With the Big Ten Championship Game looming, the Ohio State football team rose to No. 5 in the College Football Playoff poll, which was announced Tuesday evening.
OSU (11-1, 8-0) was No. 6 in the poll for the past two weeks before moving into its highest slot of the season. The Buckeyes jumped a spot in the rankings despite losing redshirt-freshman quarterback J.T. Barrett to a fractured ankle during their win against Michigan on Saturday.
OSU is one of four Big Ten teams ranked in the top 25, and the Buckeyes are ranked higher than any of their conference opponents. Michigan State checked in at No. 8 in the new poll, while Wisconsin is ranked No. 13.
The Spartans were the only team currently in the top 25 on OSU’s regular-season schedule. But the Buckeyes are set for one more chance against a ranked opponent as they are scheduled to take on Wisconsin on Saturday in the Big Ten title game.
Alabama remained at No. 1 in the poll, while Oregon stayed at No. 2, Texas Christian University was No. 3 and Florida State fell to No. 4.
The College Football Playoff rankings were decided by a panel of 12 members, including Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez, Lt. Gen. Mike Gould and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. In total, the panel is set to consist of 13 members, but former Mississippi and NFL quarterback Archie Manning is taking a leave of absence because of health concerns.
The top four teams at season’s end are scheduled to compete in the first-ever College Football Playoff.
OSU and Wisconsin are scheduled to kick off at 8:17 p.m. at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Complete rankings:
- Alabama
- Oregon
- Texas Christian
- Florida State
- Ohio State
- Baylor
- Arizona
- Michigan State
- Kansas State
- Mississippi State
- Georgia Tech
- Mississippi
- Wisconsin
- Georgia
- UCLA
- Missouri
- Arizona State
- Clemson
- Auburn
- Oklahoma
- Louisville
- Boise State
- Utah
- Louisiana State
- Southern California
