INDIANAPOLIS -- The debate that carried throughout the College Football Playoff conversation in 2019 — who should be 1 and 2 in the rankings between Ohio State and LSU — kicked into another gear Saturday night.
No. 2 LSU emphatically made its case for the top spot by routing No. 4 Georgia 37-10 in the SEC championship game.
No. 1 Ohio State had considerably more trouble putting away Wisconsin — at No. 8 the highest-ranked two-loss team — in the Big Ten championship game. The Buckeyes trailed 21-7 at halftime, then scored 27 unanswered points in the second half to rally for their third straight championship.
Last Tuesday night, CFP selection committee chair Rob Mullens said of the OSU-LSU debate, “We’re still discussing them in great detail.” That debate likely intensifies in the final hours before the seeds at set at noon Sunday.
The Buckeyes know for sure they are in the playoff, unlike the waiting games they endured in 2014 and ’16. They also believe their resume deserves No. 1 recognition.
“These are top-15, top-10 teams that we played three weeks in a row,” OSU coach Ryan Day said, referring to previous wins over Penn State and Michigan. "If there’s anything else that shows what this team is made of, you saw it here today.
"The fact that we went down and played the way we did in the first half, but then to come back and play the way we did in the second half not only shows you our talent but shows you the heart of this team.
“Again, if there is a better team out there, I’d like to see them.”
Watch the video above as Cleveland.com’s Doug Lesmerises, Stephen Means and Nathan Baird discuss who they feel should be No. 1 and what they believe the committee will choose. Also, subscribe to Ohio State football on Cleveland.com on YouTube for more coverage and analysis of the Buckeyes in the postseason.
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