What Are Ohio State's Current National Championship Odds?

by

Dec 1, 2022

After missing out on the College Football Playoff in 2021, the Ohio State Buckeyes will look to make their mark on the most prestigious trophy in the sport.

2022 Results

Date Opponent Score
Sept. 3 vs. Notre Dame 21-10
Sept. 10 vs. Arkansas State 45-12
Sept. 17 vs. Toledo 77-21
Sept. 24 vs. Wisconsin 52-21
Oct. 1 vs. Rutgers 49-10
Oct. 8 at Michigan State 49-20
Oct. 22 vs. Iowa 54-10
Oct. 29 at Penn State 44-31
Nov. 5 at Northwestern 21-7
Nov. 12 vs. Indiana 56-14
Nov. 19 at Maryland 43-30
Nov.26 vs. Michigan 45-23

2022 Record: 11-1

It was hardly a perfect start to the season for the Ohio State Buckeyes. Still, they’ve proven to be a formidable opponent with arguably the most explosive offense in the country. With what we’ve seen from Notre Dame this season, the eleven-point victory over the Fighting Irish in the team’s opener no longer looks as impressive. That’s not to say it didn’t give us an idea of what this Buckeyes team is capable of, but it didn’t lead to much positive conversation surrounding Ryan Day’s group. 

After the team’s tight victory over Notre Dame, the Buckeyes’ offense started to take shape and didn’t score less than 44 points in any of their next seven games. Their biggest win came when the team rolled into Beaver Stadium and defeated Penn State 44-31. James Franklin’s Nittany Lions have done an excellent job playing the Buckeyes tough, and that was no different in this matchup. 

Besides two close affairs against Notre Dame and Penn State, the Buckeyes have done a solid job balling out on offense while showing a defense that has improved from one year ago. There’s a reason that Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud is in the mix for the Heisman, and if he finishes the regular season at his current pace, it could be his to take home. 

Despite the team coming out on top against Northwestern, it was hardly a banner day for Stroud and the offense. This was the first “scare” the Buckeyes have had this season against a poor team, but don’t expect that to be a common occurrence.

It was a solid bounce-back performance from Stroud and the Buckeyes against Indiana. The team compiled 56 points in their blowout victory and demonstrated why they remain one of the top offensive teams in the country. 

The Buckeyes didn’t have a memorable performance against the Maryland Terrapins, which saw them play a tight game where they came out on top 43-30. When you’re favored by nearly four touchdowns, that’s just not good enough. 

In the final matchup of their regular season, the Buckeyes were embarrassed in the second half against the Michigan Wolverines, being outscored 28-3 and dropping the game 45-23. 

In the Polls/CFP Rankings

Poll This Week Last Week
CFP Rankings 5 2
AP Top 25 5 2
Coaches Poll 5 2

The fifth College Football Playoff Rankings had the Buckeyes listed as the number five team in the country. Ohio State dropped from the top four after being blown out by Michigan at home over the weekend. 

College Football National Championship Winner Odds (+1000)

At +1000 on the FanDuel Sportsbook, the Ohio State Buckeyes own the third-best odds to win the National Championship. What’s interesting about the current odds for the Buckeyes is that they sit as the fifth-ranked team in the country but have the third-best odds of winning the National Championship. OSU is still alive and well if they get help from Utah and potentially Kansas State in their respective championship games against USC and TCU. Time will tell if the Buckeyes have a case to be made, but there’s definitely reason to believe they could be the fourth seed if USC drops a game to Utah for the second time this season. 

Thumbnail photo via Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

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