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CFP Chairman comments on why UCF jumped Ohio State
By Paul Harvey
Published:
This is not the news Ohio State fans were hoping for heading into The Game against Michigan.
The Buckeyes have been ranked No. 10 for a few weeks in a row and remain a long shot to make the CFB Playoff. While a win over No. 4 Michigan and a win in the B1G Championship Game would provide a boost, it remains a possibility that Ohio State could win out and miss the Playoff.
There are still games to be played before Selection Sunday, but one thing is clear from Tuesday’s rankings: Ohio State’s narrow victory over Maryland hurt the Buckeyes. Led by running back Anthony McFarland, the Terrapins pushed Ohio State to overtime before falling 52-51.
A win is a win, but the CFP Committee apparently took notice of the scare. The new CFB Playoff Top 25 was released Tuesday, and the big surprise is that UCF jumped Ohio State and was ranked No. 9. The Buckeyes remained unchanged at No. 10.
Rob Mullens, Chairman of the CFB Playoff Committee, was asked about the decision to have UCF jump Ohio State during the weekly rankings show on ESPN. Mullens admitted there was “considerable” discussion around the two teams with the committee simply concluding that the Knights were a more complete team after Week 12:
“We spent considerable time talking about UCF and Ohio State,” said Mullens. “While UCF may not have the same depth and talent as Ohio State, the committee felt that right now, today, after Week 12, UCF has the more all-around complete team.”
Do you agree with the Committee’s assessment?
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.