What's next for the Ohio State Buckeyes

Why it matters: That puts the Buckeyes on the outside looking in for the four-team January playoff to determine the national champion.

The intrigue: The current top four teams are Georgia, Michigan, Washington and Florida State, with Oregon at five, Texas at seven and Alabama at eight.

• Washington and Oregon will play for the Pac-12 Championship on Friday, which could move the loser out of Ohio State's way.

Yes, but: To crack the top four, the Buckeyes would probably still need Florida State, Texas and Alabama to lose.

Between the lines: OSU lost to Michigan for the third straight year Saturday, leading to speculation that coach Ryan Day's job may be in jeopardy.

• Day has won 89% of his games in five seasons.

Reality check: If Day does stick around, USA Today ranks Ohio State's 2024 recruiting class as the second best in the country behind Georgia.

What's next: ESPN projects Ohio State will play in the Capital One Orange Bowl on Dec. 30 against a team like Louisville, a small consolation prize if the team misses out on the CFP.

The bottom line: Ohio State will be one of the top teams in the country next season.

• But the Buckeyes must still contend with Michigan in a reconfigured Big Ten that will feature newcomers USC and UCLA.