When Virginia Tech pulled off its improbable upset last month, the Ohio State Buckeyes plummeted from their No. 5 ranking and became an afterthought in the College Football Playoff race. But after a trio of consecutive blowouts and a chaotic Week 6 that featured numerous upsets, Urban Meyer's squad has suddenly re-entered the fray.
That development is not lost on the Buckeyes head coach, who said he'll be discussing Ohio State's postseason prospects with the team because "everyone is talking about it," according to Todd Porter of The Repository.
If not for a wild week of upsets, college football's inaugural playoff would not have been a talking point in Meyer's "state of the union."
No. 2 Oregon triggered the madness last Thursday when it fell to then-unranked Arizona. The next day, No. 18 BYU lost to a 2-2 Utah State team. On Saturday, No. 3 Alabama, No. 4 Oklahoma, No. 6 Texas A&M, No. 8 UCLA, No. 16 USC and No. 17 Wisconsin all fell to lesser-ranked or unranked teams.
The Buckeyes also benefited from No. 15 LSU getting walloped by fifth-ranked Auburn and No. 19 Nebraska falling short against 10th-ranked Michigan State.
Despite the madness, Ohio State elevated just five spots in this week's polls and now sits at 15th nationally. Two teams jumped the Buckeyes (No. 9 TCU and No. 10 Arizona), while four of the teams that fell last week remain in the Top 14.
But an impressive performance against an overmatched Kent State team paired with blowout wins over quality Cincinnati and Maryland squads have Ohio State trending upward.
Quarterback J.T. Barrett—who stepped in when Braxton Miller was lost for the season—looked lost (as did the rest of the offense) when the Buckeyes fell at home in Week 2 against Virginia Tech. But Barrett bounced back, and now he's guiding one of the most efficient offenses in the country.
The defense is surging as well. Outside of a few broken plays against Cincinnati, the unit is responding well to new co-defensive coordinator Chris Ash's aggressive 4-3 scheme.
Tom Dienhart of the Big Ten Network believes that if Ohio State continues to improve, it will boast a solid resume for the College Football Playoff.
"I think if the Buckeyes run the table and win the Big Ten with just one loss, they would have a good shot to make the playoffs," Dienhart wrote on BTN.com. "This team is getting better and better. It’s scary."
The Buckeyes, now at 4-1 on the year, are entering their second and final bye week of the season. They'll host Rutgers the following week before traveling to Penn State for a prime-time game in Happy Valley. Then, the Buckeyes will tune up against Illinois before their biggest showdown of the season—a November night game on the road against Michigan State.
Ohio State will close out November with games against improved Minnesota and Indiana teams before hosting Michigan in the regular-season finale. It's a manageable slate for Meyer and his Buckeyes.
But will the Virginia Tech loss be too big of a blemish for the selection committee to overlook?
ESPN.com's Heather Dinich writes that Miller's injury would come into consideration when the group evaluates Ohio State's resume.
The selection committee can't ignore the injury to quarterback Braxton Miller, and it could lend to some leniency by the 13-member group when evaluating the Buckeyes' 35-21 home loss to Virginia Tech in Week 2. It's the lone blemish on Ohio State's schedule, and it has looked worse since the Hokies lost back-to-back games after their upset. The committee, though, has said it will factor in injuries. It was the first home game of J.T. Barrett's career -- and he threw three picks.
The Big Ten's perceived weakness could ultimately cost the Buckeyes, but it does pave the way for a potential run at the College Football Playoff. And if Ohio State continues to look as impressive as it has the last few weeks—along with a few more upsets of higher-ranked teams—that's exactly where Meyer's team could be headed.
Week 6 and Week 7 rankings per ESPN.
David Regimbal covers Ohio State football for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @davidreg412.
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