College Football Minute

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1. After losing quarterback Braxton Miller shortly before the season began, the last thing Ohio State should benefit from this season would be good health. But through 11 games, one starter has missed one game: tight end Jeff Heuerman against Kent State. Corner Eli Apple didn't start against Michigan State, but came in on the second series and played the rest of the way. Wideout Dontre Wilson started three games before he broke his foot, but shares the position. Fifteen Buckeyes have started all 11 games; the other starting lineup changes depended on alignment. Whether it's luck or strength coach Mickey Marotti's doing, it's critical to Ohio State's success.

2. Were Indiana not 3-8, and had Melvin Gordon of Wisconsin not rushed for 608 yards and six touchdowns in the past two games, then the national spotlight might have trained on Hoosiers tailback Tevin Coleman. He has rushed for 535 yards and four touchdowns in the past two weeks, and 1,906 yards and 15 scores this season. After Coleman rushed for 228 yards against No. 6 Ohio State, the Buckeyes need no convincing. "When he hit the opening, he's gone," said safety Tyvis Powell, who took the wrong angle and watched Coleman race past him en route to a 90-yard, third-quarter touchdown. "Everybody else, [we] can catch him."

3. There is no playoff format that college football will adapt, at least in my lifetime, that would include a 6-5 Arkansas team. But if the FBS ever adapted March Madness, the Hogs would be the No. 8 seed that no No. 1 would want to play. Arkansas hasn't allowed a point since Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott threw a 69-yard touchdown pass to Fred Ross with 13:21 to play in the Bulldogs' 17-10 victory on Nov. 1. At midseason, when Arkansas lost in overtime to Texas A&M and then by one point to Alabama on consecutive Saturdays, the refrain was, "The Hogs just don't know how to win." They know now.

Each Sunday during the season, ESPN.com will highlight storylines that had an impact on the College Football Playoff race.

Chris Morris for ESPN

Chris Morris for ESPN

Chris Morris for ESPN

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. 1 Alabama, No. 2 Oregon and No. 3 Florida State are the closest things to locks for the inaugural College Football Playoff. Should all three of those teams win out -- which, of course, is no guarantee -- they should finish the season in the top four of the selection committee's rankings.

It's that coveted fourth spot that remains the source of the greatest debate.

"It's also fair to say the differences between teams four through seven -- Mississippi State, TCU, Ohio State and Baylor -- are narrow, very narrow," committee chair Jeff Long said Tuesday. "There are more games to play and these teams are knocking on the door, and they're not the only ones."

Here's a closer look at those teams still "knocking on the door" and how Week 13 affected their playoff chances:

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