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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Michelle R. Martinelli and Evan Thorpe

Before The Snap: Why the loser of the Ohio State-Michigan game could still make the College Football Playoff

Welcome to Before The Snap, For The Win’s college football series where we’ll break down the sport’s trending storylines, examine each week’s biggest matchups and track the College Football Playoff and Heisman Trophy races.

It’s the last weekend of college football before conference championship weekend, after which the College Football Playoff committee will determine the four teams contending for a national championship this year.

There’s a lot on the line and several key games: USC and Notre Dame, Alabama and Auburn, N.C. State and North Carolina and on and on.

But no Week 13 game holds more influence on the final CFP four than the Ohio State-Michigan game Saturday in Columbus.

After the latest playoff rankings, the Buckeyes and Wolverines remain at Nos. 2 and 3, respectively, and ahead of the matchup, Ohio State is a 7.5-point favorite.

Obviously, one of these two teams will suffer its first loss of the season. But is that enough to knock the loser of the game out of playoff contention? Could the Big Ten still get two teams in?

We break it all down on the latest Before The Snap.

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