Can Ohio State still make College Football Playoff? How a TCU or USC loss would impact Buckeyes' 2022 chances

Ohio State lost 45-23 at home to No. 2 Michigan in the season finale. The Buckeyes are ranked fifth in CFP rankings. They have a clear path into the playoff without having to play during conference championship week. They need some help during the conference championships.

Ohio State can still make the College Football Playoff. ESPN lists the Buckeyes as having a 71.5 percent chance of being one of the four teams in.

TCU came in at No. 3 in the Week 14 College Football Playoff rankings. The Horned Frogs are undefeated and have the Big 12 championship. They have to beat Kansas State, who secured its berth in Big12 title game with a 47-27 victory over rival Kansas on Saturday.

USC is ranked No. 4 in the penultimate rankings. The Trojans need to beat No 11 Utah to become the first Pac-12 team since Washington in 2016 to make the College Football Playoff. USC has already lost to the Utes this season.

After the Utah loss, USC has given up an average of 32.2 points per game on defense. The Utes were mentally tougher down the stretch in the first meeting.

Ohio State has the 34th-toughest strength of schedule. TCU is 35th and USC is 57th. The Buckeyes have a ranked victory over Notre Dame on their schedule (the same as USC).

Ohio State has a significant strength of record, coming in at No. 4 overall despite the one loss to Michigan. USC's strength is sixth, while TCU's is No 1. A USC loss would eliminate the teams' common opponent argument.