Ohio State can begin preparing to play Utah in the Rose Bowl.
Barring an unforeseen development in tomorrow’s final College Football Playoff rankings, Ohio State is in line to play in the Rose Bowl as the highest-ranked Big Ten team that won’t be in the playoff.
While that berth would have gone to the Big Ten champion if the Big Ten champion was not in the playoff, Michigan is a virtual lock to make this year’s CFP – along with Alabama, Georgia and Cincinnati – after defeating Iowa, 42-3, in Saturday night’s Big Ten Championship Game in Indianapolis.