CFP Has Discussed Flipping Ohio State, Texas A&M in Rankings, Chairman Says

The Ohio State State Buckeyes are the No. 4 team in the nation in the latest College Football Playoff Rankings, behind a top three of Alabama, Notre Dame and Clemson.

But Ohio State's hold on No. 4 isn't iron clad.

CFP chair Gary Barta told reporters Tuesday there was "some discussion but really not a lot of discussion" about flipping the 5-0 Buckeyes with No. 5 Texas A&M (7-1).

A lot could change with the conferences' championship games still to be played. Notre Dame is probably in the CFP whether they beat Clemson for a second time or lose to the Tigers, but a Clemson loss could put them in real danger of missing out.

Likewise, Alabama is almost assuredly in regardless of result when they face Florida in the SEC Championship, but the 8-2 Gators—currently ranked No. 6—would make a strong case to be included in the CFP with a win over the Crimson Tide and some losses in the rankings above them.

Ohio State will face No. 14 Northwestern (6-1), with a win likely to guarantee them a top-four finish but a loss opening the door for a Texas A&M or Florida to surpass them. As for No. 7 Iowa State, the only chance they have of sneaking into the playoff is to beat No. 11 Oklahoma and hope teams like Clemson, Ohio State and Florida lose ahead of them.

No. 8 Cincinnati (8-0), meanwhile, is a major longshot regardless of what happens in the AAC Championship. The CFP Committee made that clear enough by ranking them at No. 8.

One thing was certain after the rankings were announced Tuesday—many pundits were surprised, and not pleasantly:

Given all of the cancellations and postponements amid the COVID-19 pandemic, this year has been particularly strange, and likely has made accurately ranking these teams all the more difficult. For now, the Buckeyes are in, but a lot could change once the title games are contested.