Warren: 'Without a doubt' OSU deserves CFP bid

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren called No. 3 Michigan's 45-23 victory implicit No. 2 Ohio State an "instant classic" and made the lawsuit aft the crippled that "without a doubt" the Big Ten should extremity up with 2 teams successful the College Football Playoff.

"One 100 percent," Warren told ESPN connected Saturday. "Clearly, Michigan and Ohio State are 2 of the champion 4 teams successful the country, and I deliberation contiguous proved it. Great shot game. Epic shot game. Without a doubt, I deliberation they are intelligibly 2 of the champion shot teams successful the country."

The effect advances Michigan to the Big Ten rubric crippled adjacent week and fundamentally clinches a College Football Playoff bid for the Wolverines careless of the result of that matchup.

It besides leaves Ohio State's postseason possibilities layered successful ambiguity. The Buckeyes (11-1) volition beryllium considered 1 of the country's apical one-loss teams, and determination volition beryllium a batch of intrigue astir wherever they onshore travel the College Football Playoff rankings amusement Tuesday. Much of their destiny volition beryllium determined by the remainder of the results Saturday and adjacent week.

"This was a truly bully shot crippled from commencement to finish," Warren said, adjacent aft Michigan outscored Ohio State 21-3 successful the 4th quarter. "These are 2 powerhouse teams and intelligibly 2 of the apical 4 teams successful each of assemblage football. You look astatine each the games you watch. Put adjacent the rankings to the side. If you inquire yourself, who are the teams that are amended than these 2 shot teams successful the country? These are 2 of the 4 champion teams successful the country. By far."

The Big Ten has ne'er had 2 teams selected successful the College Football Playoff successful the aforesaid twelvemonth since the postseason model's inception successful the 2014 season. Ohio State reached the CFP erstwhile arsenic a non-champion, going 11-1 successful 2016.

In immoderate ways, however Ohio State is perceived astatine 11-1 is simply a referendum connected however the Big Ten is perceived.

"I genuinely judge that done this full season," Warren said. "Last season, this season. Today conscionable reiterated however beardown Big Ten shot is. I'm excited to spot these adjacent mates weeks, wherever everything lands."

Ohio State led the crippled 20-17 astatine halftime but ended up getting undone by a dizzying spree of large plays. Five of Michigan's six touchdowns came connected plays of astatine slightest 45 yards: passes of 69, 75 and 45 yards and fourth-quarter runs of 75 and 85 yards.

Ohio State manager Ryan Day said the Buckeyes could beryllium they beryllium successful the CFP if fixed a shot. He contended that the last people wasn't genuinely indicative of the tenor of the loss.

"I thought we were successful it, and we were warring determination astatine the end," Day said. "It evidently got retired of power down the stretch, but it wasn't similar we were outmatched successful presumption of conscionable wide play, I don't think. As we get to those decisions, I deliberation you person to get to the assemblage of enactment and what we've done. We've got a batch of bully pieces connected this squad and we came up abbreviated today. But I deliberation if we were capable to get a changeable successful the apical four, we'd beryllium a unsafe team."

Ohio State backmost C.J. Stroud added that Ohio State's assemblage of enactment this play wasn't represented connected the tract today.

"Hopefully, we extremity up making the playoff again and inactive effort to contend for a nationalist championship," Stroud said. "This 1 crippled does not specify this team."