If the season ended today, Ohio State would be outside of the playoff looking in. Is OSU's #8 ranking really fair and accurate right now? We took a look at the reasons why the Buckeyes should be getting a bit more love from the selection committee:
Conference Strength
Is the Big 10 as strong as it usually is? Absolutely not, and even the most passionate fans would have to admit it has a way to go before catching up with the SEC. Is it really worse than the ACC, Big 12, or Pac-10, though? Eight of the 12 teams in the conference are over .500, compared to seven of fourteen in the ACC, six of ten in the Big 12, and nine of 12 in the Pac-12. Three of the top five rushers in the nation go to Big 10 schools, and three Big 10 teams rank in the top 10 in total defense. The media (read: ESPN) is currently pushing the narrative that the Big 10 is the weakest of the Power 5 conferences, but the stats just don't back that up.
Dominant Victories
Ohio State deserves some credit for how one-sided most of their games have been. Of their eight wins so far, only one (Penn State) was decided by fewer than 10 points.
JT Barrett
Barrett's passer rating? An astronomical 172.9, good for second in the nation. You can make a legitimate case that Barrett has been the second-best quarterback in the country since taking over for Braxton Miller (while Barrett has been exceptional, Oregon's Marcus Mariota has been historically impressive), and he's doing it without any star receivers. Barrett's 582 rushing yards put him in the top 100 nationally, and his 34 total touchdowns put him in elite company as well. The playoff should be a showcase of the nation's top talent, and Barrett absolutely fits into that category.
Entertaining Football
Not counting the hiccup against Virginia Tech, the Buckeyes have scored at least 30 points in every game they've played this year. In five of their nine games this season, they've scored over 50 points, and they hung 49 on Michigan State's vaunted defense. No one will be watching the playoff for low-scoring field position battles, and with Ohio State involved, it's a virtual lock that we'll get to see some points. The Buckeyes also have an explosive, hard-hitting defense headlined by DL Joey Bosa - at the end of the day, no one can accuse OSU of playing boring football.
Comprehensive Dominance
Ohio State is one of two one-loss teams with a top-20 offense and a top-20 defense (Baylor is the only other squad in the top 20 for both). While TCU, Arizona State and the other one-loss squads ahead of OSU have plenty of strengths, Baylor is the only other team as well-rounded.
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