Analyzing Ohio State's end of the CFP bracket: Disruptive defenses, QB play and depth of talent

What does the path ahead look like for the Buckeyes?

Ohio State earned the No. 2 seed in the College Football Playoff. (Photo courtesy of Ohio State athletics)

COLUMBUS — Some early thoughts on Ohio State’s end of the 2025 College Football Playoff bracket.

1. Ohio State’s offense just got thrown off track against an Indiana defense that’s the best in the country at causing havoc. The Hoosiers were No. 1 in both defensive havoc rate (the percentage of plays where the defense records a tackle for loss, forces a fumble, intercepts, or breaks up a pass) and front-seven havoc rate (the percentage of plays where the front seven forces a fumble or records a tackle for loss) coming into the Big Ten Championship. Then they sacked Julian Sayin five times, finished with nine tackles for loss, and had a takeaway via an interception.

When assessing the playoff field, I’m now naturally on the lookout for defenses that can similarly disrupt games and that get after it up front.