Kansas State Beats TCU, Sets Up Potential Ohio State-Michigan Rematch In Playoffs

The Buckeyes went from outside looking in to a possible No. 3 seed and rematch with their rival in less than 24 hours.

While Utah’s win over USC in the Pac-12 Championship already opened the door for Ohio State to reach the College Football Playoff, the Buckeyes could be sitting at No. 3 when the rankings are unveiled on Sunday after TCU fell to Kansas State, 31-28, in overtime in Saturday’s Big XII title game.

If that happens, Ohio State would likely play No. 2 Michigan in the playoff semifinal at the Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 31, assuming both the Wolverines and top-ranked Georgia take care of business in the Big Ten and SEC championship games later today. 

There are a couple other things that could prevent a rematch of last week’s game, which the Buckeyes lost by 22 points, including the committee keeping the Horned Frogs at No. 3 since they also have just one loss and played an extra game. Purdue or LSU winning could also jumble the rankings.

More News From Sports Illustrated: College Football Scoreboard | Greg Sankey: Alabama, Tennessee, LSU Deserve Playoff Consideration | What's At Stake In Conference Championships | Rose Bowl 'Thrilled' To Be In Expanded CFP

Meanwhile, there’s a far less likely chance that TCU falls completely out of the top four, allowing two-loss Alabama to sneak into the playoff. In such a situation, the committee could move Michigan up to No. 1 in order to avoid a pair of intraconference semifinals. 

Of course, there’s still a lot of football left to be played on Saturday and we’re purely speculating what the committee could announce tomorrow afternoon. But one thing looks incredibly likely right now, and that is Ohio State getting a chance to avenge its lone loss in 28 days with a trip to the national championship on the line.

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