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Buckeyes will benefit if CFP dominoes fall right

Plausible scenario: A one-loss North Carolina football team beats No. 1 Clemson in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship on Saturday, takes out the side that the College Football Playoff committee has for weeks deemed the nation’s best, and still isn’t chosen for a semifinal game when the final rankings are released Sunday.

It could happen.

If the Tar Heels win, it will.

Ohio State today has been set up to have an opportunity at defending its national title should Clemson lose. The Buckeyes are sixth in the latest rankings and should things fall a certain way on Championship Saturday, you can be sure the selection committee will place the Buckeyes and their well-traveled fan base and financially enticing brand into the top four.

The committee on Tuesday stuck with a four of Clemson, Alabama, Oklahoma and Iowa. You figure the Sooners, Big 12 Conference champions whose regular season is finished and who are playing better than anyone nationally, are in. You figure the winner of a Big Ten Conference title game between Iowa and No. 5 Michigan State is in. You figure Alabama as a 17.5 favorite will beat Florida in the Southeastern Conference Championship and is in.

That would leave one spot.

I can’t see North Carolina, still ranked just 10th due to a weak strength of schedule and a loss to awful South Carolina, jumping six spots and into the four by beating Clemson.

Not. Going. To. Happen.

But should that upset occur and a two-loss Stanford at No. 7 beat Southern California in the Pac-12 title game, we will see first-hand how much the committee truly values a league champion if the Cardinal is then compared to Ohio State for the final spot.

“In the committee’s eyes, if a team has not clearly separated itself above another, then we apply the criteria of conference champions, head-to-head and other factors,” selection committee Jeff Long said. “They don’t come in until the committee reaches a deadlock. There are so many variables.”

My call: If Clemson loses, Ohio State is in.

They have set up Urban Meyer’s team for such opportunity.

The brand is too powerful.

The love-fest for the Buckeyes on that committee is too strong.

Ed Graney can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4618. He can be a heard on “Seat and Ed” on Fox Sports 1340 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. On Twitter: @edgraney

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