New National Title Favorite Emerges After Ohio State’s Blowout Rose Bowl Win, per ESPN’s FPI
On Wednesday night the Ohio State Buckeyes dominated the previously undefeated No. 1 team in the county by a score of 41-21 to win the Rose Bowl.
Oregon won the matchup between the two teams in the regular season, but Ohio State won the matchup that truly mattered this week. As a result, the Buckeyes will face off against the Texas Longhorns, who defeated the Arizona State Sun Devils by a final score of 39-31 in double-overtime, in a College Football Playoff semifinal contest on Jan. 10.
The win also meant something else for Ohio State.
ESPN “College GameDay” set.
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Following the first three College Football Playoff quarterfinal matchups, ESPN’s Football Power Index, a computer model, revealed its new predictions for the national title. While Georgia and Notre Dame will square off in the Sugar Bowl later this afternoon, it seems like neither will be the favorite to win the national title.
The newest FPI saw Ohio State jump Texas as the No. 1 team in college football and the Buckeyes now have the best chance to win it all. ESPN’s FPI gives Ohio State a 29.3% chance to win the title while Texas came in at No. 2 with a 28.2% chance.
Ahead of a Thursday afternoon showdown, Notre Dame has a 16.2% chance to win it all while Georgia has a 9.6% chance. Penn State, which awaits the winner of this afternoon’s game, has a 16.6% chance.
This, of course, is all subject to change following this afternoon’s playoff game, but Ohio State figures to have the best national title chances regardless of the outcome as the Buckeyes have been ahead of both Georgia and Notre Dame in the last few iterations of the FPI.
