The Buckeyes are a top five team no longer, at least in the eyes of the polls.
Following a third straight loss to Michigan in as many years, Ohio State dropped out of the top five in both the AP and Coaches Polls on Sunday afternoon. The Buckeyes dropped to sixth overall in each set of rankings after a 30-24 defeat in Ann Arbor yesterday.
Despite scoring one of the most impressive wins of the season across college football, Michigan failed to impress the voters in each poll enough to supplant Georgia as the top team in the country. It will be interesting to see if the College Football Playoff committee reflects that thinking when the next set of CFP rankings releases for conference championship week.
Oregon State saw the largest drop in both polls, falling six spots from the top 15 to 21st overall after a blowout loss to their in-state rival earlier in the week. Louisville also fell six spots in the Coaches Poll, but just five in the AP ahead of its trip to the ACC Championship game against Florida State. North Carolina State saw the largest jump in either set of standings, rising four spots in the Coaches Poll and re-entering the AP Top 25 rankings.
| Rank | Team | Record | Points | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GEORGIA | 12–0 | 1540 (52) | – |
| 2 | MICHIGAN | 12–0 | 1495 (10) | ▲ 1 |
| 3 | WASHINGTON | 12–0 | 1413 (0) | ▲ 1 |
| 4 | FLORIDA STATE | 12–0 | 1358 (0) | ▲ 1 |
| 5 | OREGON | 11–1 | 1277 (0) | ▲ 1 |
| 6 | OHIO STATE | 11–1 | 1251 (0) | ▼ 4 |
| 7 | TEXAS | 11–1 | 1205 (0) | – |
| 8 | ALABAMA | 11–1 | 1125 (0) | – |
| 9 | MISSOURI | 10–2 | 1011 (0) | ▲ 1 |
| 10 | PENN STATE | 10–2 | 961 (0) | ▲ 1 |
| 11 | OLE MISS | 10–2 | 936 (0) | ▲ 1 |
| 12 | OKLAHOMA | 10–2 | 857 (0) | ▲ 1 |
| 13 | LSU | 9–3 | 809 (0) | ▲ 1 |
| 14 | ARIZONA | 9–3 | 712 (0) | ▲ 2 |
| 15 | LOUISVILLE | 10–2 | 689 (0) | ▼ 6 |
| 16 | NOTRE DAME | 9–3 | 592 (0) | ▲ 1 |
| 17 | TULANE | 11–1 | 557 (0) | ▲ 1 |
| 18 | IOWA | 10–2 | 458 (0) | ▲ 2 |
| 19 | OKLAHOMA STATE | 9–3 | 407 (0) | ▲ 2 |
| 20 | LIBERTY | 12–0 | 293 (0) | ▲ 2 |
| 21 | NORTH CAROLINA STATE | 9–3 | 269 (0) | – |
| 21 | OREGON STATE | 8–4 | 269 (0) | ▼ 6 |
| 23 | TOLEDO | 11–1 | 176 (0) | – |
| 24 | JAMES MADISON | 11–1 | 121 (0) | – |
| 25 | SMU | 10–2 | 108 (0) | – |
USA Today Coaches Poll
| Rank | Team | Record | Points | Chg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GEORGIA | 12–0 | 1571 (59) | – |
| 2 | MICHIGAN | 12–0 | 1506 (4) | ▲ 1 |
| 3 | WASHINGTON | 12–0 | 1417 | ▲ 2 |
| 4 | FLORIDA STATE | 12–0 | 1403 | – |
| 5 | OREGON | 11-1 | 1278 | – |
| 6 | OHIO STATE | 11–1 | 1250 | ▼ 4 |
| 7 | TEXAS | 11–1 | 1226 | – |
| 8 | ALABAMA | 11–1 | 1182 | – |
| 9 | MISSOURI | 10–2 | 1034 | ▲ 1 |
| 10 | PENN STATE | 10–2 | 967 | ▲ 1 |
| 11 | OLE MISS | 10–2 | 937 | ▲ 1 |
| 12 | OKLAHOMA | 10–2 | 895 | ▲ 1 |
| 13 | LOUISIANA STATE | 9–3 | 780 | ▲ 1 |
| 14 | LOUISVILLE | 10–2 | 716 | ▼ 5 |
| 15 | ARIZONA | 9–3 | 681 | ▲ 1 |
| 16 | NOTRE DAME | 9–3 | 602 | ▲ 1 |
| 17 | IOWA | 10–2 | 553 | ▲ 2 |
| 18 | TULANE | 11–1 | 549 | – |
| 19 | OKLAHOMA STATE | 9–3 | 417 | ▲ 2 |
| 20 | NORTH CAROLINA STATE | 9–3 | 303 | ▲ 4 |
| 21 | OREGON STATE | 8–4 | 253 | ▼ 6 |
| 22 | LIBERTY | 12–0 | 236 | – |
| 23 | TENNESSEE | 8–4 | 209 | – |
| 24 | SMU | 10–2 | 135 | ▲ 1 |
| 25 | JAMES MADISON | 11–1 | 79 | ▲ 5 |
Ohio State now awaits the next installment of the CFP rankings ahead of conference championship week. Presumably, the Buckeyes would need Georgia, Washington, Oklahoma State, and Louisville to all win next weekend for a comfortable shot at a Playoff bid.
