Why Ohio State football topped Georgia, and the CFP chair explains why

The Ohio State Buckeyes beat the then-undefeated Penn State Nittany Lions Saturday.

While the game ended 20-13, it didn’t feel that close as the Nittany Lions totaled just six points offensively with that lone touchdown coming on the defensive side as Will Howard threw a pick-six in the first quarter.

Nonetheless, the Buckeyes rebounded and came out on top in front of a record crowd at Beaver Stadium. Just a few days later, they were placed No. 2 by the College Football Playoffs Committee.

CFP chair Warde Manuel, who also serves as the Michigan AD, talked about why the Buckeyes were ranked over the Georgia Bulldogs, who had been No. 2 in a plethora of other polls.

Here’s his explanation.

“Well, both are solid teams, as you know. Ohio State’s one loss on the road was against the No. 1 team, and they lost by one. They had an impressive win this past weekend at Penn State, and they have been very consistent. Top-5 defense. They have had changes on the offensive line but still performed, as you know, and Will Howard and Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson, those three have really moved the offense. So for us, it was the consistency. Georgia, very good team, great win against Texas, a win over Clemson. Consistency in terms of their offense. They’ve had some inconsistencies there, but they have great defense, and they’re allowing only 17 points per game,” Manuel said via Letterman Row.

Here’s a full picture of the ranking.

While these rankings favor the Buckeyes, there is still a month of football left prior to any postseason play.

Ohio State will have a home battle against the Purdue Boilermakers, a side that has yet to win a conference game this season, this weekend. It has Northwestern, Indiana and Michigan in the following games to wrap up the season.

This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Why Ohio State football topped Georgia, and the CFP chair explains why