Ohio State Buckeyes predicted to win first 12-team College Football Playoff by CFB expert

The preseason is the best time for predictions. The Ohio State Buckeyes earned a College Football Playoff title projection recently, which would make CFB history. The 2024-25 season is the inaugural 12-team version of the Playoff.

Travis May of A to Z Sports made a complete 12-team bracket prediction for this fall, and the Buckeyes emerged as his pick to bring home the title for the first time since 2014. Let's look at how he projected each matchup and add my take.

Ohio State earned a 12-1 final record projection, winning the Big Ten outright. This earned the Buckeyes the No. 2 overall seed, only trailing a 13-0 Longhorns team that is replacing a ton of talent. Florida State and Kansas State filled out the rest of the teams, getting a first-round bye.

The Buckeyes would await the winner of No. 7 Oregon and No. 10 Tennessee. Interestingly enough, a rematch against Oregon could be the best game of the entire bracket. The Buckeyes visit Oregon on October 12 in Eugene, Oregon.

May projects Tennessee to win and advance to a showdown against Ohio State. Then, he states, "Ohio State's only question all season long could again actually be their quarterback, unless Will Howard suddenly improves as a passer. However, the other 21 starters and phenomenal depth players around him should be more than enough to beat virtually every single team in the nation.

Tennessee's defense won't match up well trying to stop Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson in the run game. And if they overcommit to the run Ohio State's unbelievable stable of wide receiver talent led by Emeka Egbuka and true freshman phenom Jeremiah Smith will make them pay over the top."

With a win, Ohio State advances to face the winner of Florida State and Alabama.

Of course, it's only destiny the Buckeyes have to go through Alabama in this projection. Although Nick Saban is gone, the Crimson Tide should be a force with Jalen Milroe under center once again. But May is confident in Ohio State overpowering their SEC counterpart, earning a close win.

"Will Howard's dual threat ability, TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins in the backfield, and Chip Kelly's offensive scheme stressing the edges all day wins them the day in a close game. Alabama actually has some relative unknowns on the edge this season after losing Dallas Turner and Chris Braswell to the NFL. That likely gets exposed against the best of the best."

This leads to a final title game against Georgia. The Buckeyes earn their final redemption over Carson Beck, Kirby Smart, and others and fulfill their destiny as one of the more impressive teams in recent years.

It's hard to disagree with much of what May wrote. My biggest difference of opinion is I don't see Ohio State losing in the regular season. This team is loaded on both sides of the ball and might not have to throw nearly as much as most would expect to grind out games.

At worst, this becomes a defense-first, ball-dominant team that wears down opponents into a pulp.