On Tuesday, the College Football Playoff Selection Committee released its first rankings for the 2023 season and it was Ohio State who earned the top spot.
New England Patriots' Ezekiel Elliott and Shaun Wade, who both played college ball at Ohio State, spoke with A to Z Sports on Thursday and were asked about what this means for the team going forward.
Elliott, who won a national championship with the Buckeyes in 2015, had a very clear and strong message.
“Sh** don’t matter, man. It’s not important until you win that Big Ten Championship. Until you play a Big Ten Championship, those rankings do not matter," Elliott said. "Because the year we won it, we weren’t in the top four until after we won the Big Ten Championship.”
“So I mean anything can happen in between here, and I mean one loss can derail you," Elliott added. "It’s a difference, it’s tough in college. To almost get one loss, it’s like, it’s gonna be tough. You really got an uphill battle to get yourself back in that final four. You got to rely on other people to lose.”
While this message might seem tough, Elliott is drawing on his experience from his time at Ohio State. And he isn't wrong, with history proving his point.
There has only been one year where the initial CFP rankings matched the four playoff teams, and that was in 2020, which was the pandemic season.
However, these rankings are only a projection, with the committee providing a look into how they view the top teams in the country.
The Buckeyes are currently undefeated this season, with an overall record of 8-0 (5-0 conference). And just two weeks ago, Ohio State took down No. 11 Penn State. But their toughest matchup of the regular season is on Nov. 25, when they face off against No. 3 Michigan.
However, Elliott brought up the example of the 2014 season, proving that anything can happen.
The year that Elliott and the Buckeyes won the championship, they were ranked 16th in the first CFP rankings.
"I think the ranking today, I mean it’s nice, but it’s like, the ranking today is not important," Elliott said. "Let’s just get into the final four."
But they proved everybody wrong, going on to beat the Wisconsin Badgers in the Big Ten Championship Game. This helped Ohio State earn its first-ever playoff berth.
The Buckeyes went on to defeat top-ranked Alabama in the Sugar Bowl and followed it up with a win over the Oregon Ducks in the championship. Elliott was named the Offensive MVP of the game.
This moment summed up why he chose to attend Ohio State.
“When you get recruited to go to a place and they’re like, the coach tells you you’re going to come here, you’re going to win a national championship," Elliott said. "And then it’s the fact that that dream came to fruition and just almost everything that I went there to accomplish, I was able to accomplish. Especially in a special place like Columbus, at Ohio State, a school so rich in history and tradition.”
Another player who left his mark at Ohio State is Patriots cornerback Shaun Wade, who spent four seasons in Columbus, Ohio. After redshirting his freshman season in 2017, he was a key part of the defense for the following three years. And in his final season, Wade was named to First-team All-Big Ten along with earning the Tatum-Woodson Defensive Back of the Year.
“I definitely enjoyed Ohio State," Wade told A to Z Sports. "It was a lot of ups and downs for me, but I grew from that experience. I love the University. I love the coaching staff. I love the football team. I can’t wait to go back and bring my son.”
And while he wasn't aware that Ohio State had received this impressive recognition, he was excited to hear about it.
“It is exciting," he said. "They got Coach (Ryan) Day, which he’s a great coach. They’ve got a good program,” Wade said. “He’s got a great team. And he just, to keep on going, keeping performing and just they do that, we should get one this year.”
So one thing is for sure as the 2023 college football season continues: Elliott and Wade will be watching and cheering for the Buckeyes.
“Go Bucks," Elliott said with a smile. "I’m riding with my guys.”
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