Washington up to 5th as Louisville drops in CFP rankings

If Ohio State beats MI and Penn State wins, it’s hard to see the Buckeyes not making the playoffs. That gap would presumably grow larger with the Nittany Lions playing Michigan State. But Penn State (assuming form holds this weekend) would qualify as another high-quality opponent in the Big Ten title game.

8 p.m. ET: Capital One Orange Bowl: No. 7 Penn State vs. Penn State has the same issue. The Trojans sit at #12 and will likely need some help at this point if they hope to crack the top 10.

“We’ve got Florida State”, Gators quarterback Austin Appleby said this week, “with an opportunity to increase our resume … to play for it all”.

Ohio State (10-1, 7-1 Big Ten): Michigan could go on the road and upset Ohio State, which would likely knock the Buckeyes out of playoff contention.

It is easy to imagine that if Oklahoma State had won that game, no matter how ugly it may have been, they would now be ranked either fifth or sixth.

Colorado is one of six Pac-12 teams in the CFP top 25. Seminoles coach Jimbo Fisher’s name has come up constantly during the LSU coaching search, adding another layer of intrigue as Florida State tries to avoid a four-loss season.

Hocutt pretty much dashed that theory, however, when he downplayed the significance of a conference title and head-to-head result.

Ohio State. The Buckeyes might very well finish the season with just one loss and not get in the conference title game, something that’s happened to them before.

“The strength of schedule is still in question”, Hocutt said of Washington. Or Ohio State from 2014?

In the other semifinal, No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 MI would meet again this season, with the Buckeyes favored by 3.5 points over the Wolverines. Alabama is the only unbeaten, power-conference team in the country.

The Huskies are 10-1.

Washington. Yes. They’re ranked above Oklahoma for a reason.

The Buckeyes are comparable to Washington, which is on track to potentially being a one-loss Pac-12 Champion.

Who should Penn State fans root for? . Washington doesn’t exactly control its own destiny, but it figures to be in good shape if it goes 12-1.

One more Washington loss.

All of this can become a moot point if Washington loses again. Their chances would be even greater if Washington or Clemson were to lose their conference championship game. If they beat Utah on Saturday, the Buffs will advance to the December 2 Pac-12 championship game, where they would face the victor of Friday’s Washington-Washington State contest in Pullman. No.5 Wisconsin: We have not talked about the Badgers at all this season. “That game is right before ours”. CU held the lead at MI when starting quarterback Sefo Liufau was injured, and Liufau did not play against USC. “They’ll be aware of it”. No. 3 showdown at Ohio Stadium at noon Saturday. “That’s the important thing”. That game could also pose a conundrum for the committee: if Ohio State beats Michigan and Penn State beats Michigan State this weekend, Penn State will advance to the Big Ten championship game, not Ohio State. So you might want to take a look at Camp Randall. “No”, running back Saquon Barkley said. You’re going to be a little aware. With what MI has done this season they control their own Destiny.