The College Football Playoff rankings revealed on Tuesday night were a nice surprise for Ohio State and Big Ten fans. Not that the Buckeyes don’t deserve to be No. 1, as they lead the country in both points per game (49.4) and points allowed per game (10.5). To own that distinction heading into the final week of the regular season is a ridiculous feat.

But it’s not like previous No. 1 LSU didn’t take care of business either last week, leading Arkansas by 50 in the fourth quarter, so it was semi-surprising to see Ohio State make the leap when it looked a little vulnerable in turning the ball over three times.

Heading into the showdown at No. 13 Michigan on Saturday (noon, FOX), Ohio State can absolutely afford to lose this week and get in the top four by winning in the Big Ten championship game the following week. Getting in the CFP field is obviously the most important thing, because thanks to Ohio State in 2014, we all know that’s all you need. A chip and a chair, as the old poker saying goes.

So, does this week still mean anything to the Buckeyes? Well, of course it does. It’s obviously one of – if not the biggest – rivalry in all of college football. And the Buckeyes obviously don’t want to give Michigan any sort of momentum – whether that be in this rivalry or in recruiting.

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But more than that, Ohio State should be frantically trying to keep the pedal to the floor to finish the regular season because it looks like seeding is going to matter in this CFP.

Ohio State, LSU and Clemson have separated themselves as the clear-cut three best teams in the country. That’s been the case for the past few weeks, and barring Georgia beating LSU in the SEC title game, it’ll probably be true two weeks from now too. And therein lies the point: Ohio State should be pushing for that No. 1 seed.

At this point, there are so many different cases to be made as to who that fourth team will be, assuming LSU beats Georgia. Maybe it’ll be No. 6 Utah, which is 0-1 against teams currently ranked in the Top 25. Maybe it’ll be No. 7 Oklahoma, which has won its last three games by a total of eight points (translation: the Sooners could’ve easily lost all three and been nowhere near the CFP discussion). Or if chaos ensues, maybe it’ll be No. 5 Alabama – a talented team that also hasn’t beaten anyone in the Top 25 and now is without its start quarterback.

See what I mean, Ohio State? Those are some appetizing matchups, as far as CFP scenarios go.

The alternative is dropping to the No. 2 seed and facing Clemson, a team I personally believe to either be the second-best team in the country or maybe even the best (sorry, Ohio State fans). While everyone wants to knock Clemson for its schedule, the Tigers have been downright scary since that close call against North Carolina two months ago. Their closest win in their last six games was a 31-point drubbing of Florida State, and their average margin of victory is 42.8 points – far and away the best in the country during that stretch (Ohio State is second at 34.8).

Ohio State and Clemson are the most complete teams in the country, as you can knock LSU, Alabama and Oklahoma for their defense and Georgia and Utah for their offense. Ohio State and Clemson are both in the top four nationally in points per game and points allowed per game.

Clemson is a dangerous opponent and one to avoid because it won’t have to play a perfect game to win – same as Ohio State. Its defense could have an off day, and Trevor Lawrence and that explosive offense that averages 7.49 yards per play could keep up. Or, the Tigers could have a bad day offensively and instead rely on a defense that allows just 3.88 yards per play – second-best in the country to only Ohio State. On the flip side, if LSU struggles on offense, could its defense win a game? Maybe, maybe not. Same goes for Alabama and Oklahoma. And on the flip side, if Georgia’s defense makes a few mistakes, is that offense capable of winning a shootout? Maybe, maybe not.

But Clemson’s all-around brilliance on both sides of the ball make it a team that could blow out any team in the country – like it did against No. 1 Alabama in the national title game last year.

And for that reason, Ohio State needs to steer clear at all costs. That means taking care of business against Michigan and either Minnesota or Wisconsin in the Big Ten title game. Let someone else deal with Clemson and get an extra week of film on the defending national champs before meeting in the title game.