When the final whistle blew in Ohio State’s Nov. 26 game against rival Michigan, Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer, overcome with emotion, fell prostrate on the artificial turf.
The rest of the Buckeyes stormed the field in celebration as Ohio State dotted the “i” of its double-overtime win, seemingly keeping its playoff hopes alive.
An unknowing bystander would have seen the jubilant scene in Ohio Stadium and assumed that the Buckeyes had clinched their division title and would be heading to Indianapolis on Dec. 3 to play for the Big 10 Championship.
That bystander would be dead wrong.
Penn State and Wisconsin will be duking it out in Lucas Oil Stadium for the conference crown, while the Buckeyes watch from their couches.
How does a team that does not win its conference championship have a spot in the College Football Playoff? The quick answer is they shouldn’t be able to touch the playoff with a 10-foot pole.
Although No. 2 Ohio State has a near sterling 10-1 record, that sole loss was to No. 8 Penn State on Oct. 22.
If the Nittany Lions win the Big 10 championship, they would finish with a 10-2 record. That would be slightly worse than Ohio State’s, but Penn State would have the conference title and the head-to-head win against the Buckeyes.
Penn State should certainly get the nod from the playoff committee, as should No. 6 Wisconsin if they happen to win the Big 10 title.
Assuming that No. 1 Alabama takes care of business against the No. 15 Florida Gators — a team that is greatly over-matched by the Crimson Tide — in the Southeastern Conference championship, two of the four playoff spots are now filled.
No. 3 Clemson and No. 4 Washington should be the next two teams on the playoff ledger.
Both teams are favored to win their respective conference title matches, and if so, Ohio State should be sitting out this year’s playoff.
What if there’s a fluke and one of these sure-fire teams lose their conference championships?
It’s certainly possible, and if so, the winner of the Big 12 title — either No. 7 Oklahoma or No. 11 Oklahoma State — should be waiting in the wings to snatch up the last playoff spot.
The bottom line is that teams who do not win their conference should not be rewarded.
This conventional wisdom was summed up nicely by Nick Saban in 2003 when he said that teams who win conference championships “had to do a little bit more” to play in meaningful postseason football.
Unless there is an unlikely surge of upsets in Saturday’s conference finales, Ohio State has not earned the right to play for this season’s national championship.
Better luck next year, Buckeyes.