We're currently the last at-large team in the playoff.
The way I heard Manuel's statement, none of the 3-loss teams that aren't in a conference championship game will jump us. So USCe and OM are out.
That doesn't mean we can't fall out of the playoff. Just that neither USCe nor OM will be there in our place.
UTw and UGA are in regardless of the outcome of the SECCG. It's just a question of who gets a bye and where the loser is seeded. IOW, no effect on us.
Same thing for Oregon and PSU in the B1G.
The real issue for us is the ACCCG. If SMU wins, Clemson is out (they're currently behind us anyway) and we're safe. But if Clemson wins, they get the automatic spot as conference champs. The question then becomes how far, if any, would SMU fall?
Right now, thery're #8. Would they fall out altogether? If so, we're still in. If not, Clemson gets our spot....not because the committee perceives them as a better or even more deserving team...but because they're ACC champs.
My personal take is that if SMU loses, they might fall some. But the committee has already said that participants in conference championship games won't be unduly penalized for a loss. So if SMU loses, but doesn't get totally blown out and embarrassed, I might see them falling. But not all the way out.
Bottom Line: SMU wins: we're in. Clemson wins by less than 35 or so: we're out. Go Ponies!
Side Note: It's our own fault we're in this position. If we don't yak up hairballs against both Vandy and OU, we're in regardless. Might even be in the SECCG.