Ohio State Gets Brutal Reality Check in CFP Rankings

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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 31: Jeremiah Smith #4 of the Ohio State Buckeyes looks on against the USC Trojans at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on October 31, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)

If Ohio State fans were holding onto some optimism about the Buckeyes’ name earning some respect in the first College Football Playoff rankings of the season, that balloon has burst.

OSU has received a harsh reality check Tuesday night in the initial CFP rankings of the 2026 campaign.

The committee has essentially framed it like this to Ohio State: Lose again, and there’s no coming back from this.

Ohio State’s CFP Ranking

In the first College Football Playoff rankings of the season, the Buckeyes are the No. 12 team in the country.

The field, for this year at least, is still 12 teams — but the highest-ranked Group of 6 team gets in, too. So for now, Ohio State would be on the outside looking in.

With two losses, the Buckeyes cannot afford another slip-up.

The top-20 as it stands:

Miami
Georgia
Utah
Indiana
Alabama
Kentucky
Texas
UCLA
BYU
Ole Miss
Notre Dame
Ohio State
Tennessee
LSU
Texas Tech
Wake Forest
Houston
Missouri
Iowa
USC

Brutal Reality Check for Ohio State

GettyLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 31: Luke Fahey #13 of the Ohio State Buckeyes gestures against the USC Trojans during the third quarter at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on October 31, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)

If the Buckeyes had checked in at something like No. 9, maybe they could sit there and say that another loss might not spell doom.

But at No. 12 in these first rankings, Ohio State can’t fall any further. They can’t afford another slip-up.

And the problem right now is that the Buckeyes feel primed to lose again.

They don’t have their quarterback, Julian Sayin. They’re starting true freshman Luke Fahey. Sayin’s return timeline isn’t even defined. There’s a chance he doesn’t come back at all this season.

And frankly, it seems highly unlikely that Ohio State can win out with Fahey at quarterback. He doesn’t seem equipped to lead the Buckeyes at quite that high a level.

So that’s what Ohio State is staring at right now. They’ve been given the unenviable task of having to be spotless the rest of the way, and they have a current roster construction that will make that very difficult.

Fahey could write his name in Buckeyes lore if he can pull it off, but it sure does look like the CFP rankings will have no problem kicking Ohio State to the curb if there are any more stumbles.