By failing to qualify for this week’s Big Ten Championship Game, Ohio State has left its College Football Playoff fate in the hands of the selection committee.
Had the Buckeyes won The Game, they’d be battling Oregon in Indianapolis on Saturday for not only a conference title but a first-round bye in the CFP, one that almost certainly would have come with the No. 1 seed given that Oregon was No. 1 and Ohio State was No. 2 in last week’s CFP rankings. With Saturday’s loss to Michigan, however, Ohio State is no longer in contention for a bye and is now banking on earning an at-large berth.