An intense battle between two top-three teams is always fun.

When the game includes Michigan and Ohio State, the fun increases exponentially.

The Buckeyes outlasted its bitter rival in double-overtime by a score of 30-27. A Curtis Samuel 15-yard run was the game-winning score for OSU.

This result has massive implications as it pertains to the College Football Playoff.

Michigan is likely knocked out of playoff contention. Ironically enough, Ohio State may reach the playoff, and not even play in its conference title game. If Penn State beats Michigan State on Saturday, the Nittany Lions will square off versus Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship Game.

This could help OSU in a sense. It takes away an opportunity for Ohio State to lose another game. It’s also unlikely that a two-loss Penn State team would leapfrog Urban Meyer’s team in the rankings — even though PSU did beat OSU earlier in the year.

The other big winner in this equation is Washington. The Huskies looked dominant on Friday — winning the Apple Cup against rival Washington State by a score of 45-17.

Assuming Washington wins the Pac-12 Title Game (against Colorado or Southern Cal), it should be a sure bet to reach the four-team tournament.