After 3 unbeatens go down, what now?

There’s nothing like a week of complete chaos in college football which shreds the rankings and changes everything. These games down the stretch involving highly-ranked teams all are important now, especially considering the Buckeyes likely only have two more games to prove themselves. There’s all day Saturday to watch the rest of the college football world in action.

While steps two and three are much easier said than done, the Badgers now officially control their own destiny.

The Tigers are now, with Washington and Michigan’s losses, actually in great shape to make the playoff.

Let’s consider these one at a time. The Tigers do have the upper hand in the ACC Atlantic. If they win that one, take care of rival SC and then beat Virginia Tech in the conference championship game, they’re likely still in due to the strength of wins against Louisville, Florida State and Auburn.

Iowa freshman Keith Duncan kicked a 33-yard field goal as time expired to lead the Hawkeyes to a 14-13 win over second-ranked MI.

More importantly, perhaps, none of them has any more margin for error.

So far, the biggest controversy was Ohio State over Baylor and TCU from the Big 12 in 2014, where the committee took neither of the co-champs from one conference, in favor of the hot team that won the Big Ten (and won the title). If they do all that, Jim Harbaugh’s team will be in the playoff. The Vols finally earned a win last week against FCS foe Tennessee Tech after dropping three straight, and they need a conference win to help their bowl hopes.

Next up was the game of the weekend with the USC Trojans in top form and visiting the 9-0 Washington Huskies.

And we all know how much stock the College Football Playoff committee puts in winning your conference.

And even though MI took its first loss in Iowa City Saturday, the victor of the Wolverines’ visit to Ohio State on November 26 will head into that title game likely a win away from the playoff semifinals.

Meeting an undefeated MI in the Big Ten Championship would be a chance for Wisconsin to get revenge and make it into the Playoff. Washington’s nonconference schedule ranks No. 128 according to ESPN’s Football Power Index, with wins against Rutgers, Idaho and Portland State. Penn State, meanwhile, have already defeated Ohio State and have spent the past two weeks blowing out Purdue and Iowa.

So who’s now poised to move up into the top four of the playoff rankings? Louisville is arguably the best one-loss team in the country (them or Ohio State), and their one loss was to the unbeatable Clemson Tigers in an October thriller. They’d have to lose the ACC Championship Game, too, to match OU’s loss total.

For Michigan to represent the East, it simply needs to win out because it beat Penn State head-to-head. The problem is, it’s their only good win, and Florida State isn’t going to finish in the top 10. They also have three losses on their resume, and hardly a contender against a top-5 team such as Washington.

Alabama is assured of remaining on top overall with Ohio State and Louisville possibly moving into the top 4 and possible Clemson or MI remaining. For the Aggies, junior Jake Hubenak will get the start and for the Rebels, five-star signee Shea Patterson will lose his redshirt and start in an attempt to get Ole Miss bowl eligible this season.

And, of course, in the end the playoff produces a truer champion. Now the Wolverines must win their next three to make the playoffs!

Not since October 19, 1985, when the No. 1 song in the United States was “Take On Me” by the Norwegian group with the lower case name a-ha, had teams Nos. If Ohio State can get into their championship game, then they will stay at two.