The College Football Playoff committee released their final rankings on Sunday, and Ohio State is out of the four-team field for just the second time in the last five seasons.
The top two teams in the College Football Playoff, as expected, were No. 1 Michigan (13-0) and No. 2 Washington (13-0). No. 3 Texas (12-1) had just one loss in the regular season and defeated Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Championship Game, and the Longhorns will be making their first appearance in the College Football Playoff.
The final team in was No. 4 Alabama, which knocked off Georgia in the SEC Championship Game, while No. 5 Florida State – undefeated at 13-0 – was left out after a season-ending injury to quarterback Jordan Travis. No. 6 Georgia (12-1) – the defending national champions – was the other team out.
With Ohio State missing the College Football Playoff, the Buckeyes’ bowl destination is still in flux. While an Orange Bowl appearance had seemed likely in the week since Ohio State’s loss to Michigan to end the regular season, Alabama’s upset of Georgia in the SEC Championship Game resulted in the Bulldogs at No. 6, leaving the Bulldogs ahead of the Buckeyes and in position to earn a berth to the Orange Bowl.
That leaves Ohio State to either the Cotton Bowl, Fiesta Bowl or Peach Bowl. The Buckeyes played in the Peach Bowl last season and last appeared in the Fiesta Bowl in 2019 – both College Football Playoff semifinals – and last played in the Cotton Bowl in 2017, and has made just two appearances at the event in program history, the other coming in 1987.
The rest of the rankings and Ohio State’s bowl destination will be revealed on ESPN at 2:30 p.m.
