Ohio State’s College Football Playoff hopes got a boost on Black Friday when No. 2-ranked Miami was upset on the road at Pittsburgh, 24-14, handing the Hurricanes their first loss of the season.
The Hurricanes gained a season-low 232 yards and scored only twice in the loss to the Panthers, who were just 4-7 entering their Friday season finale.
It’s the second year in a row that Pitt has pulled off a major upset over a playoff contender in the final month of the regular season; last year, the Panthers earned a 43-42 win over Clemson, which was also ranked No. 2 and undefeated at the time, in November.
It's the second time in 11 years that Pitt has upset the No. 2-ranked team on the final week of the regular season, having previously done that with a 13-9 win against West Virginia in 2007, which helped Ohio State make the BCS National Championship Game against LSU that year.
Like Clemson, which went on to win the national championship last season, Miami’s loss to Pitt shouldn’t preclude it from making the playoff if it defeats Clemson in the ACC Championship Game next weekend.
What Friday’s Miami loss should mean, however, is that the ACC won’t get two teams in the playoff. The winner of next week’s Clemson vs. Miami should make the final four, but the loser – which will now have at least two losses either way – should not make the playoff over a two-loss champion from another Power 5 conference, which Ohio State will be if it wins out against Michigan and Wisconsin.
The Buckeyes, of course, need to take care of business in those two games for any of this to matter. They also still need some help from Alabama, as a win by Auburn this week or Georgia next week over the Crimson Tide could open the door for two SEC teams – the SEC Championship Game winner and 1-loss Alabama – to get in over the Buckeyes. But the Buckeyes’ chances are already looking more promising than they did Tuesday because of what happened on Friday.
