How Western Michigan Could Reach the 2016 College Football Playoff

4. Watch a Surprise Pac-12 Champ Emerge

Washington’s loss to USC opened the door for more chaos in the Pac-12, and Western Michigan would benefit most from a chain reaction of events that could lead to another open spot in the College Football Playoff. The Broncos should be rooting for a Washington State-USC matchup in the Pac-12 championship game… but they need them both to arrive at that point having lost another game ahead of time.

For this scenario to play out, the following must happen:

• Utah loses at home to Oregon in Week 12, while USC beats UCLA and Colorado knocks off Washington State
• As already mentioned, Washington State loses to Colorado while Washington bests Arizona State
• On Thanksgiving weekend, the Cougars beat Washington in the Apple Cup to claim the Pac-12 North with a 9-3 overall record
• That same weekend, USC loses to Notre Dame out of conference while Utah beats Colorado in Boulder

In that scenario, USC and Colorado would both finish 7-2 in conference play, with the Trojans advancing to the title game thanks to their head-to-head win over the Buffaloes. No matter who wins the Pac-12 in that scenario, the champion would have at least three losses. USC would be a 9-4 champ if they take the title, while Washington State would be 10-3 but with losses to FCS Eastern Washington and Boise State. Both would likely be passed over by the CFP committee.