The Big Ten Conference is up to 18 teams this season with the additions of Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington. It’s been a great season for the conference, with underdog stories such as undefeated Indiana and undefeated Oregon currently ranked No. 1 and earning respect in the conference earlier this season with a thrilling 32-31 victory over Ohio State.
College Football Playoff: Here are the various scenarios for the Big Ten championship race
Multiple Big Ten teams can make the College Football Playoff this season as it expands to 12 teams.
Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Multiple Big Ten teams can make the College Football Playoff this season in its first season of expanding to 12 teams, a testament to the quality of football at the very top of the conference this season.
From conference standings to Big Ten Championship Game scenarios and College Football Playoff projections, here’s a look at how things are trending in the Big Ten Conference as of now ahead of Week 13’s slate of games. In addition, a new College Football Playoff ranking will be announce Tuesday evening on ESPN.
Current Big Ten standings (conference win-loss in parentheses)
- Oregon Ducks 11-0 (8-0)
- Indiana Hoosiers 10-0 (7-0)
- Ohio State Buckeyes 9-1 (6-0)
- Penn State Nittany Lions 9-1 (6-1)
- Iowa Hawkeyes 6-4 (4-3)
- Minnesota Golden Gophers 6-4 (4-3)
- Illinois Fighting Illini 7-3 (4-3)
- Washington Huskies 6-5 (4-4)
- Wisconsin Badgers 5-5 (3-4)
- Rutgers Scarlet Knights 6-4 (3-4)
- Michigan Wolverines 5-5 (3-4)
- USC Trojans 5-5 (3-5)
- UCLA Bruins 4-6 (3-5)
- Nebraska Cornhuskers 5-5 (2-5)
- Michigan State Spartans 4-6 (2-5)
- Northwestern Wildcats 4-6 (2-5)
- Maryland Terrapins 4-6 (1-6)
- Purdue Boilermakers 1-9 (0-7)
Four Big Ten programs are currently ranked in the top five of the College Football Playoff Rankings
- No. 1 Oregon (11-0)
- No. 2 Ohio State (9-1)
- No. 4 Penn State (9-1)
- No. 5 Indiana (10-0)
Big Ten Championship Game scenarios
- Oregon clinched a spot in the championship game after beating Purdue 35-0 on Saturday.
- If Ohio State wins against Indiana and Michigan the Buckeyes will be in the Big Ten Championship.
- If Indiana beats Ohio State and Purdue the Hoosiers will be in the Big Ten Championship. Even if IU lost to Ohio State they could still make the championship game if they beat Purdue the following week and Ohio State loses to Michigan.
- Penn State faces the biggest uphill battle of making the championship game — they’d need to win out against Minnesota and Maryland and then need an Indiana loss to Ohio State and an Ohio State loss to Michigan.
ESPN’s Football Power Index has Oregon and Ohio State as their likeliest Big Ten Championship winners
- Ohio State: 46.2% chance
- Oregon: 38% chance
- Indiana: 14% chance
- Penn State: 1.8% chance
ESPN’s FPI also projects Oregon, Ohio State, Indiana, and Penn State to all make the College Football Playoff.
- Oregon: 99.6% chance
- Indiana: 96.6% chance
- Ohio State: 94.6% chance
- Penn State: 88.2% chance
How the College Football Playoff Committee has ranked Big Ten teams thus far
Week 10
- Oregon: No. 1
- Ohio State: No. 2
- Penn State: No. 6
- Indiana: No. 8
Week 11
- Oregon: No. 1
- Ohio State: No. 2
- Penn State: No. 4
- Indiana: No. 5
Current playoff projections for CFP Quarterfinals, per NCAA.com
NCAA Note: “The top 25 ranking does not always match the seed in the playoff, as the four highest-ranked conference champions receive the top four seeds, no matter where those four teams rank in the top 25.”
- No. 1 Oregon: Bye
- No. 2 Ohio State: home vs. No. 12 Boise State
- No. 6 Penn State: home vs. No. 11 Ole Miss
- No. 7 Indiana: home vs. No. 10 Alabama
Current CFP Semifinal and CFP National Championship projections, per ESPN.com
- Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach both predict Ohio State and Oregon will square off at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Bonagura also has Indiana facing Georgia in the Capital One Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida.
- Bonaguara thinks the National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta will pit two Big Ten teams against one another, Indiana and Oregon. Schlaback has Oregon facing Georgia.
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