Ohio State and Michigan is officially a top-three matchup in each major poll, as the Buckeyes and Wolverines checked in as the second and third-best teams in the CFP rankings on Tuesday.
The top four, which features the only four undefeated teams in the FBS, remained unchanged. Defending national champion Georgia is No. 1 after outlasting Kentucky, 16-6, followed by Ohio State and Michigan, while TCU ranks No. 4 following its 29-28 win over Baylor. At the same time, LSU and USC are the first two teams on the outside looking in.
Holding strong at No. 2 going into rivalry week#GoBucks | #CFBPlayoff pic.twitter.com/U8tIR9I0zl
— Ohio State Buckeyes (@OhioStAthletics) November 23, 2022
On Saturday, Ohio State and Michigan will battle in the first top-five matchup between the teams since the 2016 season. The Buckeyes won that contest, 30-27, in double overtime thanks to a walk-off touchdown from Curtis Samuel. Additionally, it will be the first undefeated meeting between the teams since 2006 – a game Ohio State won 42-39 in what many consider "The Game of the Century" in college football.
Ohio State's best wins this season remain their 21-10 victory over then-No. 5 Notre Dame in the season opener and a 44-31 win against then-No. 13 Penn State in Happy Valley.
The Irish plummeted after losing to the Buckeyes, falling to Group of Five opponent Marshall and Stanford in the first seven weeks. However, head coach Marcus Freeman and his program have experienced a complete 180-turnaround in the second half of the year, defeating then-No. 16 Syracuse and then-No. 4 Clemson in back-to-back weeks before claiming wins over Navy and Boston College.
Meanwhile, the Nittany Lions are third in the Big Ten East standings behind Ohio State and Michigan, who are tied for first. Penn State is 9-2 this season, with their only losses at the hands of the Buckeyes and Wolverines.
Notre Dame is No. 15, and Penn State is No. 11 in the most recent release of the College Football Playoff rankings.
Here is the complete top 25:
| Rank | Team | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgia | 11-0 |
| 2 | Ohio State | 11-0 |
| 3 | Michigan | 11-0 |
| 4 | TCU | 11-0 |
| 5 | LSU | 9-2 |
| 6 | Southern California | 10-1 |
| 7 | Alabama | 9-2 |
| 8 | Clemson | 10-1 |
| 9 | Oregon | 9-2 |
| 10 | Tennessee | 9-2 |
| 11 | Penn State | 9-2 |
| 12 | Kansas State | 8-3 |
| 13 | Washington | 9-2 |
| 14 | Utah | 8-3 |
| 15 | Notre Dame | 8-3 |
| 16 | Florida State | 8-3 |
| 17 | North Carolina | 9-2 |
| 18 | UCLA | 8-3 |
| 19 | Tulane | 9-2 |
| 20 | Mississippi | 8-3 |
| 21 | Oregon State | 8-3 |
| 22 | UCF | 8-3 |
| 23 | Texas | 7-4 |
| 24 | Cincinnati | 9-2 |
| 25 | Louisville | 7-4 |
Ohio State and Michigan, who were also ranked No. 2 and No. 3 in the AP and USA TODAY Coaches Polls, will kick off at noon on Saturday, with The Game being broadcast on FOX. ESPN's College GameDay and FOX's Big Noon Kickoff will also attend the matchup to provide pregame festivities.
