Ohio State fell to Michigan on Saturday, 45–23, losing to its main rival for the second year in a row. The loss also may have dashed the team's hopes for a College Football Playoff berth.
Ohio State, which entered the week at No. 2 in the College Football Playoff rankings, will have to hope for carnage down the stretch. The Buckeyes will finish with an 11–1 regular season record, no shot at a conference championship and no chance at improving their resumé.
After the loss, coach Ryan Day was asked if he still thinks his team deserves consideration for the College Football Playoff.
"Well, I mean, I thought we were in it. We were fighting there at the end, and obviously it got out of control down the stretch. But it wasn't like we were outmatched in terms of just overall play, I don't think. So yeah, as we get to those decisions, you have to look at the body of work and what we've done. We've got a lot of good pieces on this team. We came up short today, but I think if we were able to get a shot in the top four, we'd be a dangerous team."
Ohio State notched wins over No. 11 Penn State and No. 15 Notre Dame earlier in the season. Each of the Buckeyes's 11 wins came by at least two scores.
Heading into Saturday night, Georgia, Michigan and TCU seemingly have the inside track on College Football Playoff bids, should they finish undefeated. Other contenders include Ohio State, LSU, USC and Alabama.
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