The football gods heard us complaining about no good games this week, so they dropped a whole mess of upsets on us. Safe to say, these all changed the playoff positions and now I would like to admit that neither I, nor anyone else, have any idea what will happen next.

Prime Position

1. Alabama- Basically a lock at this point unless they somehow lose to both Auburn and in the SEC Championship. The Tide will keep on rolling all the way to the playoff.
2. Ohio State- Shooting up the rankings just for the mere fact that they’re virtually the only team that didn’t lose this week serves OSU well. It is very likely though that even if they win out now, Penn State may still get the Big Ten Championship berth, leaving the Buckeyes wondering where they will fit it.
3. Michigan- Another Big Ten team slots in here, and once again, it will come down to the rivalry game with Ohio State. If they win, the Wolverines will have a chance to clinch a playoff spot with another win the conference championship. If they lose to Ohio State, they’re out, simple as that.
4. Clemson- Even with a surprising loss at home to Pitt, Clemson still finds themselves in the playoffs top four this week. If they can avoid any more disaster, their spot seems safe, but the margin of error is now a lot smaller.
5. Louisville- With three of the top teams adding losses to their resumes, Louisville suddenly looks a lot better compared to all of them, having the best loss of all. Could get in over the loser of the OSU-Michigan game, as long as the not playing for the conference championship doesn’t hurt them.

Need Some Help

6. Washington- After a heartbreaking loss at home to USC, Washington now finds themselves being bumped down to this section. Although their strength of schedule was weak, by winning out they could get to the final four.
7. Wisconsin- The Badgers look to be on a collision course for a playoff berth in the Big Ten Championship Game. Could turn into a “win and you’re in” situation.
8. Penn State- Okay, perhaps I wrote the Nittany Lions off too early, but with the Michigan loss to Iowa, Penn State may now be in the driver’s seat to win the east. With an Ohio State win, Penn State should face Wisconsin with a possible playoff spot on the line.
9. Oklahoma- The gap has closed between Oklahoma and some of the top teams with their losses. Going on the road to Morgantown this week could be the biggest shot for Oklahoma to impress the committee on a national level.
10. Colorado- I’ll go ahead and push the Buffs up here, why not? They may not be flashy, but Colorado being good is good for college football. If they can run through the gauntlet of Washington State, Utah, and the Pac 12 North champs, they may have a couple more games to play.

Longshot, But Still in the Hunt

11. Oklahoma State
12. Utah
13. West Virginia

Eliminated This Week: Auburn, Virginia Tech