College Football Playoffs come into focus?

So what happened over the weekend (other than my Gophers losing badly to Wisconsin)? 

Ohio State secured their place in the college playoffs. This is a no brainer after completely dismantling a much improved Michigan team. They will face Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship, whom they destroyed 38-7 earlier in the season. Even if they were to somehow lose to Wisconsin, it's doubtful that they would be left out, even if they only picked one team from the Big Ten.

LSU is also likely in. Even if they were to lose to Georgia, it would be difficult for the committee to pick another one loss team over LSU, who has played for much of the season as a one or two seed.

Clemson probably secured their place as well. A one loss Clemson team likely is still better than a one loss Utah or one loss Oklahoma team.

Georgia is in with a win, out with a loss. Plain and simple.

For the first time ever, Alabama will not be in the college playoffs. Their loss to Auburn in the Iron bowl eliminated any need to continue any discussions about Alabama somehow sneaking into the top four.

So what about Baylor, Oklahoma or Utah ?  All would have to win their conference championship game and then hope that LSU defeats Georgia and Ohio State defeats Wisconsin. In that case, one of these three teams will get in. I see no scenario where two get into the playoffs.

Bottom line:

1. Ohio State
2. LSU
3. Clemson
4. Oklahoma/Utah/Baylor/Georgia

The potential controversy here will be how to determine which of the one loss  Power 5 conference champions make it into the playoffs and which gets left out. My hunch is that Oklahoma (7) will overtake Utah (6) if they both win their conference championship game. The difference will be Oklahoma defeating a ranked Oklahoma State in the final game of the season, and then beating a higher ranked Baylor in the Big 12 championship. However, if Baylor was to beat Oklahoma avenging their only loss (34-31) would it be enough to overtake the Utes (who are currently ranked four places ahead of them)? In that scenario, I think the committee would stick with Utah, but only by a nose hair.

The other controversy (probably a bigger one) is if Georgia beats LSU, and the committee decides to take both teams. This would probably make sense considering LSU would be a one loss team, with bigger wins and a much better loss than any of the potential one loss Power 5 champions. But it would (once again) push people's buttons around the country by leaving out both the Big 12 and Pac 10. 

We need an 8 team playoff... or some sort of caveat that "requires" every playoff team to be conference champions (thus using the conference championship games as sort of a first round playoff and avoiding at least one of the possible controversies we run into year after year).  To some degree I think it's important that College football adopt the same sort of principle that you have to win the big games at the end of the season to move forward. Lose your conference championship (or do not manage to get in) and you are out.