COLUMBUS, Ohio — When the second edition of this season's College Football Playoff rankings were released on Tuesday night, the players, coaches and fanbase of third-ranked Ohio State each did their best impression of Buckeyes star defensive end Joey Bosa.
It's hardly the reaction any posting of the playoff poll would have elicited in Columbus at this time a year ago, when Ohio State was still in the midst of climbing from its initial No. 16 ranking to the fourth and final playoff spot in a six-week span. If anything was felt, it was disappointment that the Buckeyes weren't ranked in one of the playoff's coveted top two spots, which would give Ohio State a more favorable opponent and semifinal location if the second-year postseason format were to start today.