Buckeyes' Dominance Raises Questions About Playoff Seeding and Bye Teams

The Ohio State Buckeyes continued their trend of struggling against teams that receive a bye in the College Football Playoff (CFP) following the conference championship game. The Buckeyes’ 35-28 win over Michigan State was marked by a familiar pattern: they allowed their opponents to score at least 21 points and struggled to contain their rushing attacks. This season, Ohio State has now lost to two teams that received a bye in the CFP following their respective championships – the Buckeyes fell to Alabama in the semifinals and Oklahoma in the regular season. The common thread among these games is the high-powered offenses of the opponents, which have consistently pushed the Buckeyes to their limits. While Ohio State’s offense has been more than capable of keeping up with its foes, the team’s inability to contain opposing running backs has been a major issue. In both games, the Buckeyes allowed over 150 rushing yards to their opponents, a significant challenge for the team’s defense. The Buckeyes’ struggles against bye teams serve as a reminder that the CFP seeding system is not always perfect. While the current format aims to pair the best teams against each other in the semifinals and finals, it can sometimes lead to mismatches and inconsistent matchups. Ohio State will look to right the ship when it faces off against Northwestern next week. The Buckeyes’ offense has shown flashes of brilliance this season, but they’ll need to improve their defensive play if they hope to make a deep run in the playoffs.