The CFP laid out the blueprint for USC and Clemson to clinch years ago

When push comes to shove, don't be surprised if a one-loss Pac-12 or ACC champion leapfrogs Tennessee and the loser of Michigan-Ohio State when the final rankings are released Dec. 4.

In the first year of the playoff, the committee set a precedent for a strong conference championship performance to be enough to push a team into the top four.

That year, Ohio State entered the final weekend fifth in the CFP rankings. After defeating No. 13 Wisconsin 59-0 in the Big Ten Championship Game, Ohio State moved up one spot. The move came at the expense of a TCU team that finished the regular season 11-1. The Horned Frogs entered the final weekend No. 3 and won 55-3 over an Iowa State team that ended the season with 10 losses. TCU dropped three spots.

Both Tennessee (9-1, 5-1 in SEC) and the loser of Michigan (10-0, 7-0 in Big Ten)-Ohio State (10-0, 7-0 in Big Ten) will be at home the first weekend of December. USC (9-1, 7-1 in Pac-12), Clemson (9-1, 7-0 in ACC) and North Carolina (9-1, 6-0 in ACC) will have big stages to add to their resumes. A 52-point win wasn't good enough for TCU in the committee's eyes in 2014; not playing at all will be viewed with less enthusiasm.

Close games in either championship game for all three potential one-loss conference champions will likely not be enough to surpass the resumes of Tennessee and Michigan or Ohio State if "The Big Game" lives up to the hype. Nor will it be enough to surpass LSU (8-2, 6-1 in SEC) if it runs the table. If we think a one-loss Pac-12 or ACC champion making the playoff is far-fetched, that would cause the most chaos.

The College Football Playoff committee laid out the path to the playoff for USC, Clemson and North Carolina. However unlikely, it's there for each to follow.