I'll start this with the caveat that while I am literally a lifelong (crib in front of the TV during games) Ohio State fan and graduate of the university who returns to Columbus once a year for games and often goes to bowls (including the Rose this year), I go into games thinking - I think - completely objectively about our chances in any contest. I think I do a decent job of separating my fandom from the reality of how we compete. 

I went into the CFP indifferent about whether we should've been in. We had a bad loss. I had watched a bit of both Clemson and Bama during the regular season and thought we could, possibly, beat either of them.

Then, the first round of the CFP happened.

I saw Clemson slaughter a pretty decent Notre Dame team and Bama put on a football clinic until they suddenly seemed disinterested against Oklahoma.

Then, there was tonight.

After watching tonight's game, I don't feel like we are quite at the level of Clemson or Bama. We are close, but not quite there. I feel like the personnel are there, but we need the coaching pieces there at all levels. I further feel we likely would've lost to either of these teams this year, unless we had one of those "any given night" moments. 

So, I am not proclaiming that my opinion is important at all. It IS a lead-in to asking what the commentariat thinks about that subject. What say you?