I’ve been the only AP top 25 voter to rank Ohio State at No. 1, and I’m stubbornly keeping the Buckeyes there despite big wins by Washington, Florida State and Michigan. Oregon’s loss to Michael Penix Jr.’s Huskies moved the Ducks out of the jumble for No. 1. That still leaves seven strong teams worthy of consideration for my top spot. So why Ohio State? The Buckeyes have the fewest knocks against them. Their weakest win was a 20-point road conference game in the opener against Indiana. That’s better than Washington (a seven-point win at Arizona), Oklahoma (a 14-point win at Cincinnati) and Florida State (a two-point win at Boston College). I also think Ohio State’s win at Notre Dame is comparable to the best wins of anyone else in the top tier, and a blowout over Maryland helps, too. Advanced metrics also put the Buckeyes at or near the…
Continue Reading: Our AP top 25 ballot: Why Ohio State is first, FSU up, Georgia down
