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College Football Playoff: 5 most critical regular-season games to determine Top 4

By John Buhler

Hassan Haskins, Michigan Wolverines, Ohio State Buckeyes. (Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)
Hassan Haskins, Michigan Wolverines, Ohio State Buckeyes. (Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images) /
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Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA Bruins, Xavion Alford, USC Trojans
Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA Bruins, Xavion Alford, USC Trojans. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

2. USC Trojans at UCLA Bruins: Week 12

The Pac-12’s no-good, very-bad weekend severely weakened the league’s chances of getting a team into the College Football Playoff. Although the league is strong enough to get a team in, that team has to be one-loss USC now. This is because everybody else in the conference has multiple losses on the year after the Oregon and UCLA defeats. The Trojans must fight on vs. rival UCLA!

This is the biggest game of the weekend with serious playoff implications. In short, USC has to win to keep the Pac-12 realistically in this, as a UCLA win would be just more of the same chaos associated with the conference. The Trojans would then have to beat Notre Dame at home to end the regular season and then whoever they would meet in Las Vegas for the Pac-12 Championship.

Given that USC has the hardest potential three-game stretch left, this may be too much for them.

1. Michigan Wolverines at Ohio State Buckeyes: Week 13

This is the quantum leap up we have all been waiting for. Whoever wins in The Horseshoe between Michigan and Ohio State will win the Big Ten East and be the overwhelming favorite to come out of Indianapolis as the Big Ten champion. Since Michigan beat the Buckeyes in The Big House last year, this is not an impossible feat for Jim Harbaugh’s team to win on the road here.

Although the loser of The Game still has a chance of getting in, especially if Michigan and Ohio State are both undefeated heading into this game, there are no guarantees an 11-1 (8-1) non-division champion makes the four-team field. That team would have to compete with other one-loss Power Five champions, as well as fellow 11-1 non-division champion Tennessee in the SEC.

The winner of this game will stand as the most formidable challenger for Georgia in the playoff.

Next. Projected College Football Playoff rankings after Week 11. dark

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