The College Football Playoff race is heating up with only one more week of regular season football left.
Ohio State took one more step to clinching a playoff bid with its win over No. 5 Indiana Saturday. The Buckeyes (10-1) still have to handle rival Michigan before facing Oregon in the Big Ten Championship Game. If OSU wins both games, it could be the No. 1 overall seed in the CFP, and the Buckeyes should still be able to make the 12-team field even if they split these next two matchups.
As of right now, Ohio State is the new favorite to win the national championship, according to ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI). FPI is defined as “a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of a team’s performance going forward for the rest of the season.”
One of the metrics the FPI tracks is “Win National Championship%,” which Ohio State currently tops with a 22.1% chance of winning it all. Texas, which had the best odds prior to this weekend, is right behind them at 21.1%.
Notre Dame (11.8%) and Georgia (10.7%) are the only other schools with greater than 10% odds.
Yesterday’s 38-15 win over the surprising Hoosiers clinched a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game, but Saturday’s upcoming rivalry matchup with Michigan is not being overlooked. The Buckeyes have lost three straight vs. the Wolverines, and head coach Ryan Day has not beaten Michigan since 2019 (there was no game in 2020 due to COVID).
“I want this for (the veterans) so bad. They’ve been here. I’ve seen it from a distance. I feel it, and I am a part of it now, and I want this for me, too, but I want this for those guys. I want it for Coach Day — to shut up the haters and be able to go out there and say, ‘This is The Ohio State Buckeyes,'” OSU quarterback Will Howard said of the upcoming rivalry contest. “This rivalry game means everything. We talk about it all the time. It’s all over the place in our building. I’m honored to be a part of it. I won’t take it lightly. This is the biggest game of our season. I’m looking forward to it.”
Ohio State-Michigan will kick off at noon ET Saturday on FOX.
Related: Curt Cignetti Asked If Indiana ‘Deserves’ To Make Playoff After Loss To Ohio State