The Ohio State Buckeyes sing Carmen Ohio with fans after the Ohio State-Penn State game Saturday. Ohio State won 33-24. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor
The Buckeyes are on the outside looking in after the first College Football Playoff rankings released Tuesday.
Coming in at No. 5 in the initial rankings, Ohio State finds itself behind No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Alabama, No. 3 Michigan State and No. 4 Oregon — which beat Ohio State Week 2 — and outside of playoff position. The Buckeyes were also ranked No. 5 in the American Football Coaches Association Coaches poll and No. 6 in the AP poll.
Head coach Ryan Day said he doesn’t put much weight into the opening College Football Playoff rankings.
“It’s great for college football and everybody to talk about. But, nobody talks about who was ranked in Week 8, 9 or 10. They always talk about where it was at the end of the season,” Day said. “If we want to be ranked high, we have to keep winning.”
Ohio State ranks ahead of four unbeatens — No. 6 Cincinnati, No. 8 Oklahoma, No. 9 Wake Forest and unranked UTSA.
With Michigan State leading the Big Ten at No. 3, other teams from the conference include No. 7 Michigan, No. 20 Minnesota, No. 21 Wisconsin and No. 22 Iowa.
