Ohio State finished No. 4 in both the final AP Poll and the final coaches poll, though far from everyone is in agreement that the team should be ranked there.
The argument for it is that the Buckeyes lost to Michigan, who in turn lost to TCU, who in turn lost to Georgia in the College Football Playoffs. Michigan, TCU and Georgia are Nos. 3, 2 and 1 respectively.
But then there are those who point out that the Buckeyes came within one point of beating the No. 1 Bulldogs, whereas TCU got trounced in the biggest blowout in national championship game history 65-7. The second-biggest blowout in a title contest before Georgia’s 58-point shellacking was a 55-19 win by USC in the BCS National Championship Game against Oklahoma on Jan. 4, 2005. That was a 36-point win.
Nine total coaches ranked Ohio State at No. 2, while all but six at least had them as a top-five finisher.
There were even five coaches who placed TCU outside the top five. Dana Dimel of UTEP, Marcus Freeman of Notre Dame, Jeff Hafley of Boston College, Will Hall of Southern Mississippi and Pat Narduzzi of Pitt. Freeman and Hafley were among those who placed Ohio State second. Dimel put Alabama at No. 2 with Ohio State fourth.
Alabama head coach Nick Saban also leap frogged his own outfit to No. 2 despite two losses and no appearance in the College Football Playoff. He put Ohio State at No. 5 with Georgia, TCU and Michigan ahead.
Syracuse head coach Dino Babers was among the biggest Ohio State detractors, slotting the Buckeyes in at seventh behind both Tennessee and Florida State.
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart placed TCU No. 2, Michigan No. 3 and Ohio State No. 4 behind his Bulldogs. Even after the Buckeyes came closer than anyone else this season to beating the undefeated back-to-back national champions, Michigan’s road win in Columbus was enough to set the Buckeyes back behind Michigan and TCU in Smart’s eyes, it appears.
Regardless, with the dust settled on Ohio State’s 2022 campaign, it did at least finish as a near-consensus top five team.
