Clemson's Dabo Swinney Ranked Ohio State 11th in Final Amway Coaches Poll

No. 2 Clemson will face No. 3 Ohio State in the College Football Playoff semifinals, although head coach Dabo Swinney doesn't think the Buckeyes are even a top-10 team. 

In the final Amway Coaches Poll, Swinney put Ohio State at No. 11 in his ballot:

The argument for the ranking stems from the Buckeyes' limited schedule because of the COVID-19 pandemic, sitting at 6-0 after winning the Big Ten title game. Swinney claimed his players had a tougher run on the way to a 10-1 record, via ESPN's Mark Schlabach:

"I think the games matter. The mental and physical toll of a season — there's nobody out there that would say that somebody who's played 11 games versus somebody who's played six is better physically or something like that because it's a long season. We're going on Week 21. These guys have had no break. It's been a grind, not just football-wise, but the mental challenge and the personal sacrifice and commitment that everybody's had to make to be able to play and continue to play. It's been incredible."

Though Swinney had Ohio State lower than anyone else, seven other coaches kept Ohio State out of the top four in the final poll, per Schlabach. Alabama coach Nick Saban rated the Buckeyes fifth overall.

Ohio native LeBron James was one of many questioning the low ranking:

Ohio State will get a chance to prove its inclusion in the College Football Playoff on the field at the Allstate Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1.