You are now the favorite to win the College Football Playoffs, Ohio State. Take care of it.
In 2017 College Football Playoff, the team that no opponent should want to face—the front-runner and the colossus—was hiding in plain sight.
We allowed ourselves to ignore the 300-pound gorilla if we never saw it. We either disregarded college football’s history, which indicates that the most skilled teams have the highest chance of winning national championships, or we let an ugly defeat to a fierce rival cloud our judgment.
The person who came up with the saying “Jimmys and Joes beat X’s and O’s” was a very astute individual, despite the fact that coaches tend to make college football appear very complicated.
Ohio State coupled an unrivaled quantity of “Jimmy and Joe” skill with astute X’s and O’s in its first two postseason games.
The outcome was consecutive decisive victories over clubs with a combined 23-2 record. This included defeating No. 1 Oregon 41–21 in the Rose Bowl.
Ohio State, stop hiding in plain sight. No more spending a couple weeks as a doubtful team and playing opossum versus Michigan.
Buckeyes, we can see you well now. The monster is you. The catbird seat is where you sit. On your best day, you are the squad that outperforms Georgia in 2022, Alabama in 2020, or LSU in 2019. Not just against Texas in the Cotton Bowl, but against the next opponent as well, you are the clear favorite.
Ohio State’s College Football Playoff investment pays off.
To put together this team, Ohio State reportedly invested NIL $20 million, and the Buckeyes’ clear advantages are evident to anyone who isn’t an NFL scout.
Prior to the Buckeyes’ season opener, former Alabama coach Nick Saban stated on “College GameDay” that “you guys keep talking about a $20 million roster.” “You’ll be (crap) out of luck if you don’t pay the right guys.”
Because the Buckeyes are loaded, Nick, they paid the appropriate people, which is why the Michigan loss was so mystifying.
There are four top defenses in the College Football Playoff semifinals, but Ohio State’s is the strongest; aside from Oregon, no team has let up more than 17 points.
The Buckeyes also assembled the most complete squad, with the best backfield combo in the country, the best receivers in the country, an offensive line that was getting better, and a quarterback who only stumbled through one very poor game. While Ohio State resumed its infamous run against Michigan, Will Howard’s one slip-up coincidentally happened when the most people were watching him.
We could learn a lot about the importance of acquiring talent from Saban. Prior to NIL collectives and transfer free agency, college football was one of the select few teams, led by Alabama under coach Nick Saban, that accumulated the greatest skill, became dominant, and held sway.
Although Saban excelled at Alabama, his ability to consistently draw in, bring together, and nurture the best players was his greatest strength, which allowed him to win six national championships in Tuscaloosa.
When contributors from all over the country began purchasing athletes through organized collectives rather than an underhanded bagman, the playing field even out a little in recent years.
Ohio State led the spending battle this season, despite the fact that NIL spending is not publicly available. Money speaks. Then came talent. The Buckeyes understood that Ohio State coach Ryan Day assembled the finest team, and they were incensed when Day lost twice in the regular season, including to the hated foe up north.
Additionally, the Buckeyes’ seeding was heavily influenced by the CFP selection committee as a result of their defeat to Michigan. After they had created a resume that was deserving of the No. 5 seed, which was given to the top at-large tea, the committee placed a No. 8 next to their name.m.
How will Ohio State respond to the mantle of the front-runner against Texas?
The Buckeyes had the most difficult route to the national championship game among teams placed in the top eight thanks to that seed and the bracket placement that went with it.
Whatever. Talent won out.
When asked to describe Ohio State freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith’s 187-yard receiving performance in the Rose Bowl, Oregon coach Dan Lanning responded, “The guy is NFL-ready.”
Many of Smith’s teammates are as well. Long before the sun set over the San Gabriel Mountains, Lanning’s Ducks were 34 points behind Ohio State.
Three months from now, many Buckeyes will hear their names called by Roger Goodell, but the NFL must wait for Smith, who is 19 years old and playing like a multi-time All-Pro.
The simple explanation was that the Buckeyes were inspired or refocused after losing to Michigan, or that the coaching staff was compelled to remove restrictions from the game plan. Each theory likely has some truth, but the other is that Ohio State played like a top team for a large portion of the season, faltered against a rival on a November day, and then bounced back to become the formidable team it is today.
Ohio State revealed its cards by splintering Oregon and crushing Tennessee, and it is now impossible to hide. Favorite status was taken away from the Buckeyes. Do they have strength?
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