Ohio State in prime position for CFP spot after Pac-12 title game upset

One of the biggest debates in this week’s College Football Playoff rankings was whether USC or Ohio State should be at No. 4. Friday night’s Pac-12 Championship likely cleared things up a bit.

Despite entering the locker room tied with Utah 17-17, No. 4 USC ended up falling to the Utes 47-24 at Allegiant Stadium. It’s the Trojans’ second loss of the season, which likely ends their hopes of a playoff spot.

Now, the door is open for Ohio State to jump up in to the top four.

The Buckeyes suffered their lone loss of the season last week against Michigan at The Horseshoe. The Wolverines came in at No. 2 in the CFP rankings after the game and sealed a spot in the Big Ten Championship. But with USC’s second loss — to a Utah team that lost three games, including a loss to Florida — Ohio State could still find a way into the CFP field once again.

Utah outscored USC 30-7 in the second half and got a strong performance out of Cameron Rising. He completed 22 of 34 passes for 310 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Utes to the resounding victory and their second straight Pac-12 title.

One of the biggest storylines of the game — and going forward — is the health of USC quarterback Caleb Williams. Not only did he cut his hand in the first half, but he was playing through a noticeable limp in the second half, but stayed in the game. He ended his night completing 28 of 41 passes for 363 yards and three touchdowns.

It was the first of many conference championships with CFP implications. Ultimately, the weekend will end with the final CFP rankings reveal Sunday at 12:15 p.m. ET and bowl game assignments afterward.