State of Pennsylvania moved his rook to C(FP)6.

THE Nittany Lions are here playing chess with their playoff positioningwhile others compete in a fierce game of checkers.

State of Pennsylvania destroys the unfortunate Purdue Saturday, bringing it one step closer to a first-round playoff game at home without having to play in the Big Ten championship game.

If Ohio State beats Indiana next weekend, the Buckeyes are in line for a rematch with Oregon in the conference championship, with the possibility of these two powers meeting for a third time in the CFP .

If Indiana topples OSU, then the Hoosiers would be able to take on Oregon for the conference crown.

Regardless, Penn State can stay home on conference championship weekend, rest, study film and head to a first-round host seed without beating a single team that will end up seeded in the top 25.

Pretty ideal, huh?

The Nittany Lions (9-1) entered the Seed line #6 in support In last week’s update from the playoff committeeand there is a good chance that they will find themselves there. This is prime real estate.

The 6 seed will host the 11 seed in the first round, followed by a match against the No. 3 seed in the quarterfinals. That 3 seed will likely be an ACC, Big 12, or Group of Five team, with the Big Ten and SEC teams best positioned for the No. 1 and 2 seeds.

Alternatively, the Buckeyes could beat Indiana, then lose to Oregon in the Big Ten Championship, place fifth and be on a collision course to face the Ducks for the third time in the CFP semifinals.

To think that’s OSU’s reward for beating Penn State in Happy Valley on November 2.

A price.

Penn State’s opponents have a combined record of 48-53.

The committee sucks on the eye test, and their eyes tell them the Nittany Lions are good. Never mind that Purdue (1-9) stinks.

“It’s the best game we’ve played overall,” Penn State coach James Franklin said after his team’s 49-10 destruction of the Boilersmakers, “in terms of four quarters , offense, defense, special teams, complementary football.”

Penn State fans were seething after Franklin lost to the Buckeyes two weeks agoits 10th loss to OSU in 11 tries.

Consider this loss sacrificing a pawn, as the Nittany Lions played the long game and positioned themselves for one of the best spots on the board.

Here’s what else concerns me about this “Topp Rope” vision of college football:

Brian Kelly heading to the Heat in 4th year at LSU

This charade of LSU finally being a playoff contender thankfully ended with a 27-16 loss to Florida at the Marais.

The victory of the Tigers against Ole Mademoiselle this now seems like the exception and not the rule. LSU owns losses to Southern Cal and Florida, two teams with a combined record of 10-10, plus a blowout loss at home to Alabama and a second-half collapse in a loss to Texas A&M. LSU nearly suffered a fifth loss, needing a second-half rally against a backup quarterback to survive South Carolina.

Call it what it is: an absolute failure of a season. Brian Kelly’s third year on the bayou has become his worst by far, and Jayden Daniels is no longer there to mask the program’s lingering deficiencies.

LSU can’t pass the ball and its defense remains untrustworthy.

If I had to describe the Tigers in one word? Soft.

How about two words? Really sweet.

You get the idea.

“It’s a simple exercise: do you want to fight or not?” Kelly said after LSU’s third straight loss.

I think we have our answer.

Kelly rants and raves on the sidelinesand he indicated that he was becoming more involved in offensive play calls (a little late for that). The LSU fan base is also smoking.

A 10-year mega-deal for Kelly was supposed to buy LSU more than that. The Tigers won’t make a move on Kelly this year. He’s too expensive to let go, and a recruiting class full of blue-chip prospects that LSU needs is too important to sacrifice. Among the commitments is five-star prospect Bryce Underwood, the nation’s No. 1 quarterback recruit.

This recruiting class can’t come fast enough, as the mercury soars on the thermometer with Kelly now facing a pivotal Year 4.

MISERY INDEX: Mercy, what happened to Utah this season?

NOTICE: Competing for the CFP bracket, Tennessee showed its true colors in the defeat in Georgia

Could Boise State benefit from a CFP bye?

Although Brigham Young lost 17-13 to Kansasthe Cougars remain positioned to face (right now) Colorado in the Big 12 championship game.

While the Buffaloes (8-2) are gaining momentum, BYU’s defeat has been brewing for several weeks. Pay attention to the rankings of BYU (9-1) and Colorado in Tuesday’s CFP update.

While the general assumption is that the SEC, Big Ten, ACC and Big 12 champions will receive a bye into the playoff quarterfinals, it’s not automatic.

If the Group of Five qualifier ranks higher than the lowest ranked Power Four champion at the time of selection, then that Group of Five team will claim a bye and send that lowest ranked Power Four champion to a first round match.

In other words, if Boise State (9-1) gets ahead of BYU and Colorado on Tuesday, it still has hope of a first-round bye.

The committee could still catapult the Big 12 champion past Boise State on Selection Day no matter what Tuesday’s rankings say, but Boise State losing by just three points to Oregon in Week 2 deserves to be considered for a bye, if he wins the title. Mountain West and finished 12-1.

Best sentence I heard this week

Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter is on the short list of Heisman Trophy favorites, and he’s done nothing to hurt his case in a 49-24 victory against Utah. Hunter intercepted one pass and caught five passes for 55 yards.

Hunter struck the Heisman pose after his interception.

If voters remain unmoved, Colorado coach Deion Sanders says he can’t help them.

“I’m not going to send a message to undecided Heisman voters,” Sanders said. “If they can’t see, they can’t see. … It’s supposed to go to the best player in college football. I think it’s been over since Week 2.

“So we’re not petitioning for anyone.”

By phrasing his response this way, Sanders cleverly sent a message to Heisman voters while insisting that was not the case.

Three and out

1. Tennessee fans, clearance granted to Gator Chomp.

The Vols (8-2) will likely I need a little help make the playoffs after a 31-17 defeat in Georgia.

Tennessee maintains multiple avenues to regain the favor of the selection committee. If Ohio State beats Indiana, that would be very helpful. Or, a Notre Dame loss to Army or USC could push Tennessee into the bracket.

Here’s another possibility that doesn’t get a lot of attention: Mississippi will play Saturday at Florida. The Rebels (8-2) cannot afford a defeat.

Imagine, Tennessee earns a playoff spot thanks to rival Florida, defeating Lane Kiffin, the former Vols coach who trampled on their hearts by going out of town to USC 17 years ago .

Tennessee fans look down on few teams like Florida, but the Big Orange should put those feelings aside — if only briefly — if it means getting a shot at the playoffs.

2. I predict the top 13 in Tuesday’s CFP rankings: 1. Oregon, 2. Ohio State, 3. Texas, 4. Penn State, 5. Indiana, 6. Notre Dame, 7. Miami, 8. Alabama, 9. Mississippi, 10. . Georgia, 11. BYU, 12. Tennessee, 13. Boise State.

3. My latest “Topp Rope” playoff projection: Oregon (Big Ten), Alabama (SEC), Miami (ACC), Colorado (Big 12), Boise State (Group of Five), plus at-large selections Ole Miss, Texas , Georgia , Ohio State, Penn State, Indiana, Notre Dame. Next up: Tennessee, SMU, BYU, Texas A&M, Army, Tulane.

(This story has been updated to change video.)

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s national college football columnist. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @btopppmeyer. THE “Topp Rope” is his football column published on the USA TODAY Network.k. Subscribe read his entire columns.

This article was originally published on USA TODAY: Penn State (not Oregon or Ohio State) enjoys a sweet spot in the CFP bracket