After defeating then-No. 8 Penn State by a score of 28-17 last Saturday, Ohio State displaced LSU as the No. 1 team in the latest College Football Playoff rankings which were released Tuesday evening.

LSU slipped to No. 2 despite beating Arkansas, 56-20.

“Ohio State has been a complete team, and that win over Penn State was its third win against teams that we currently have ranked in the top 19,” CFP Selection Committee Chair Rob Mullens said on ESPN’s College Football Playoff: Top 25 show. “It is probably that complete team piece. Ohio State has been really good on both sides of the ball.

“It was the defensive piece. They are obviously both good on the offensive side, but this week the committee felt that win over Penn State, again, solidified that Ohio State is a little bit better on the defensive side of the ball.”

Ohio State ranks No. 1 nationally in both scoring offense (49.4 points per game) and scoring defense (10.5 PPG allowed) while LSU is tied for second in scoring offense (48. 5 PPG) but ranks just 42nd in scoring defense (23.5 PPG allowed).

In addition to Ohio State being a more complete team than LSU on both sides of the ball, Kirk Herbstreit believes how the committee views Penn State – which fell only two spots to No. 10 in the latest rankings – is another reason why the Buckeyes moved up to No. 1.

“I think in the committee’s eyes, it has as much to do with what we just talked about — the respect that they’ve had all along for Penn State,” Herbstreit said. “I think it has to do with they look at Penn State as a very good football team, and the fact that they fought Ohio State — while some seem to think wow, Ohio State didn’t look as dominant as they were supposed to — I think maybe the committee looked at that and said hey, that’s a pretty good football team that they beat.

“Meanwhile, LSU played Ole Miss (two weeks ago) and Arkansas last week. I think the biggest thing is the defense from LSU I think opens the door a little bit to look at Ohio State as a more complete team from September to last week, offensively and defensively. I think that’s what the committee must’ve seen.”

Jesse Palmer says he does not have a problem with Ohio State being ranked No. 1 this week.

“I could see it both ways,” he said. “I think you could have watched that game against Penn State and said well they were a bit sloppy on offense, they turned it over three times, Justin Fields fumbles going into the end zone. But even still, still won by double digits against the then-No. 8 team. And you said it Rece (Davis), this week in and week out has looked like the most complete team.”

Joey Galloway said he was not shocked to see the Buckeyes jump LSU for the top spot in the rankings.

“I think I am sort of like Jesse with the 1 and 2 spot,” he said. “I could see it happening. I didn’t think it would happen after this week. I thought it would happen maybe after they beat Michigan and added another key team onto their resume. When you watched the Penn State game, for the first time this season we have seen Ohio State look sloppy in a stretch of a football game. Game control, they were No. 1 because they had dominated, so that is the first time that we have really seen that. So it is not really a surprise to me.”

The final CFP rankings will be unveiled Dec. 8, the day after conference championship games are played, and Herbstreit thinks there is a good chance Ohio State holds on to the No. 1 spot.

“I think they made a statement tonight,” Herbstreit said of the committee. “I think this is a collection of an entire season. I don’t think it is just this past week or just what LSU has done since that Alabama game. You guys brought up Ohio State playing Michigan on the road and then going to the Big Ten Championship Game and playing the winner of Minnesota and Wisconsin. If they win those two games, I just don’t see how you go back and forth and back and forth.

“I think they made a statement tonight and it was a body of work. I think Ohio State, and you may be surprised by it, the committee, they have them at 1 and I would be very surprised if after tonight they end up moving them out of that spot with the two games they have left to play.”

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