Ohio State lost to Penn State today, and it doesn't matter but would have in the BCS era. There you go, now you can finally move on . . .
Alabama wins, Ohio State loses. I think we have a unanimous frontrunner this Monday.
No frontrunner in the playoff era, just four teams with the same shot. This year it is going to be the champs of the SEC, Pac-12, Big Ten and ACC, absent some truly extraordinary circumstances. And today's results didn't do anything to change projections about who those champs are going to be . . .
The undefeateds . . :
Clemson -- Would need to lose at least two of FSU, Wake, Syracuse and Pitt before they even need to worry about tiebreakers. They would still have to get past the conf title game, but they are arguably the most secure playoff team atm . . .
Alabama -- passed our biggest hurdle with this Arky/Tenn/A&M stretch, but LSU and Auburn are looking like tougher games than they did a month ago. The conference title game will likely be an easier matchup than either of those, assuming we make it that far . . .
Michigan -- Penn State's win was great for Penn State, but didn't really do anything for Michigan. They can now afford to slip up once before the Ohio State game and still be okay, but they still have to win that Ohio State game to make the playoffs, so their path is not any easier than it was when the day started . . .
Washington -- One of the hardest teams for me to gauge. They've looked really good, but have a lot of losable games remaining, even before the conference title game. So they'll go fourth -- least probable of the most probable . . .
Nebraska -- Games at Wisconsin and Ohio State the next two weeks should do them in, and then they'd still have to beat the East champ in the conf title game. Gl, hf . .
WVU -- I'm maybe more surprised than I should be that they got past TCU today, but I still don't think they win the conference or that they would make the playoffs if they did . . .
Baylor -- The Big XII was probably smarter than they thought when they put the Baylor/WVU game on championship weekend, but I'd be very surprised if that game actually decided the champion of the conference. And again, I don't think Baylor makes the playoffs regardless of whether they win the Big XII . . .
Boise -- Tried to give it away this week, but failed. Two more chances with Air Force and a probable SDSU . . .
Western Michigan -- I thought Boise was going to give them a window into a major bowl, but it slipped away. Toledo is probably the biggest threat they have left . . .