When Ohio State walked off its home field on Nov. 26 after a humiliating 22-point defeat to Michigan, it had no reason to expect another chance at the College Football Playoff. But the dominoes fell just right for the Buckeyes to land the No. 4 seed, a fortunate reprieve for a team that would have had to consider this season a failure without a chance at the national title.
“It took a different road to get here, but we’re here,” Buckeyes coach Ryan Day said.
The only problem with taking the wayward path, though, is that it has led Ohio State into a semifinal against defending national champion Georgia, the top seed, that will be played in the Bulldogs’ home away from home at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.