If USC loses Pac-12 Championship Game, do Alabama or Ohio State make the Playoff?

Alabama and Ohio State fans should play close attention to how USC performs in the Pac-12 Championship game on Friday night vs. Utah.

With the College Football Playoff picture rounding into form, the final spot in the four-team field will likely come down to USC, Ohio State, or quite possibly, Alabama.

Georgia, Michigan and TCU are all 12-0 heading into their conference championship games. One would expect those will be the three highest-ranked teams heading into the penultimate College Football Playoff rankings on Tuesday night, potentially in that order. While the Dawgs, Wolverines and Frogs could all afford a title bout loss, the same thing cannot be said about USC in the Pac-12.

So… what happens if the Trojans fall to the Utah Utes for the second time this season on Friday?

Can Alabama or Ohio State make the College Football Playoff with a USC loss?

While one could argue for Michigan over Georgia for the top spot on Tuesday night’s rankings, No. 4 will be USC, No. 5 will probably be Ohio State and moving up to No. 6 might be Alabama.

Since the Buckeyes and Crimson Tide are not playing on Championship Weekend, they will await what happens on Friday night in Las Vegas to know their playoff fates. Should USC win, then it is over…

A two-loss, Pac-12 runner-up USC team that fell to Utah twice in one season is not making the College Football Playoff. If they were to have fallen to another Pac-12 team like Oregon, Washington or whomever, things might be different. In the simplest terms possible, USC must beat Utah in Las Vegas on Friday to make the College Football Playoff for the first time ever.

Should the Trojans lose, it probably puts the Buckeyes in position to secure that last spot in. They may have fallen apart at the seams in the fourth quarter to Michigan, but that is one of the best losses on the season for any major College Football Playoff contender. Ohio State would need for Michigan to beat Purdue in Indianapolis, but it is the best team with an outside shot at getting in.

As for Alabama, they are the best two-loss, non-division champion still somehow in this thing. Oh, the Crimson Tide will so get the Bama bump to be one of the last two teams in, despite losing to Tennessee and LSU during the season. However, Alabama will need more than USC losing to potentially get in. Georgia and Michigan have to win, plus TCU may need to lose to Kansas State…

Ultimately, the Selection Committee is going to try to convince us that six teams are still alive for the playoff when, in fact, only five have a real chance. Georgia and Michigan are pretty much locks, with TCU being essentially one as well. It all comes down to USC. If the Trojans beat the Utes, they are getting in. If they lose, Ohio State gets in. Alabama will need total chaos to even have a chance.

USC is likely getting the No. 4 seed, Ohio State still has a shot, but Alabama is mostly bargaining.

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