College Football Playoff picture: Ohio State's position secure after Week 5 upsets

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Even though Ohio State's 24-6 win over Washington didn't knock the country's socks off, other teams' losses in a wild Week 5 have its projected playoff position safely secure -- for now.

Four top-10 teams lost Saturday to change the makeup of the projected playoff bracket, bringing in new faces and turning former power conference upstarts into favorites.

Here is a look at the changes to the projected 12-team playoff field in the past week, plus what to watch for this weekend.

Historic weekend creates ridiculous shifts

NBC4 looks at the AP rankings for playoff projections until the initial official playoff rankings begin in November. With more upsets seemingly every week, the projected bracket sees more and more shuffling.

Ohio State's spot is solidly at No. 1, but a Big Ten opponent is trying to catch up. Oregon moved up to No. 2 after a 30-24 double overtime win at Penn State. The SEC has a new top team, and it is not any of its powerhouses from the past 10-15 years.

It is the Runnin' Rebels of Mississippi, which defeated former No. 4 LSU and stole its ranking as the conference's top team.

The upsets also allowed Oklahoma and Texas A&M to move up near the top, and a familiar Big Ten team is back in the top 10. Indiana, which was the No. 10 seed in last year's playoff, is now ranked eighth with an undefeated start and projected to host a game.

But the Hoosiers are like many other teams in this bracket that still have to face tough opposition that will define their chances into making the 12-team field come December.

Looking at the contenders' schedules

Week 5 saw multiple contenders (Penn State, LSU, Georgia and Florida State) lose, though only one lost to a nonplayoff contender (Florida State, to Virginia).

The other losses did not knock any of the other three teams out of the picture entirely, but it is worth keeping in mind the toughest games ahead for said teams, which may become must-wins to secure a postseason spot.

Here is a quick look at each projected team's two toughest games remaining and its strength-of-schedule rating for its remaining games. The lower the number, the harder the schedule.

• No. 1 Ohio State (SOS: 36) - Penn State (Nov. 1), at Michigan (Nov. 29)
• No. 2 Oregon (21) - Indiana (Oct. 11), USC (Nov. 22)
• No. 3 Miami (64) - at Florida State (Oct. 4), at SMU (Nov. 1)
• No. 4 Mississippi (30) - at Georgia (Oct. 18), at Oklahoma (Oct. 25)
• No. 5 Oklahoma (3) - Texas (Oct. 11), at Alabama (Nov. 15)
• No. 6 Texas A&M (22) - at LSU (Oct. 25), at Texas (Nov. 28)
• No. 7 Penn State (25) - at Ohio State (Nov. 1), Indiana (Nov. 8)
• No. 8 Indiana (27) - at Oregon (Oct. 11), at Penn State (Nov. 8)
• No. 9 Texas (14) - Oklahoma (Oct. 11), at Georgia (Nov. 15)
• No. 10 Alabama (13) - LSU (Nov. 8), Oklahoma (Nov. 15)
• No. 11 Texas Tech (57) - at Arizona State (Oct. 18), BYU (Nov. 8)
• No. 12 USF (76) - at North Texas (Oct. 10), at Memphis (Oct. 25)

Three games to watch in Week 6

No. 16 Vanderbilt at No. 10 Alabama (Saturday, 3:30 p.m.): The Crimson Tide's playoff chances blew up in their faces after a shocking loss last season in Nashville, prompting Vandy students to chuck a goal post into the Cumberland River. Alabama will be zeroed in on revenge, and Vanderbilt can become legit with a win in Tuscaloosa.

No. 11 Texas Tech at Houston (Saturday, 7 p.m.): It's probably difficult to find folks who predicted that this game between the Cougars and Red Raiders would be between undefeated teams. Texas Tech aims to widen the gap over Iowa State, and Houston can make some noise with an upset.

No. 3 Miami at No. 18 Florida State (Saturday, 7:30 p.m.): Virginia's win over the Seminoles certainly takes out some aura for this rivalry game. But that should not detract from this being the key game of the ACC season. If Miami wins, its path is clear to win the ACC. If Florida State pulls out an upset, the Seminoles put themselves and Georgia Tech in contention.