ESPN College GameDay crew explains why Michigan, Ohio State matchup could serve as CFP elimination game

Ohio State and Michigan appear to be on a collision course for next week’s showdown at The Horseshoe. The winner will seal a Big Ten Championship appearance and, more than likely, a College Football Playoff berth.

If Michigan loses, the consensus opinion is the Wolverines will find themselves on the outside looking in when the final CFP rankings come out Dec. 4. But if Ohio State loses, the question becomes if the Buckeyes can find a way into the four-team field.

That’s why The Game is seen as an elimination game for both teams, as the ESPN College GameDay crew discussed.

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ESPN’s Desmond Howard and Pat McAfee talked about that very scenario on Saturday’s College GameDay. There are multiple scenarios in play for how the four-team field will shake out, including one in which three SEC teams could feasibly make the cut.

But if Ohio State loses to Michigan, what does that mean? Desmond Howard broke that down.

“I think we already know that it’s an elimination game for Michigan because the committee already told us they don’t like their non-conference schedule,” Howard said on ESPN Saturday morning. “So if Michigan loses, Michigan’s out. There’s no hope for Michigan. Ohio State’s the one.

“If Ohio State loses a game at home, they are a back-door away if they can get in the College Football Playoff. I don’t think so, especially with all the SEC stuff we just got through talking about.”

But, as Pat McAfee pointed out, there’s one big domino that still has to fall one way or another. TCU is still undefeated, and the Horned Frogs could find themselves in the four-team field if they stay that way and win the Big 12 Championship.

That could set up “pandemonium” — and McAfee thinks the Buckeyes will miss out on the CFP if they lose to the Wolverines.

“For me, the whole thing is kind of a mess right now because TCU has a really good opportunity to potentially run the table,” McAfee said. “I know Coach [Corso] is talking about today and everything like that. There’s going to be some undefeated teams that are going to be left around, TCU being the one.

“If LSU goes and they’ve got to figure that whole thing out and then Ohio State-Michigan, they’re going to get left out. We are setting up for pandemonium right now.”