Tracking the College Football Playoff

ByHEATHER DINICH

December 3, 2016, 1:12 AM

 -- GRAPEVINE, Texas -- The College Football Playoff selection committee began its computerized voting process to determine its final top 25 ranking of the season following the Big Ten and ACC championships, and this debate is likely to go into the wee hours of Sunday morning. Penn State brought the chaos by beating Wisconsin to win the Big Ten, and that result will force the selection committee to determine the true value of a conference championship. The Nittany Lions beat No. 2 Ohio State on Oct. 22, but they have been sitting at No. 7 with a significant gap separating them from the Buckeyes.

The question now is what the committee will do with Penn State and Ohio State when it announces its final ranking at noon ET on Sunday during the CFP selection show on ESPN.

Here is the last projection of what the committee will do in its most important ranking of the season:

Dinich projects the committee's top six

1. Alabama
2. Ohio State
3. Clemson
4. Washington
5. Michigan
6. Penn State

Clemson wins ACC, setting up B1G debate

In the ACC title game, Virginia Tech kept it interesting into the second half, but couldn't seal the deal. Clemson won ugly, but it doesn't matter because the Tigers punctuated their r?sum? with an ACC title to go along with road wins at Auburn and Florida State, and a home win against Louisville. Had Clemson thoroughly dominated, though, it could have jumped Ohio State for the No. 2 seed.

Instead, that should go to the Buckeyes, who have one of the most impressive r?sum?s in the country with three top 10 wins -- including road wins against Big 12 champ Oklahoma and Big Ten runner-up Wisconsin, and then-No. 3 Michigan. Nothing in the CFP protocol states that a team has to win its league title or its division to finish in the top four, and after cementing its spot at No. 2 in recent weeks, it would be very difficult for the committee to leave Ohio State out.

Bama leaves no doubt who's No. 1

Alabama avoided any hit of an upset against Florida, likely solidifying its spot as the committee's top-ranked team and all but assuring it is headed to Atlanta in the Chick-fil-A Peach bowl. The biggest question remaining for the Tide is who it will face as the No. 4 seed. Alabama has had a stranglehold on the committee's top spot in every ranking this season, and based on the current projection would play Pac-12 champ Washington.

Too little, too late for Sooners?

After winning nine straight games to finish undefeated in Big 12 play with the program's 10th Big 12 championship, Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops was candid about his two-loss team's chance for the playoff, saying, "Realistically, probably more needed to happen last week to give us an opportunity." The Sooners finished strong, but considering they were looking up at every other Power 5 conference in the committee's top 10 heading into Saturday, they were a longshot since the 1-2 start. It's more likely Oklahoma is headed to the Allstate Sugar Bowl as the Big 12 champion.

Washington emphatically states its case

Washington did exactly what it needed to -- punctuated its resume with a convincing win against a top-10 opponent and a Pac-12 conference championship, which will make it very difficult for the committee to leave the Huskies out. The committee's biggest debate will now likely focus on whether to put in two teams from the Big Ten (No. 2 Ohio State and the Big Ten champ) or Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson and Washington -- keeping their top four status quo if the other top teams win.

Committee chairman Kirby Hocutt said on Tuesday that Washington's strength of schedule has been "a concern" for the committee, but at the very least, Washington is in a better spot now because it has a win over a top-10 team. Washington had a strong defensive effort and ran the ball well in a performance that should eliminate No. 5 Michigan from the conversation and certainly knock Colorado out. The big question remaining is whether No. 6 Wisconsin or No. 7 Penn State can do enough on Saturday join the No. 2 Buckeyes and push Washington out.