Last year, Alabama became the first non-divisional champion to make the playoff. The one-loss Crimson Tide wouldn't have done so — and, later, won the national championship — with a second loss, which nearly came in Week 11.
Alabama had one one-score game last year, a 31-24 win at Mississippi State on Nov. 11, 2017. And that win could've been a loss had Jalen Hurts not connected with Calvin Ridley for a 31-yard completion on 3rd-and-15 from their own 43-yard-line with 30 seconds remaining in a tied game.
Hurts found DeVonta Smith for a 26-yard touchdown on the next play.
If Alabama doesn't convert, they either lose in regulation — possible, especially since Mississippi State moved the ball well during most of the game — or it goes to overtime. There's no guarantee Alabama loses that game if Hurts and Ridley don't extend the drive and the Tide don't score. However, it was a massive play that might've kept Alabama in the playoff hunt.
What other never-talked-about plays have defined the playoff era?
This is a very specific list that most casual fans — and some diehards — won't care about. Fans care about Tua Tagovailoa's 41-yard overtime touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith to beat Georgia in the national championship. Most fans don't remember Hurts' 3rd-and-15 completion to Ridley.
In just four years of the playoff era, there are several regular-season and conference championship plays that directly impacted the eventual national champion.
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TCU at Baylor
Oct. 11, 2014
One week after beating Oklahoma, TCU blew a 21-point fourth-quarter lead to Baylor. If TCU didn't melt down like Justin Spieth at Augusta and ran the table (which they did), they would've made the playoff over eventual national champion Ohio State.
There are several plays during the meltdown that made headlines, including a few failed 3rd-down attempts for TCU (and one failed fourth-down attempt), but one, in particular, is widely forgotten:
Tied at 58-58 with 31 seconds remaining, TCU cornerback Corry O'Meally was called for pass interference on a 3rd-and-10 incomplete pass. Bryce Petty's pass for Levin Norwood was underthrown and O'Meally didn't turn around.
Baylor gained 17 more yards and kicked a 28-yard field goal to win. While Baylor still could've won in overtime, given the offensive firepower, it's possible TCU would've won the game in regulation or in overtime.
The Bears missed the playoff thanks to a 14-point loss to West Virginia the following weeks.
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Ohio State at Penn State
Oct. 25, 2014
Six weeks prior to their trip to Happy Valley, Ohio State lost to Virginia Tech at home, giving them, presumably, zero margin for error in the playoff race.
Penn State trailed Ohio State, 17-14, when they got the ball at their own 9-yard-line line after a Buckeyes' punt. Christian Hackenberg led them down the field and faced a 3rd-and-6 from Ohio State's 14 with 14 seconds remaining. Hackenberg targeted Chris Godwin for a game-winning touchdown, but the pass misfired.
Penn State settled for a game-tying field and, later, lost in overtime. Had they scored on that play and beat Ohio State, the Buckeyes would've been out (and not won the national championship) and Baylor, who was fifth in the final playoff rankings, would've been in.
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Tennessee at Alabama
Oct. 24, 2015
Thanks to a Week 3 loss to Ole Miss, Alabama was in second place in the SEC West for most of the season, including entering their Week 8 game against Tennessee.
Trailing, 19-14, with just over three minutes remaining, Jake Coker hit Calvin Ridley for a 15-yard gain on 3rd-and-6 from the Vols' 40-yard-line.
Three plays later, Derrick Henry scored on a 14-yard run, and Josh Dobbs fumbled on the next drive to end the game.
If Ridley didn't win the jump ball over Cameron Sutton, Alabama, who had three timeouts, would've gone for it or punted. Without a win, the Tide would've been a two-loss non-divisional champ and missed the playoff. Instead, they won the game, won the SEC East, won the SEC and won the national championship.
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NC State at Clemson
Oct. 15, 2016
Deshaun Watson's title-winning touchdown pass to Hunter Renfrow will be run on college football highlights reels forever, but if not for a fourth-down overtime conversion and recovered botched snap vs. NC State earlier that season, Clemson is a two-loss non-divisional champ and likely loses their spot to Penn State.
NC State needed a 33-yard field goal from Kyle Bambard at the end of regulation to end the Tigers' 19-game home winning streak. Bambard missed, Clemson scored on the first possession of overtime, and Ryan Finley threw an interception on the Wolfpack's first play of overtime.
The missed field goal is widely remembered. What isn't as remembered are two plays on Clemson's touchdown drive in overtime. Facing 4th-and-1 from the 16-yard-line in overtime, Dabo Swinney went for it, and C.J. Fuller picked up two yards.
Three plays later, Deshaun Watson mishandled the shotgun snap but recovered the bouncing ball to retain possession.
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USC vs. Washington State
Sept. 29, 2017
USC was an 11-win conference champion in 2017 but finished eighth in the final 2017 playoff rankings. Their 35-point loss to Notre Dame on Oct. 21 kept them out of the field, as did potentially a three-point loss to Washington State three weeks earlier.
Tied at 27-27, Washington State faced 3rd-and-4 (though it was closer to 3rd-and-3) from their own 42-yard-line. Jamal Morrow ripped off a 35-yard run to give the Cougars 1st-and-10 from the USC 23.
They used some clock and kicked a go-ahead field goal with one minute, 40 seconds left. Jahad Woods forced a Sam Darnold fumble on the next possession to end it.
If USC won that game, even with a blowout loss to Notre Dame, the Trojans, as a 12-1 conference champ, probably would've earned the 4-seed over eventual national champion Alabama.
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Ohio State vs. Penn State
Oct. 28, 2017
One spot below USC in the final 2017 rankings was Penn State, who was 10-2 thanks to two losses by a combined four points. Had Penn State beat Ohio State on Oct. 28, they would've been 8-1 in the Big Ten, won the East and, if they beat Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship, made the playoff.
In that loss, in which they blew an 18-point first-half lead, they led Ohio State, 35-27, in the fourth quarter. Trace McSorley led the Nittany Lions inside the Buckeyes' 10-yard line, where they had 1st-and-goal. Two McSorley runs were followed by a failed 3rd-down attempt from the 3-yard-line.
Would Saquon Barkley have scored on this 2nd-down play?
Instead of taking a commanding, potentially game-ending 15-point lead with under six minutes remaining, Penn State settled for a 24-yard field goal, and, after two Ohio State touchdown drives in the final minutes, lost the game.
If Barkley scored on 3rd-and-goal, Penn State probably wins and makes the playoff as the 4-seed instead of Alabama.
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Ohio State vs. Wisconsin
Dec. 2, 2017
Wisconsin was 43 yards away from making the 2017 College Football Playoff, which would've kept Alabama out and meant Clemson, Georgia, Oklahoma or the Badgers would've been champs.
Trailing Ohio State, 27-21, in the Big Ten Championship, Wisconsin forced an Ohio State punt with just under three minutes remaining and got the ball at their own 29-yard line. After a misfire on first down, Alex Hornbrook completed four straight passes to move the ball into Buckeyes' territory.
However, on 1st-and-10 from the 43-yard-line, Badgers' tackle Michael Deiter was called for holding — and the refs didn't call a potential holding or pass interference on an incomplete pass intended for Danny Davis — and hey faced 1st-and-20.
The game wasn't officially over, but 1st-and-20 for a Badgers' offense that struggled in similar situations all season meant it was all but over. Hornibrook had three straight incompletion and an interception to end the game. Had Deiter not held (and the refs had flagged Kendall Sheffield), maybe Wisconsin makes the playoff.
