Ohio State is the first team out of the College Football Playoff field in the selection committee’s first rankings, sitting at No. 12 despite beating No. 4 Indiana earlier this season, according to NCAA.com’s bracket projection.
The Buckeyes (6-2) fell one spot below the cut line after losses to Texas and Southern Cal, while Boise State — ranked just No. 25 by the committee — would claim the 12th seed as the top-ranked program from the Group of 6 conferences.
Alabama’s surprise, Notre Dame’s lifeline
The biggest surprise in the top five was Alabama at No. 5, with the Crimson Tide’s two losses apparently outweighed by the strength of their schedule. Notre Dame, at No. 11, would qualify for an automatic bid under the current projection, while Tennessee at No. 13 is the second team out.
The gap between Indiana at No. 4 and Ohio State at No. 12 raised eyebrows across the sport: the Hoosiers’ only loss came against the Buckeyes, yet they sit eight places higher. The committee’s message appears to be that Ohio State’s two defeats — and the manner of them — matter more than the head-to-head result.
What Ohio State must do now
The Buckeyes’ path back into the field is straightforward but unforgiving: win out, and hope the teams ahead of them stumble. With weekly rankings until December 6, there is time to climb — but no margin for another slip.
For Boise State, the projection is a dream scenario: the Broncos would host a first-round game path into the bracket despite their No. 25 ranking, a reminder that the expanded playoff was designed to give the Group of 6 a genuine seat at the table.
The debate is the point
Every first ranking produces an outrage, and this one delivered two: Ohio State behind a team it beat, and a No. 25 team stealing a seed. Both are features of the system, not bugs — the committee weighs full seasons, not single games, and the Group of 6 guarantee exists precisely to create moments like Boise State’s. The Buckeyes can still play their way in. The argument will rage until they do.
