Ohio State made a statement Saturday afternoon.

The No. 7 Buckeyes returned to Big Ten play in dominant fashion, beating Rutgers on the road, 52-13.

Heading into Week 6, Ohio State seems to be firmly planted in a New Year's Six spot — with only one national writer keeping the Buckeyes out — but still on the outside looking in for the College Football Playoff.

Stewart Mandel of The Athletic: Peach Bowl vs. Wake Forest

Jerry Palm of CBS Sports: Fiesta Bowl vs. Cincinnati

Kyle Bonagura of ESPN: Peach Bowl vs. Oklahoma State

Mark Schlabach of ESPN: Peach Bowl vs. Wake Forest

Saturday Tradition: Rose Bowl vs. Oregon

Action Network: Citrus Bowl vs. Kentucky

The national consensus seems to be a trip to Atlanta Dec. 30.

It's a game Ohio State has never played in since the game was established in 1968, a game in which a Big Ten team has played in eight games split between five different teams: Purdue, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan, which last played in the 2018 game — a 41-15 loss to Florida.

With five games complete, this placement — whether it's the Peach Bowl, the Fiesta Bowl or the Rose Bowl — just shows the Buckeyes are on the cusp. They are right on the outside.

There's a lot more still to be decided in the Big Ten East especially, with matchups between all four teams in the top-11 — Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan and Michigan State — still to come.

Ohio State is projected in a New Year's Six bowl because the table is still set for the Buckeyes to do something to make the top-four. It may look small at this point, but a path remains.