Ohio State Listed As Way-Too-Early Favorites Over Both Alabama and Georgia in Hypothetical 2022 Matchup

We're about 10 months away from any possibility of Ohio State taking on Alabama, Georgia or anyone else from the SEC, but that's not going to stop us from dreaming about those matchups in the meantime.

With college football fans already looking toward next season, Action Network took a stab at way-too-early predictions for each bowl game matchup complete with projected betting lines for each game.

It's safe to say that Ohio State's going to have some preseason hype.

The Buckeyes are predicted to make the College Football Playoff as the No. 2 seed, drawing a Fiesta Bowl semifinal matchup with No. 3 seed Georgia. None of that is terribly surprising, but the projected betting line certainly is eye-popping.

Action Network projects Ohio State as a 17-point favorite over the defending-champion Bulldogs. This would be the second-biggest spread in College Football Playoff history behind on the 2020-21 Rose Bowl in which top-seeded Alabama was a 19-point favorite over No. 4 seed Notre Dame – a spread the Tide did not cover.

As the number suggests, Action Network predicts that Ohio State would beat Georgia in the semifinals, setting up a national title showdown with Alabama. The Buckeyes would be the projected favorite in that game, too – albeit a much narrower one.

Of course, this all hinges on Ohio State remaining dominant on offense while making market improvements on the defensive side of the ball. But the Buckeyes will certainly have preseason expectations to live up to this season.