COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The Buckeyes passed its toughest test yet on Saturday with a 44-31 win on the road against Penn State, helping them to receive stellar grades from poll voters.
Ohio State (8-0, 5-0) has been ranked No. 2 in the latest AP and USA Today coaches polls as it enters the final month of the regular season. OSU shares the No. 2 spot in the AP poll with Tennessee, who moved up from No. 3. The Volunteers earned just three more first-place votes than the Buckeyes.
This is the first time since Oct. 6, 2019, that the Buckeyes have been tied with a team in the AP Poll when OSU and Georgia shared the No. 3 ranking. This is also the first time in 18 years that two teams share the No. 2 ranking (Nov. 14, 2004: Oklahoma and Auburn both ranked No. 2).
Things are heating up in college football with the first College Football Playoff rankings set to be unveiled Tuesday night. Ohio State missed the playoff last season after qualifying in two consecutive seasons. Since the playoff was introduced in 2014, no AP top-four released right before the first Playoff top-four has been identical.
The Scarlet & Grey will most likely crack the first top-four of the CFP poll for the fourth time in program history (2020, 2019, and 2015).
Oklahoma State and Wake Forest suffered upset losses on Saturday with the Cowboys getting shut out 48-0 by Kansas State and the Demon Deacons falling to the Louisville Cardinals 48-21. OK State dropped to No. 18 while the Deacons fell to No. 20.
Next Saturday, the polls will see a big shake-up as No. 1 Georgia hosts No. 2 Tennessee in an unofficial SEC East title game in Athens, Georgia. The No. 2 Buckeyes will be in Evanston, Illinois to play Northwestern (1-7, 1-4) at noon in its final inter-division matchup in the Big Ten.
AP Poll (OCT. 30, 2022)
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Coaches Poll (OCT. 30, 2022)
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