The College Football Playoff selection committee revealed its second of five rankings on Tuesday, and while the top seven teams remained the same, there are scenarios that could derail the status quo before Selection Day on Dec. 20.
There's no bigger X factor right now than No. 4 Ohio State.
In fact, Ohio State's spot at No. 4 this week was a question.
Selection committee chair Gary Barta told ESPN's Rece Davis that it was "specifically talked about in the room about whether or not Ohio State goes to four, or Texas A&M flips and goes to four and Ohio State goes to five. A lot of discussion about that."
The Buckeyes resumed team activities Tuesday and are preparing to play Saturday at Michigan State, but the status of the game remains uncertain as Ohio State monitors a COVID-19 outbreak within its program. If Ohio State has a third game canceled this season, the Buckeyes won't meet the six-game benchmark to qualify for the Big Ten title game.