Ohio State Playoff Chances: Updated Buckeyes Playoff Picture Ahead of Week 1

Fact Checked by Jeremy Botter

Will the Ohio State Buckeyes win their first National Championship in a decade in 2024? 

Are the offseason transfer portal additions and stellar recruiting class able to finally propel them over their conference rivals, Michigan, back into the national spotlight and reclaim the Big 10 throne? Ohio sportsbooks currently list the Ohio State playoff chances as the best in the country, and the Buckeye Faithful should be excited about the upcoming season.

Current Ohio State Playoff Chances in 2024-25

The Buckeyes' playoff chances currently stand at an impressive 86.67%, according to oddsmakers, making them the most likely team to make the playoffs.

% Ohio State Playoff Chances:86.67%
👎 Ohio State Chance Miss Playoffs:13.33%
🏆Ohio State Chance to Win Big 10:40%
🎉 Ohio State Chance to Win National Championship:20%
✅ Last Verified:December 13, 2024

What Are the Latest Ohio State Playoff Odds?

Heading into the 2024-2025 season, the Ohio State Buckeyes have the best odds to make the playoffs and rank second, behind the Georgia Bulldogs, to win the national championship. The last time Ohio State had odds this high to win the national championship was in 2015, when they had +250 odds to win the national championship—the season following their national championship under coach Urban Meyer.

Can Ohio State Make the Playoffs?

Yes, Ohio State can still make the playoffs, as the season has not yet started and all teams are still eligible. Certainly, the preseason odds are in their favor, as they have the best odds in college football to make the playoffs.

Is Ohio State in the College Football Playoffs? 

No, Ohio State is not in the College Football Playoffs, as teams are not selected until the season ends. Around the end of October, the college football playoff committee will begin to rank teams, and Ohio State's path to the playoffs will become clearer. This will be the first year that the college football playoffs will have 12 teams, compared to four as they've had for the last 10 years.

Ohio State Schedule

Week 10Ohio State at Penn State
Week 11Ohio State vs Purdue
Week 12Ohio State vs Northwestern
Week 13Indiana vs Ohio State
Week 14Ohio State vs Michigan
Last UpdatedDecember 13, 2024

Ohio State Playoff Picture

Where is Ohio State in the Big 10?

Right now, all teams in the Big 10 are tied with a 0-0 record. Currently, four teams from the Big 10 are listed in the oddsmakers top-12 teams to make the playoffs. Besides Ohio State, Oregon (-300), Penn State (-145), and defending national champion Michigan (+145) are listed in the top-12.

Ohio State Odds

Where to Bet on Ohio State Making the College Football Playoffs

Sports betting in Ohio became legal on January 1, 2023, and currently, the state of Ohio allows 16 sportsbooks to bet on the college football playoff. Ohio has many of the larger sportsbooks like FanDuel, BetMGM, ESPN BET, and DraftKings, and an Ohio-specific sportsbook, betJack. As a bettor in Ohio, there are an abundance of options that all may provide slightly different odds that may be worth checking out and comparing.

All-Time Ohio State College Football Playoff History

Ohio State was the first team to win the National Championship via the college football playoff in 2014 where they defeated Alabama in their semi-final match-up and Oregon 42-20 in their championship match-up to clinch their first title in 12 years. Since then, Ohio State has made the playoffs four additional times. Their five appearances in the playoffs are the third most appearances behind just Alabama and Clemson.

  • 2014 - Ohio State became champions after defeating #1 seed Alabama 42-35 in the semifinal and #2 seed Oregon 42-20 in the CFP National Championship. This game was their first national championship game appearance since losing to LSU during the 2007 season.
  • 2016 - Ohio State returned to the playoffs as the number three seed and played the number two seed Clemson Tigers in the Fiesta Bowl - a college football playoff semifinal game. The Tigers defeated the Buckeyes 31-0.
  • 2019 - Ohio State once again returned to the Fiesta Bowl to seek revenge against the Clemson Tigers. After taking an early 16-0 lead, Clemson went on a 29-7 run to secure the victory 29-23 and one again stifled the Buckeyes chances to win another national championship.
  • 2020 - Third time is a charm! Again, the Buckeyes faced Clemson in the college football playoff semifinals, but this time a 49-29 win would put Ohio State back in the national championship game, where they lost to the Alabam Crimson Tide 52-24 and once again come up just short of hoisting up the trophy.
  • 2022 - In one of the best college football games of the last decade, the Buckeyes went toe-for-toe against the eventual national champion Georgia Bulldogs in a 42-41 loss in the Peach Bowl. The Buckeyes took a big lead into the fourth quarter but were outscored 18-3.

Ohio State Playoff Chances FAQs

Author

Dan Thompson

Dan Thompson is a Lead Betting Analyst for BetOhio.com. Dan's unique experience makes him the perfect fit to find the latest storylines and interesting betting angles impacting Ohio sports betting.

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