5 Games That Will Determine Ohio State’s Playoff Fate

Urban Meyer and Ohio State surged back into the College Football Playoff race with a convincing 49-37 victory over Michigan State last Saturday, but despite their best efforts, the Buckeyes still need help to make the highly anticipated four-team postseason.

That reality became evident on Tuesday when the latest rankings were released by the selection committee, which slotted Ohio State at No. 8.

The Buckeyes still have opportunities to impress the pollsters. A road matchup against No. 25 Minnesota will be a tough out this weekend, and if Ohio State can take care of Indiana and Michigan, a trip to the Big Ten title game against a ranked Nebraska or Wisconsin team likely awaits.

But even if the Buckeyes cruise through their remaining schedule and win the conference title game, they’ll still need some chaos to make a significant leap in the polls.

With the regular season winding down, which games around the country will impact Ohio State’s standing the most? These matchups will be key, because they all involve possible upsets to teams ranked ahead of the Buckeyes.

No. 1 Mississippi State vs. No. 5 Alabama (November 15)

This game should put Ohio State fans in a familiar position—rooting against Alabama and the Crimson Tide.

A second loss for the Tide would almost assuredly push them out of the way, allowing the Buckeyes to move up the rankings. The same, however, can’t be said with certainty if Mississippi State were to…

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