Why is Ohio State not in the Big Ten championship game? Buckeyes' playoff hopes explored

The Ohio State Buckeyes are the only top-eight team in the College Football Playoff rankings to not have a conference championship game on the schedule. A lot of people are asking the simple question of how can that be. There is a simple answer that explains it all.

The Big Ten Conference is currently split into two divisions: the East and West. The teams with the best record in each division face off against each other in the Big Ten Conference Championship game every season.

Ohio State is in the East Division with the Indiana Hoosiers, Michigan State Spartans, Maryland Terrapins, Penn State Nittany Lions and Michigan Wolverines.

Why is Ohio State not in the Big 10 championship?

Ohio State is not in the Big 10 championship as it lost to Michigan. The 30-24 defeat in "The Game" meant that OSU finished 2nd in the Big Ten East, knocking them out of contention for the championship game.

The Michigan Wolverines won the division and will face off against the West Division winners, Iowa Hawkeyes. That leaves Ohio State idle this week but where does that leave its chances to make the College Football Playoff?

Can the Ohio State Buckeyes still make the College Football Playoff?

The Ohio State Buckeyes are currently sixth in the College Football Playoff poll. Not playing in the Big Ten Conference Championship game is going to make things more difficult.

For the Buckeyes to make the CFP, they would need to be one of the top four teams selected by the committee. In reality, the chances are slim.

For the Buckeyes to make the College Football Playoff, they would need to end up leapfrogging two teams. They have theoretically moved past one team as the Oregon Ducks were fifth in the College Football Playoff rankings and lost last night to the Washington Huskies for the second time.

If Ohio State has to make the top four, it would need another team in front of them to lose today, but the odds are not in its favor. With Florida State being fourth and potentially on upset alert, that could be their opening. Of course, that is, provided another team behind them, like the Texas Longhorns or Alabama Crimson Tide, do not leapfrog them.