Tracking the College Football Playoff

By
HEATHER DINICH via <a href="http://espn.go.com/" title="ESPN" class="espn_sc_byline">ESPN </a>
via
December 3, 2016, 1:12 AM ET
3 min read

— -- GRAPEVINE, Texas -- The College Football Playoff selection committee began its computerized voting process to determine its final top 25 ranking of the season following the Big Ten and ACC championships, and this debate is likely to go into the wee hours of Sunday morning. Penn State brought the chaos by beating Wisconsin to win the Big Ten, and that result will force the selection committee to determine the true value of a conference championship. The Nittany Lions beat No. 2 Ohio State on Oct. 22, but they have been sitting at No. 7 with a significant gap separating them from the Buckeyes.

The question now is what the committee will do with Penn State and Ohio State when it announces its final ranking at noon ET on Sunday during the CFP selection show on ESPN.

Here is the last projection of what the committee will do in its most important ranking of the season:

Dinich projects the committee's top six

1. Alabama
2. Ohio State
3. Clemson
4. Washington
5. Michigan
6. Penn State

Clemson wins ACC, setting up B1G debate

Instead, that should go to the Buckeyes, who have one of the most impressive r?sum?s in the country with three top 10 wins -- including road wins against Big 12 champ Oklahoma and Big Ten runner-up Wisconsin, and then-No. 3 Michigan. Nothing in the CFP protocol states that a team has to win its league title or its division to finish in the top four, and after cementing its spot at No. 2 in recent weeks, it would be very difficult for the committee to leave Ohio State out.

Bama leaves no doubt who's No. 1

Too little, too late for Sooners?

Washington emphatically states its case

Committee chairman Kirby Hocutt said on Tuesday that Washington's strength of schedule has been "a concern" for the committee, but at the very least, Washington is in a better spot now because it has a win over a top-10 team. Washington had a strong defensive effort and ran the ball well in a performance that should eliminate No. 5 Michigan from the conversation and certainly knock Colorado out. The big question remaining is whether No. 6 Wisconsin or No. 7 Penn State can do enough on Saturday join the No. 2 Buckeyes and push Washington out.

Playoff impact games

Friday, Dec. 2

  • Pac-12 championship game: No. 4 Washington 41, ?No. 8 Colorado 10?

    • Saturday, Dec. 3

  • No. 9 Oklahoma 38, No. 10 Oklahoma State 20
  • SEC championship game: No. 1 Alabama 54, No. 15 Florida 16
  • ACC championship game: No. 3 Clemson 42, No. 23 Virginia Tech 35
  • Big Ten championship game:? No. 7 Penn State 38, Wisconsin 31

    • Championship weekend schedule