College football rankings: Arizona playing for playoff spot in Pac-12 Championship?

Since Friday, it's already been perhaps the most historic week in the Arizona football program's history. A Pac-12 division title, a win over ASU, a 10-win season and the fact that the Wildcats are peaking at the right time. They now find themselves heading into the final week of the college football season with a No. 7 ranking by the College Football Playoff committee, a chance to upset the No. 2 team for the second time in a year and a shot at testing the committee more than it has to this point.

Does a two-loss team from a conference like the Pac-12 -- currently with six ranked teams -- survive?

For the second time this year, we turn to a quote from Stanford coach David Shaw back in September.

"It all hinges, as we all know, on the (college football playoff) committee," Shaw said during his weekly teleconference on Sept. 23. "Imagine a two-loss Pac-12 champion that's played a hellacious schedule. Do they get bumped for a one-loss or an undefeated team that did not play the same type of schedule? That, to me, is going to determine where this playoff goes -- and scheduling in the future. If (getting bumped) happens, I can guarantee there are going to be 12 coaches going to the commissioner."

To recap: the Pac-12 arguably has the most difficult conference schedule with two nine conference games, a title game and such depth.

There's a lot to talk about this week, and a lot could change next, when it really matters. This week, Alabama and Oregon rightfully find themselves in first and second. TCU, at 10-1, is hard to keep out since it lost to No. 6 Baylor and plays 2-9 Iowa State this week. Florida State deserves a little gripe that it's No. 4 despite being underwhelmingly undefeated. Then there's Baylor, which by the way plays No. 9 Kansas State this week, right behind No. 5 Ohio State, which could help Arizona by losing to a dangerous Wisconsin team in the Big Ten title game.

Then we come to the Wildcats. Things will have to go their way to move up the rankings. Or will they?

So, yeah, Pac-12 will be centerstage on Friday night. No. 2 vs. No. 7 looks to be straight-up for a playoff spot.

— Ted Miller (@TedMillerRK) December 3, 2014

Ted Miller isn't the only one with a rosy outlook.  Still, it'd be welcoming for the Wildcats to receive some help in the chance, however slim it seems, that they beat the Ducks for the third time in the last three tries.

Otherwise, Larry Scott just might have 12 football coaches ready to knock down his door.

College Football Playoff

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