When the final College Football Playoff rankings were revealed, Ohio State football fans were frustrated. Their team faced the toughest path to the national championship, having to defeat Tennessee, followed by Oregon, and potentially Texas to reach the final game.
The Buckeyes dominated the Vols and triumphed over the Ducks in the Rose Bowl. Now, they have earned a Cotton Bowl matchup with Texas for a spot in the National Championship Game. Surprisingly, instead of Ohio State fans being upset, it’s the Oregon fans who are angry.
Oregon supporters are now blaming the College Football Playoff system for their team’s loss to Ohio State, rather than holding the team accountable.
They are upset about a three-week layoff before the game, while overlooking the fact that Ohio State had the same break before facing Tennessee in the first round.
Ducks fans are also upset that, despite earning the top seed, they had to face a strong Ohio State team in their first Playoff game. They feel they should have received a greater reward for going undefeated and winning the Big Ten Championship.
In reality, the Ducks did receive a reward: significant rest after a long and demanding season. It was Ohio State, however, that got the short end of the stick. Despite a head-to-head win over Penn State, the Buckeyes were ranked eighth, not seventh, and faced a much tougher path to the title.
Rather than complaining about the system, the Buckeyes chose to focus on becoming the best team they could be, which resulted in two dominant victories. Oregon fans should shift their blame from the Playoff system to their team for failing to devise a strategy to contain Will Howard and Ohio State’s passing game.
