.
Ohio State’s overall ESPN efficiency rating of 92.9 is tied with Georgia for tops in the country.
Marvin Harrison Jr. has most targets of any Power Five receiver without a drop this season
Marvin Harrison Jr. is an ultra-talented wide receiver. And, without Buckeyes star Jaxon Smith-Njigba on the field for most of this year, Harrison has had his turn in the spotlight after his coming out party in last season’s Rose Bowl. Harrison has made the most of the opportunity.
Not only has he been productive — 44 of his 53 receptions have gone for first downs this year — but he’s also been reliable. He has the most targets (76) of any Power Five receiver without a drop this season, according to Pro Football Focus.
Even last weekend in the blustery Evanston weather, Harrison came down with five receptions, half of quarterback C.J. Stroud’s 10 completions.
Of players with at least 13 contested catches this season, Harrison has the second-highest contested catch percentage (65.0%), per PFF. Wake Forest’s Jahmal Banks is at the top of that group with a 73.7% clip.
What would 12-team CFP field look like for Ohio State right now?
The College Football Playoff is in line for expansion in 2026. The field is scheduled to grow from four teams to 12 teams. And the model for seeding has already been figured out.
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The 12 teams will consist of the top-six ranked conference champions, plus the next six highest-ranked teams. First-round byes will be given to the four highest-ranked league title bearers. Meanwhile, the remaining eight teams will play first-round games, with the higher seeds hosting the lower seeds.
So what if you paired this year’s projected field with the 12-team model? ESPN played that out:
First-round games:
No. 12 Tulane at No. 5 Michigan
No. 11 Ole Miss at No. 6 Tennessee
No. 10 Clemson at No. 7 LSU
No. 9 Alabama at No. 8 USC
Quarterfinal games:
Winner of No. 9 Alabama/No. 8 USC vs. No. 1 Georgia
Winner of No. 10 Clemson/No. 7 LSU vs. No. 2 Ohio State
Winner of No. 11 Ole Miss/No. 6 Tennessee vs. No. 3 TCU
Winner of No. 12 Tulane/No. 5 Michigan vs. No. 4 Oregon
Counting down
Buckeyes vs. Indiana: 1 days away
Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 15 days away
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