College Football Rankings: Ohio State Makes Huge Leap

The Ohio State Buckeyes saw a huge leap in many college football rankings this weekend, including the Assosiated Press Top-25 Poll. Urban Meyer’s team moved all the way up to #8, helping their chances at a potential bid at the College Football Playoff. It’s a long-shot, but J.T. Barrett and the rest of the team are getting hot at the right time.

The Buckeyes (8-1) sit just behind Arizona State and Baylor in the AP poll, ahead of Auburn and Ole Miss.

Things are just going right for Barrett and the offense – there’s no other way to explain it. There were plenty of doubts early in the season, but the unit has worked well together and churned out several tough wins in the recent weeks.

Possibly the biggest storyline of the year on the offensive side of the ball has been sophomore running back Ezekiel Elliott. The “bowling ball” style back has been a wrecking ball all season, becoming the core of the scheme on offense. He picked up his fourth 100-yard game of the year against Michigan State, scoring his sixth and seventh touchdowns along the way. He’s averaging 5.7 yards per carry on his 149 rushes thus far.

Barrett and his weapons have shown up, but the play on the defensive side of the ball has been nothing short of impressive. The defensive line – led by Joey Bosa and Michael Bennett – has been the staple of the defense, helping the Buckeyes make the move up the polls. Because of this group, it’s pretty safe to say Coach Meyer was thrilled after the game.

Here’s a quote post-game via Cleveland.com:

"“We played a top-10 team and we really played our best and on the road. Once again, I look at our players and I see how many young guys are playing for us that are going to be around here for awhile. So, the future’s pretty bright.”"

No, things aren’t perfect around Ohio State, but they’re pretty close as we enter a three-game stretch (at Minnesota, Indiana, Michigan) that could help the team finish 11-1.

Is a playoff spot in the near future?