Tom Fornelli's CFP Vibe Check: Ohio State switches to survival mode in fight to make College Football Playoff

The Buckeyes will be fighting for their CFP lives for the rest of season Every week the CFP Vibe Check tries to put its finger on where things stand in the College Football Playoff race without overreacting to what it just saw, but also probably overreacting to everything it just saw. In the not-so-long history of the College Football Playoff, there are only two teams that have managed to finish ranked in the final CFP ranking each season: Ohio State and Alabama. What's even more impressive for the Buckeyes is that they've never finished a season ranked lower than No. 7. That means if there had been a 12-team field since the inception of the CFP, Ohio State would've made it every year.

Even Alabama would've missed out in 2019. Yet, here we are, in the third season of the actual 12-team field, and there's a very real shot No. 2 Ohio State won't be in it. The Buckeyes lost to USC 30-18 Saturday night, continuing the 2026 season's theme of top teams losing to unranked teams. However, this loss probably shouldn't have been all that much of a shock. Even if the Buckeyes were favored by a touchdown, they were still on the road with a first-time starter at QB, and a true freshman at that. And while USC