Ohio State Buckeyes

What stands out about Ohio State to the playoff committee?

Published Nov. 18, 2015 4:52 p.m. ET

foxsports

With the College Football Playoff Committee's weekly rankings being closely examined every week, talk of quality wins and good or bad losses has swept the country.

And since Ohio State doesn't really have any of those, some have questioned why the third-ranked Buckeyes still have a spot in the field at this point.

And so for the second week in a row, committee chairman Jeff Long was asked about the defending national champions.

"Well, first of all, Ohio State has just had a dominating defense, and again, as we've watched this team, we know one thing has been consistent: Their defense has been dominating," Long said.

The Buckeyes are seven in the nation in scoring defense (13.8 points per game) and ninth in yards allowed per game (298.4).

Meanwhile, their offense is 28th at 36.4 points per game and ranks 33rd in total yards per game at 453.3.

"You know what, their offense, I think sometimes we have high expectations for them, but their offense is performing well," Long said. "Certainly they've had some quarterback changes there, but overall they continue to perform at a high level."

Ohio State figures to get three chances to prove itself in the next three weeks with a visit from No. 9 Michigan State and a trip to No.12 Michigan.

If the Buckeyes pass those tests, they will likely face No. 5 Iowa.