The College Football Playoff Selection Committee has painted itself into a corner.
It has been telling us for a couple of weeks that No. 2 Ohio State is one of the four best teams in the country. If it wins Saturday against Michigan, how do the Buckeyes not strengthen their position?
The Buckeyes would be 11-1, winners over three top 10 teams (Michigan, Wisconsin, Oklahoma) in this week's CFP Rankings. Two of those -- the Badgers and Sooners -- are potential conference champions.
One problem: In that scenario, the Buckeyes can't be Big Ten champs. If they beat Michigan, they would lose a Big Ten East tiebreaker to Penn State. The league would then be guaranteed a two-loss champion (Nebraska, Wisconsin or Penn State), which leaves the committee with the most significant decision of its three year existence.
If the Big Ten doesn't get two in the top four, who gets cut? Is it Ohio State, the team the committee has already told us is not only the best in the Big Ten but top four in the country? Or do you exclude the Big Ten champ whether it is Penn State -- which handed Ohio State its only loss -- or Wisconsin? At that point, the Badgers would have played six top 10 teams (at time of kickoff) and beaten four. (They lost to the Buckeyes on Oct. 15.)
If the committee picks only one Big Ten team it's sort of a Sophie's Choice. It's one thing dropping Big 12 champ co-champ TCU from third to sixth on the last day of the season in 2014. It's another screwing with the mighty Big Ten.
Michigan can solve everything by winning out. If not, we may look back on this season as the first step toward an eight-team playoff. If the team the CFP is telling us is the Big Ten's best can't play for it all, let chaos reign.
Painted into a corner? The CFP's only saving grace may be that Urban Meyer's office is carpeted.
1. "The Game" is back: Michigan has played 1,456 snaps this season (791 offense, 665 defense), and Jabrill Peppers has been on the field for almost half of them (688, 47 percent). That doesn't include another 134 plays on special teams. We blind you with these numbers to hammer home the point. Peppers is the Wolverines' best chance at victory Saturday in The Game.
Michigan's Swiss Army knife just about has to become Jim Harbaugh's rabbit out of the hat Saturday. Backup quarterback John O'Korn (59 yards vs. Indiana) may have to play. The offensive line has looked sketchy lately.
Ohio State has won the last seven Michigan games in Columbus.
Here's what's strange: About the time the nation awakened to Peppers' talent lately, his numbers have actually declined. In his last three games, Peppers has only 15 touches (for 112 all-purpose yards) and no touchdowns. Defensively, he has a combined 15 tackles (three TFLs) in those games.
Not only is Michigan's season on the line, this is the game where Heisman Trophies are won. Ask Desmond Howard (1991) and Charles Woodson (1997).
Expect a lot of J.P. in Ohio State-Michigan No. 113.
"This one's for all the marbles," Peppers said this week. "So everything we've got, we're going to throw at them."
2. The Pac-12 is back, too: A Colorado playoff berth remains a longshot but to even consider that in Boulder is a pinch-me-I'm-dreaming moment A win clinches a Pac-12 title game berth. A loss? That's unthinkable at this point.
Defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt has taken his unit from 85th in total defense to No. 1 in the Pac-12 (14th nationally). Quarterback Sefo Luifau has become a folk hero.
This is Buffs' biggest game in 15 years. In case you forgot, No. 1 Nebraska lost 62-36 at Folsom Field in 2001. Colorado went on to play for the Big 12 title. The Huskers still played for the national championship. (Ask your parents about that one, kids.)
For the first time in CU history, a pair of ranked teams play in back-to-back games at Folsom. Washington State went down last week. It'll be Utah this time in what promises to be a tear-down-the-goalposts kind of day.
3. The Iron Bowl is still must-watch: The Tigers didn't do their part, losing a clunker two weeks ago to Georgia. That makes what would have been an epic Iron Bowl something a bit less.
You may have heard that Alabama can still absorb a loss. But the hate is palpable, even on blind dates.
Gus Malzahn is undecided on his quarterback but has 1,100-yard rusher Kamryn Pettway ready to go. Nick Saban has a bevy of All-American playmakers ready to make the game a T-town pre-party before heading to Atlanta.
4. Notre Dame's rough week may get worse: It's been a bad couple days for Brian Kelly. Check that, it's been a bad season for Notre Dame's coach. His school is appealing an academic fraud case in which Notre Dame and the NCAA agreed on all the facts. Just not the penalties.
This week marked a depressing end to a depressing season. A loss to the Trojans makes it the second-worst Irish record (4-8) since 1963. Even if USC isn't aware of that factoid, the Trojans will show no mercy in this rivalry.
They have plenty to play for -- a Rose Bowl berth is possible with a win. If Utah beats Colorado, then USC goes to the Pac-12 title game for the second straight year.
It has to be restated: We reported this week that Notre Dame is expected to retain Kelly for 2017.
5. Gators vs. Noles is always big: The Gators' season is made. The win over LSU clinched the SEC East and stuck it up Joe Alleva's ... er, um, made for a fine road win.
No matter what the result, the Noles will be watching Jimbo Fisher, even though it looks like he's in Tallahassee, Florida, to stay.
With a win, Florida State seniors will be the first go through their careers without losing to Florida or Miami (8-0). "This is the way I want to go out," senior corner Marquez White said.
Florida will go to the SEC Championship Game either way, but a win would be another big step forward for coach Jim McElwain.
6. Axe up for grabs: Minnesota-Wisconsin kicks off three-plus hours after Ohio State-Michigan and becomes more interesting if the Buckeyes win. With a victory, the Badgers would clinch the Big West and could put in motion the Armaggedon CFP scenario set forth above.
7. Governor's Cup on the line: Louisville's Lamar Jackson will want to put the finishing touches on his Heisman Trophy resume, which already includes 47 total touchdowns. Kentucky will want to win seven for the first time since 2009.
Short gains: Whether SMU beats Navy or not, this might be Chad Morris' last game with the Mustangs as Baylor is zeroing in on the 47-year-old coach who is 7-17 in two seasons ... Wyoming clinches a Mountain West title game berth and eliminates Boise State from Cotton Bowl consideration by beating New Mexico ... You decide whether Tennessee's is a successful season if it beats Vandy; it will have won nine games for the second time in Butch Jones' five seasons, but the SEC East remains as elusive as the last SEC title in 2007 ... We're a week from Bedlam (Oklahoma State-Oklahoma) to decide the Big 12, but the league is all but out of the CFP as it would need a pair of Power Five league champions to start the conversation for Big 12 inclusion ... Happy 45th anniversary shout out to first and only Game of the Century, Nov. 25, 1971