If they weren't defending champs and were judged solely on the merit of this season, they'd be around 9 or 10 in the rankings Or 5th. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/ncaaf/sagarin/ The committee uses more of an eye test than pure numbers. OSU hasn't looked particularly good beating just about anyone this year That's just not true. And exactly where the "eye test" fails. When people say eye test they infer ignorance about what actually happens. Besides, you just said based on merit only they'd be 9th or 10th. Computers they're more like 5th, and to the committee they're 3rd. And to AP voters, they'd been first. So what merit do you base your ignorance on this time?