College Football Playoff Picture
Heading into rivalry week, the stakes were at their highest in the college football playoff race. The game of the week was 2nd ranked Ohio State vs 3rd ranked Michigan, because this game guaranteed the top four would be shuffled. Other top ranked teams had tough matchups that could have had an impact on the playoff race as well. The Iron Bowl and the Apple Cup could always go either way, Penn State faced a Michigan State team that almost beat Ohio State last week, and Colorado would have to beat 22nd ranked Utah if they wanted to stay alive in the race to the top four.
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As it turns out, 3rd ranked Michigan was the only team in the top 10 to lose, losing a two-overtime thriller vs Ohio State. Alabama took care of business in the Iron Bowl, beating Auburn 30-12 and likely solidifying their top seed. Clemson, who came into the week ranked 4th, beat South Carolina by 49 and likely will slide up one spot to 3rd after the Michigan loss. Washington was ranked 5th coming into the week, and took down 23rd ranked Washington State on the road in the Apple Cup. They are in a prime position to slide up to 4th following the Michigan loss. Wisconsin and Penn State, who entered the week ranked 6th and 7th respectively, struggled early in their games before winning big in the 2nd half. Colorado, who came in ranked 9th, beat Utah to keep their playoff hopes alive. It is a long shot, but with some help they may be able to sneak in with a Pac 12 Championship.
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The Michigan loss is where the playoff rankings get a little murky. Both Wisconsin and Penn State took care of business to move on to face one another in the Big 10 Championship, but both have a loss to Michigan on their resumes. It will be up to the committee to decide If Michigan will stay ahead of these two teams or if they will drop below them as a result of not making the conference championship. Where Michigan lands in the rankings in relation to Wisconsin and Penn State will have a major impact on the chances either team has to make the top four if they win the Big 10. Michigan may stay as high as 5th, ahead of both teams, decreasing the chances of either team jumping into the top four. They may also drop to 7th, below both teams, and whichever team wins can jump into the top four if Clemson loses to Virginia Tech in the ACC Championship or if Washington loses to Colorado in the Pac 12 Championship.
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So where will the playoff rankings fall? The best guess right now is Alabama and Ohio State remain the top two, followed by Clemson moving up to 3rd, and Washington rounding out the top four. Spots 5 through 7 are extremely important in the event of a loss by Clemson or Washington. The guess right now is Michigan only drops to 5th, and Wisconsin and Penn State stay 6th and 7th respectively. If a Clemson or Washington loss happens, the committee would then have to decide if whichever of those two wins the Big 10 will leapfrog Michigan into the 4th spot to take on Alabama in the playoffs. The committee definitely has their hands full trying to decide how to rank these three teams.
How do you think the rankings are going to fall? Where will Michigan end up? Will the Big 10 Champion make it? Comment and let us know what you think! Stay tuned for more current sports stories. Don't forget to follow us on social media. You can find us on Facebook, Instagram @beyondthemetrics, and Twitter @byondthemetrics.
