Eric Boggs
Ohio State’s undefeated season may have slipped away in the Big Ten Championship Game, but the Buckeyes still stand exactly where an elite program expects to be in December: firmly in the national title hunt. The College Football Playoff committee placed Ohio State as the No. 2 seed behind unbeaten Indiana, which edged the Buckeyes 13-10 in a defensive battle in Indianapolis. With a first-round bye secured, Ohio State will head to the Cotton Bowl to face the winner of Texas A&M and Miami, two programs the Buckeyes know well and hold winning records against.
This marks Ohio State’s seventh appearance in the CFP and the fifth under Ryan Day, who has compiled a strong 5-3 postseason mark and guided the program to two national title games. One of those, of course, ended in a Buckeye triumph over Notre Dame in 2024—an exclamation point on one of the greatest stretches in modern college football history. Day has the Buckeyes right back in contention again, building a culture that expects to compete deep into January.
Historically, Ohio State has handled potential opponents in its upcoming quarterfinal. The Buckeyes are 4-0 all-time against Texas A&M, including a Cotton Bowl win in 1987, and hold a 3-2 edge over Miami, highlighted by the iconic 2002 BCS National Championship victory. The Cotton Bowl itself has also been friendly turf, with Ohio State sitting at 3-1 in the classic, including last year’s convincing 28-14 win over Texas.
But before any talk of history or hypotheticals can take center stage, Ryan Day made it clear on Sunday that the focus is internal. After the narrow loss to Indiana—Ohio State’s first setback of the season—Day emphasized that the Buckeyes would “respond like men” and avoid any finger-pointing or self-pity. Maintaining unity after adversity, he stressed, is essential for a championship push.
Day also confirmed that Brian Hartline will continue calling plays during the playoff run, a show of stability and trust as the staff works to sharpen the offense. He acknowledged that Ohio State must be better in situational football, more consistent in the run game, and stronger in pass protection if it wants to take the next step.
The Buckeyes have been here before—battle-tested, focused, and motivated by a late-season stumble. With a top-two seed, a proven head coach, and a path that runs through a familiar Cotton Bowl stage, Ohio State enters the postseason with every reason to believe that another deep College Football Playoff run is within reach.
