In one fell swoop, the Ohio State Buckeyes suffered a fourth-quarter collapse against Penn State on Saturday night, losing 24-21, putting in motion a different outlook for the College Football Playoff. The one-loss Buckeyes can’t be dismissed yet, but they must run the table. One-loss Louisville is a stronger football factor. West Virginia and Baylor, the unbeaten teams at the top of the Big 12, have some hope. The Washington Huskies can no longer be ignored. Was last weekend an anomaly — or the start of weekly upheaval? There are still nine unbeaten teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision — and plenty of excellent one-loss squads — so we’re a long way from settling this issue. My current favorites: No. 1: ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE So Far: 8-0 (defeated Texas A&M 33-14; opened the season by defeating USC 52-6, Western Kentucky 38-10, Ole Miss 48-43, Kent State 48-0 and Kentucky 34-6, Arkansas 49-30 and Tennessee 49-10). Synopsis: The Crimson Tide, winners of 20 straight games, were trailing Texas A&M in the third quarter, but put the hammer down and pulled away. The game turned on a 30-yard fumble-return touchdown by defensive end Jonathan Allen, making it 10 straight games for Alabama…
Continue Reading: College Football Playoff: Ohio State loss has opened the door
