Where’s Ohio State in first College Football Playoff bracket? Full playoff picture

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Ohio State debuted at No. 1 in the first set of College Football Playoff rankings released on Nov. 4.

It mirrored the Buckeyes’ place atop the major polls as the selection committee also kept them ahead of Indiana and Texas A&M, two of the other five unbeaten teams left in the Football Bowl Subdivision. The Hoosiers were No. 2 and the Aggies No. 3.

After winning the national championship in January, becoming the first to navigate the expanded 12-team bracket, the Buckeyes have positioned themselves for a repeat run.

During an 8-0 start, the Buckeyes have been dominant on both sides of the ball, winning by an average of 30 points per game. No one has scored more than 16 points against them, and four teams were unable to reach the end zone. Ohio State leads the FBS in both scoring defense and total defense.

The Buckeyes’ offense also boasts two of the leading candidates for the Heisman Trophy between quarterback Julian Sayin and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. Sayin’s completion percentage (80.7%) is on pace to set a single-season record.

There were cases for either the Hoosiers or Aggies to be ahead of Ohio State. Both have managed slightly tougher schedules, according to some metrics, and beaten higher-ranked foes to remain unbeaten into November. Indiana won at No. 9 Oregon last month and Texas A&M won at No. 10 Notre Dame in September.

But Ohio State’s résumé, which includes two wins over ranked opponents between No. 11 Texas and No. 23 Washington, was certainly not bare either. It is the first time since 2023 that the Buckeyes have been No. 1 in the committee’s rankings.

College Football Playoff bracket: Who’s in, who’s out

The four projected first-round games include No. 5 Georgia vs. No. 12 Memphis, No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 11 Virginia, No. 7 BYU vs. No. 10 Notre Dame and No. 8 Texas Tech vs. No. 9 Oregon.

Four teams would receive byes: No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Indiana, No. 3 Texas A&M, No. 4 Alabama

Latest CFP rankings

No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Indiana, No. 3 Texas A&M, No. 4 Alabama, No. 5 Georgia, No. 6 Mississippi, No. 7 BYU, No. 8 Texas Tech, No. 9 Oregon, No. 10 Notre Dame, No. 11 Texas, No. 12 Oklahoma, No. 13 Utah, No. 14 Virginia, No. 15 Louisville, No. 16 Vanderbilt, No. 17 Georgia Tech, No. 18 Miami, No. 19 USC, No. 20 Iowa, No. 21 Michigan, No. 22 Missouri, No. 23 Washington, No. 24 Pittsburgh, No. 25 Tennessee

Ohio State’s projected CFP opponent

If these were the final rankings, the Buckeyes would face the winner between No. 8 Texas Tech and No. 9 Oregon in the quarterfinals.

How many teams in College Football Playoff 2025?

Twelve teams are in the expanded field for a second consecutive season.

When next College Football Playoff rankings come out

The committee’s next rankings are to be released on ESPN on Nov. 11.

Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Email him at jkaufman@dispatch.com and follow along on Bluesky, Instagram and X for more.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State’s College Football Playoff bracket, playoff picture

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