Ohio State football missed the College Football Playoff this past season, but has reloaded its roster like it does most seasons.
Multiple players opted to return for another run, while there were some major additions through the transfer portal. This looks to be setting up the Buckeyes to a return to the CFP and 247Sports Brad Crawford believes that is the case.
He took a guess as which twelve teams will make the expanded field, and has Ohio State as his No. 1 overall seed, getting a bye during the first week of play. What’s extremely interesting about Crawford’s projection is who the Buckeyes would face in the second-round, Michigan.
If you're not first, you're last right?
My way-too-early expanded College Football Playoff predictions + major bowl picks for 2024: https://t.co/WgRFIOpBtR pic.twitter.com/2sJRs0dWOA
— Brad Crawford (@BCrawford247) January 15, 2024
The Wolverines, in the projections, as the No. 8 seed, setting up a potential rematch of The Game in the Rose Bowl. There is potential this could be the third contest between the two during the 2024 year, the final regular season game, the Big Ten title and then again in the “Granddaddy of Them All.”
Crawford does go on to say “the selection committee will do everything in their power within the bracket to avoid this,” but it could be the reality of how the new CFP shakes out.
The good news is that he thinks the Buckeyes will defeat the Wolverines in the potential third matchup, advancing to the semifinals to take on Texas. The caveat Crawford makes is that ‘“most of these ‘good on good’ matchups against Michigan or in the postseason in recent years haven’t gone in Ohio State’s favor.”’
If he is correct, Ohio State will have a chance to exorcise some of its demons from the recent seasons.
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