COLUMBUS – The Buckeyes’ path to a berth in the College Football Playoff got a little easier to understand — though no clearer — based on the latest CFP rankings.
Ohio State fell to No. 6 in the second-to-last CFP rankings after falling to Michigan in the regular-season finale on Saturday.
Georgia remained No. 1 and Michigan moved up a spot to second after beating Ohio State.
Unbeaten Washington was third, followed by unbeaten Florida State.
Oregon remained fifth, followed by Ohio State. Texas was seventh and Alabama eighth.
Analysts say the best chance for Ohio State to make the final four is if Florida State, Oregon, Texas and Alabama lose.
The field for the playoff will be announced Sunday.
21 Buckeyes named defensive All-Big Ten
Receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., and tight end Cade Stover lead a parade of eight Ohio State Buckeyes who have been named as a 2023 all-Big Ten Conference offensive honorees.
Ohio State had a total of 21 all-conference picks this year, including eight first-team selections.
Harrison and Stover are joined on the first team by junior guard Donovan Jackson, junior running back TreVeyon Henderson and senior tackle Josh Fryar.
Harrison was also named the league’s Graham-George Offensive Player of the Year and he repeated as the Richter-Howard Receiver of the Year.
Graduate linebacker Tommy Eichenberg and junior defensive end JT Tuimoloau are repeat first-team all-Big Ten Conference defensive honorees, joined on the all-conference team by junior cornerback Denzel Burke and 10 other Ohio State players.
Eichenberg, who leads the Buckeyes in tackles for the second consecutive year with 80, was also named as the Big Ten’s Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year, the first Buckeye defender to earn the award since the conference began presenting it 2011.
Tuimoloau has 34 tackles, including six TFLs for a team-high 39 yards in losses. He also has four sacks, five PBUs and a fumble recovery.
Burke is sixth in the Big Ten with 10 passes defended and also recorded 19 tackles.
Ten players were named to the conference’s second and third teams and received honorable mentions.
Offensive award winners and all-conference teams will be announced on Wednesday.