It looks like if they win, the Buckeyes are in.
Despite another canceled game against Michigan, Ohio State remains at No. 4 in the College Football Playoff rankings again this week, ahead of No. 5 Texas A&M.
This means that with a win against Northwestern in this week's Big Ten Championship Game, the Buckeyes will likely punch a ticket to the College Football Playoff.
Ohio State already enters the weekend ahead of the Aggies in the eyes of the College Football Playoff committee, and a win over No. 14 Northwestern this weekend – along with a subsequent Big Ten title – will be a significant boost to Ohio State's playoff resume compared to Texas A&M, as the Aggies play unranked Tennessee and will not be competing for a conference title.
The rest of the top-four remains the same with Alabama leading the way at No. 1 followed by Notre Dame at No. 2 and Clemson at No. 3.
| Rank # | Team | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ALABAMA | 10-0 |
| 2 | NOTRE DAME | 10-0 |
| 3 | CLEMSON | 9-1 |
| 4 | OHIO STATE | 5-0 |
| 5 | TEXAS A&M | 7-1 |
| 6 | IOWA STATE | 8-2 |
| 7 | FLORIDA | 8-2 |
| 8 | GEORGIA | 7-2 |
| 9 | CINCINNATI | 8-0 |
| 10 | OKLAHOMA | 7-2 |
| 11 | INDIANA | 6-1 |
| 12 | COASTAL CAROLINA | 11-0 |
| 13 | USC | 5-0 |
| 14 | NORTHWESTERN | 6-1 |
| 15 | NORTH CAROLINA | 8-3 |
| 16 | IOWA | 6-2 |
| 17 | BYU | 10-1 |
| 18 | MIAMI | 8-2 |
| 19 | LOUISIANA | 9-1 |
| 20 | TEXAS | 6-3 |
| 21 | OKLAHOMA STATE | 7-3 |
| 22 | NC STATE | 8-3 |
| 23 | TULSA | 6-1 |
| 24 | SAN JOSE STATE | 6-0 |
| 25 | COLORADO | 4-1 |
