The official College Football Playoff committee rankings dropped this week, and it gave everyone something juicy to talk about. Surprisingly, the Big Ten had the second-most teams, with seven represented. The AP Poll, meanwhile, only had six among its top 25. With the conference owning the top two spots, the Big Ten looks poised to have some heavy-hitters contending for it all. Behind them, the Big Ten College Football Playoff picture gets interesting. It’s especially so when you see five SEC teams in the current 12-team field with two just on the doorstep.
Week 11 Big Ten College Football Playoff Picture
Heading into Week 11, the Big Ten has three teams in the field. Could it get another? Or could chaos reign and one of those three drop out? Time will tell.
Near-Locks For a College Playoffs
#1 Ohio State
Current odds (via Kelley Ford): >99%
The reigning national champions haven’t officially locked up a spot in this year’s playoffs, but the remaining schedule is favorable. Led by the Heisman Trophy favorite as well as a laundry list of semifinalists for other individual awards, the Buckeyes haven’t even begun to show that they’re capable of. Ryan Day’s offense has been methodical, averaging among the fewest plays per game. On defense, Ohio State has only managed to get better after losing a defensive coordinator and eight NFL Draft picks.
Ahead, Ohio State faces Purdue, UCLA, Rutgers, and Michigan. Three of those four games look like gimmes on paper. Then, there’s Michigan. Day hasn’t beaten Michigan since 2019. The Buckeyes’ Lunatic Fringe nearly drove him out of town after last year’s loss to the Wolverines, but has he learned his lesson? Time will tell.
Ohio State can make the CFP with two losses, but winning out with a Big Ten title would take all of the guesswork out.
This week: at Purdue (2-7, 0-6)
#2 Indiana
Current odds: >99%
Along with Ohio State, Indiana’s route looks smooth. Already with nine wins, the Hoosiers really only need one more win to get into at-large contention at the very least. Of course, for a program without the caché of a blueblood, Indiana needs to keep winning and doing so with style.
This week, Indiana gets to travel to Penn State. While this matchup was expected to be a top-10 affair, the Nittany Lions are still in a free fall. Curt Cignetti’s teams play best with a chip on their shoulder. Indiana knows the narratives. It knows the number two next to its name carries weight. With Ohio State beating Penn State 34-14 last week, Cignetti will try to one-up Day.
Indiana can’t clinch a spot in Indianapolis with a win, but it will get that much closer. After traveling to Penn State, the Hoosiers host a bad Wisconsin team before a bye. Then, a trip to Purdue closes out the year. Indiana is for real. Imagine the chaos if the Hoosiers win the Big Ten over Ohio State and/or take down a big, bad SEC team in the CFP.
This week: at Penn State (3-5, 0-5)
