Why Ohio State is ranked first this week in the CFP rankings, an analysis
It’s possible that Ohio State supporters still don’t regard their team highly despite their victory over Rutgers.
The selection committee for the College Football Playoffs does.
Committee chair Boo Corrigan informed reporters during a conference call that the Scarlet Knights’ 6-3 record has already surpassed the Buckeyes’ best wins total since 2014, and that’s why the team is still ranked #1 in the CFP rankings for a second week.
“Let’s not lose sight of the fact that winning is really important,” Corrigan stated. “Rutgers also has a top-20 defence, and road victories are difficult to come by.”
He also mentioned Ohio State’s seven victories over clubs that had winning records, such as Wisconsin, Notre Dame, and Penn State.
Corrigan made no mention of whether the committee’s opinion of Notre Dame declined following the Fighting Irish’s loss to Clemson last week.
This week, Penn State is ranked No. 10, while coach Marcus Freeman’s squad is ranked No. 20.
After defeating Missouri, this week’s No. 14 team, there was some speculation that Georgia might surpass Ohio State this week. However, the two-time defending national champion Bulldogs were once again ranked No. 2, followed by No. 3 Michigan and No. 4 Florida State.
“When you think about it, I’m not sure if it was something that everyone saw and thought the Buckeyes were better, but they kept moving forward and playing well,” Corrigan remarked.
After missing three games due to injury, TreVeyon Henderson amassed over 200 yards from scrimmage for the second straight week. Ohio State head coach Ryan Day acknowledged that the offence feels different with the Virginia junior carrying the ball, something the committee may have also noticed.
“Very athletic group,” Corrigan remarked. “Treyon Henderson’s return and his over-100-yard performance in the last two games benefit them as a team overall, especially with their top-five defence.”
This week, Georgia will have another opportunity to make an impression on the committee when it takes on No. 9 Mississippi State, while Ohio State faces a Michigan State team that has a 3-6 record.
When Michigan plays Penn State, it could also win its first ranking of the season. However, the Wolverines are currently addressing allegations that a former staff member set up a sophisticated advance-scouting network to illegally record the signs of opponents for the previous two or more seasons.
For the second week in a row, Corrigan informed ESPN that the CFP would not be involved in evaluating whether Michigan violated any NCAA regulations. CFP executive director Bill Hancock repeated this statement on Tuesday evening.
The Wolverines are currently dealing with allegations that a former staff member set up a sophisticated advance-scouting network to illegally record the signs of opponents for the previous two or more seasons. Corrigan informed ESPN for the second week in a row that the CFP would not be involved in evaluating whether Michigan violated any NCAA regulations, a statement that CFP executive director Bill Hancock repeated on Tuesday evening. Michigan could also win its first ranking of the season when it plays Penn State.
According to Corrigan, “this had no effect on the selection committee’s work.” “We’ve had someone miss meetings before, and this isn’t the first or last time. It just sort of occurs.
