COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Buckeyes have their work cut out for them if they expect to be in the first-ever college football playoff at the end of the season.
The College Football Playoff selection committee has unveiled the first of seven top 25 rankings and Ohio State (6-1, 3-0) is listed at No.16.
Head coach Urban Meyer downplayed his concern about the selection process during his weekly media briefing on Monday.
“I spend zero time on that. We gotta try to find a way to win our seventh game,” he said. “Everything I hear is, it’s very similar the BCS and the playoffs are the same thing. Instead of the top two you gotta get in the top four.”
There’s good news for three SEC teams, none of which is Alabama.
Mississippi State and ACC powerhouse Florida State are 1-2 in the ranking. The Bulldogs and Seminoles are two of the last three unbeaten teams left in the FBS.
Auburn is third, followed by SEC rival Mississippi to round out the current projected semifinalists for the first FBS playoff.
Oregon is on the outside looking in at No. 5. Alabama is sixth in the ranking after moving up to third in the AP poll.
TCU is seventh, followed by Michigan State, the Buckeyes’ opponent on Nov. 8; Kansas State and Notre Dame.
The final rankings will be released Dec. 7, the day after the most of the conference championships are decided