After Squashing Wisconsin, Ohio State Buckeyes Slip Into Four-Team Playoff

The Ohio State Buckeyes did precisely what they needed to do in defeating Big Ten rival Wisconsin in the conference championship game Saturday night.

The 59-0 beat-down of the Badgers propelled the Buckeyes right into the first national collegiate playoff. The now No. 4 Bucks are slated to play No. 1 Alabama in the Sugar Bowl on the evening of New Year’s Day.

Meanwhile, No. 2 Oregon will face off against No. 3 Florida State at 5 p.m., Jan. 1, in the Rose Bowl.

The Selection Committee of the College Football Playoff announced its final four shortly after noon on Sunday. Big 12 leaders Baylor and TCU – without the benefit of a conference playoff – canceled each other out, ending at No. 5 and 6 respectively. The rest of the top 10: Mississippi State (7), Michigan State (8), Mississippi (9) and Arizona (10).

For Ohio State anything less than a very convincing – even excessively convincing – victory likely wouldn’t have been enough to move ahead of TCU in the final four. But they came out with their third-string quarterback, Cardale Jones, and steamrolled over Wisconsin’s second-ranked national defense. Meanwhile, the Buckeyes’ defense suffocated Wisconsin’s fearful running game, only allowing Melvin Gordon, the leading rusher in the country, to run for 76 yards on 26 rushes.

Despite the Buckeyes’ unbeaten record since losing their second game to Virginia Tech, and their world-beating performance Saturday night, the odds-makers aren’t giving them much credit. The early betting line reportedly favors Alabama by 10 points.

In the Rose Bowl, Pac 12 champ Oregon is a 7½ -point early favorite over undefeated Florida State, winner of the Atlantic Coast Conference title.