Even after losing to the Oregon Ducks last weekend, the Ohio State Buckeyes could still have room for error and make the College Football Playoff without winning out and claiming the Big Ten title. But one college football analysts believes the Buckeyes should pump the brakes on that idea.
In an interview with Rece Davis, ESPN’s Heather Dinich suggested that the Buckeyes’ loss to Oregon could have a bigger impact on their national title hopes than we might think. She explained that Ohio State’s weak non-conference schedule could result in the College Football Playoff Selection Committee looking at the school more harshly in the event they don’t automatically qualify.
“That non-conference lineup for the Buckeyes… I promise you it will go under the microscope in that committee meeting.”
Dinich explained that the Buckeyes’ wins over the likes of Akron, Western Michigan and Marshall won’t really impress anyone in the committee, so they need to hope that teams like Indiana and Michigan remain ranked in the event the Buckeyes don’t win the Big Ten so they have other impressive wins on their schedule.
Ultimately, the non-conference schedule shouldn’t need to factor in so long as the Buckeyes simply make it. They control their own destiny in the Big Ten as they face ranked Penn State, Indiana and Michigan teams in November.
If they lose control of that destiny and fall short in either the Big Ten championship or don’t even make it to the title game, they’re going to have far greater things to worry about than simply not getting in.
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