![Mrs. Miller works in the guidance office. With all the many duties of her position she is working as the secretary for the guidance office. "[She] may change every period to a different class," Principal Scott Hinton said.](https://blueacemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/sub-photo-1200x869.jpg)
BY JAKE PURDY (’17)
Ohio State fans were shocked by the 21-24 loss to Penn State last Saturday and many thought their chances of winning the Big Ten and National championship were out the door, but they are not.
Ohio State, at 6-1, is still ranked sixth in the nation. Before the loss to Penn State, the path to the playoffs was clear for the Buckeyes: win the rest of their games and their ticket would be punched. Even a loss to Michigan could send them to Lucas Oil stadium to play in the Big Ten Championship, which would almost automatically put them into the playoffs if they win.
The CFP (College Football Playoff) is set up so that a committee full of football elites, including ex-football coaches, athletic directors, hall of fame players and even former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, select the best four teams in the country.
According to College Football Playoff, “The selection is based off conference championships won, strength of schedule, head to head results all while uniquely looking at every regular season game because they all count”
The two bowl games in the semifinals are the Chick-Fil-A Bowl and the Fiesta Bowl,
The number 1seed given out by the committee plays the number 4 seed, and the number 2 seed plays the number 3 seed.
There are several games outside of the Big Ten that could influence Ohio States path to the playoff, Clemson vs Florida State, Alabama vs LSU, West Virginia vs Baylor, Washington vs Utah and Alabama vs Auburn. Almost any team in the top 10 winning would help Ohio States chances of getting in. Each power 5 conferences plays a conference championship game except for the Big 12 and it is one of the main criteria for getting into the CFP. These championship games are almost always between two top 25 teams. An impending Big Ten Championship Game would give the Buckeyes another chance to to pick up a signature win and bolster their playoff resume.
Ohio State fans can keep their heads high for two reasons; since the CFP was adopted in 2015 both of the champions that have been crowned have had one loss and Head Coach Urban Meyer has three national championships all coming from one loss seasons. Despite a recent loss, the season is far from finished for the Buckeyes.