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Paul Finebaum on Ohio State, College Football Playoff: ‘They need to find a way to get them in’
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Ohio State’s season is in jeopardy due to a COVID-19 outbreak, but college football radio host Paul Finebaum thinks the Buckeyes should still be considered for the College Football Playoff.
“I think [the committee] have to have an open mind,” Finebaum said on SportsCenter Sunday morning. “The Big Ten shut down and then came back so they did a lot of this to themselves. I still don’t think Ohio State should be penalized if they don’t get to the Big Ten championship game. They are the best team in the Big Ten and I don’t think there’s much debate about that.”
With just a few weeks left in the season, Ohio State is still only 4-0. The Buckeyes have lost two games to a COVID-19 outbreak this season — once at Maryland, once in their own locker room.
That means Ohio State won’t qualify for the Big Ten Championship Game if it can’t compete in its next two games against Michigan State and Michigan.
But even with the lack of games, Finebaum things the Buckeyes clearly deserve to represent the Big Ten in the CFP.
“I’ll leave it up to Kevin Warren and the Big Ten conference,” Finebaum said. “They need to find a way to get them in. But if they don’t, I’d lean heavily towards Ohio State right now. I like Ohio State a lot.”
The Big Ten is running out of other viable candidates to represent the conference in the postseason. Northwestern was upset by Michigan State on Saturday, leaving the Buckeyes as the only undefeated team remaining in the conference.
Ohio State and Michigan State kick off on Saturday at 12 p.m. ET.
Spenser is the news manager at Saturday Road and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.