What’s the ultimate goal for college football teams, no matter which conference they play for? To punch the College Football Playoff tickets. Yet, only 12 of those teams’ dreams will come true in the 2025 campaign. Now, more than the other programs, fans are already hunting for answers for the defending champions, Ryan Day and the Ohio State Buckeyes’ playoff fate. That said, an Alabama alum came up with a blunt take on the Buckeyes’ fate. 

On October 3, Courtney McKinney wrote on X, “Crazy Ohio State is basically a lock for the CFP yet over here in the SEC it’s a war zone every single weekend #AllSchedulesAreNotEqual.” She shared her opinion by resharing Polymarket Sports’ tweet. The original tweet read, “We have a BIG weekend of CFB ahead. What team is a lock to appear in the NCAA Playoffs???” It had a picture of Day with “88% odds to make CFB playoffs” written on it.

Nine weeks to go in the regular season, the field is wide open. Given the current state, Day’s Ohio State holds an edge after their 14-7 win over Steve Sarkisian’s Texas Longhorns. 

Before Polymarket, FOX Sports’ lead college football analyst, Joel Klatt, started projecting the CFP field. And on his list, Day’s Buckeyes acquired the most attention. After toppling Texas in Week 1, Klatt thinks the Buckeyes could steamroll the Big Ten and reach the championship unscathed, especially since they dodge Oregon this season. “Oregon and Ohio State, up to this point, have been the two best teams in the Big Ten,” Klatt said. “All due respect to Indiana, obviously, but those two would be my championship game participants.”

Day and Co. hits the road twice in three weeks. Illinois on October 11 and Wisconsin on October 18. Illinois, rebounding from its Indiana loss, edged USC to stay in the top 25, giving the Buckeyes a prime chance to notch another ranked win if Texas struggles or the Big Ten title slips away.

However, while Ohio State’s path looks “easy” with fewer week-to-week challenges, SEC teams endure brutal competition every weekend. That’s what the “#AllSchedulesAreNotEqual” is for. So, Day’s Buckeyes could rack up impressive wins in a relatively less punishing schedule, while SEC squads fight constant battles to the top. We can look at the odd percentages to have a clear view.

While Day and Co. stands firm at 86.9% odds, SEC programs like Ole Miss have a 68.9% shot at the Playoff, per ESPN’s FPI numbers. ESPN projects Alabama with a 69.6% shot at an FPI berth and the Georgia Bulldogs with a 56.7% playoff chance. With things looking easy-breezy for Day, Klatt had to weigh in. 

Joel Klatt’s Usain Bolt analogy for Ryan Day’s Ohio State

On the CFB on FOX podcast, host Colin Cowherd stirred the pot, claiming, Ohio State looks like a team that’s going to play for the national championship.” Klatt then chimed in to share his views on Day and Co.’s playoff fate. He said, “You remember watching Usain Bolt run the hundred? And he was the fastest, but it looked like he was running the easiest. Remember that? And like everybody else, it’s like, you know, like this. And he’s just kind of gliding through the line, looking back at people. Well, that’s what Ohio State feels like to me right now ’cause they haven’t even gotten into fourth gear offensively.”

So, to the analyst, Day’s boys have yet to shift into overdrive. According to Klatt, they are still in “conservative” mode. While they still possess glaring issues like uneven red zone efficiency and blunt special teams, Day and Co. boast big weapons like Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese, who emerged during their feat against Washington.

Meanwhile, looks like the Buckeyes have found a new messiah. There was a time when Ryan Day’s back might have hit the wall when Jim Knowles, the backbone of a championship defense, had hit the exit door. Day and the Buckeyes might thank the universe for the heartbreak nine months later.

As the Ohio State head coach said, Matt Patricia has won the players’ trust: “The guys are believing in it. They’re bought in. They’re playing with really good confidence,” Day said. Now we’ll determine how much momentum these factors give Ohio State on the CFP track.