The college football season is down to the final weekend of the regular season, which means teams are still positioning themselves for spots in their conference championship games.
The Big Ten currently boasts the top two teams in the nation, and while both have straightforward paths to the conference title game, things get a bit murky after that. Here’s a look at all the Big Ten championship game scenarios heading into Week 14.
Who are the top contenders for the Big Ten championship game?
There are currently still four team alive for the berth in the Big Ten title game.
Ohio State is currently 8-0 in conference. The Buckeyes are the No. 1 team in the nation. They will travel to Ann Arbor to face No. 18 Michigan on Saturday.
Indiana is also 8-0 in the Big Ten. The Hoosiers are 11-0 and ranked No. 2 in the country. They will travel to face Purdue in Friday night’s regular-season finale.
Oregon is 7-1 in conference, having suffered its only defeat at home to Indiana on October 11. The Ducks are 10-1 overall and currently ranked No. 7. They will travel to Seattle to battle Washington on Saturday.
Michigan is also 7-1 in conference, with its only defeat coming in a 31-13 drubbing at the hands of USC. The Wolverines are 9-2 overall and ranked No. 18 in the country. They will host Ohio State on Saturday.
Big Ten standings entering Week 14
Here is a look at the updated Big Ten standings heading into the final week of the regular season.
Big Ten championship game matchup if season ended today
If the season ended today, Ohio State would face Indiana in the Big Ten title game. It would be a matchup between the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the country. Both squads are undefeated in conference and overall, and as the only two undefeated Big Ten teams, there would be no need for any tiebreakers.
How Week 14 will affect Big Ten championship game scenarios
The results of Week 14 will directly impact who reaches the Big Ten title game, as no team has clinched yet.
Ohio State travels to face Michigan, while the Buckeyes can reach the conference championship game if they lose, it will become a whole lot more difficult to do so.
Similarly, Indiana can still reach the conference title game if it loses to Purdue on Friday, but things would get a whole lot more dicey.
Michigan and Oregon both need to win their games to make the championship game. The Wolverines have the tall task of attempting to take down the No. 1-ranked Buckeyes, while the Ducks need to beat Washington and get some help.
Clinching scenarios for each Big Ten team to make it to the conference championship
Ohio State reaches the Big Ten title game if:
- The Buckeyes beat Michigan OR
- Purdue beats Indiana AND Washington beats Oregon
Indiana reaches the Big Ten title game if:
- The Hoosiers Beat Purdue OR
- Ohio State beats Michigan
Oregon reaches the Big Ten title game if:
- The Ducks beat Washington AND Michigan defeats Ohio State
- The Wolverines beat Ohio State AND Washington beats Oregon OR
- The Wolverines beat Ohio State AND Purdue beats Indiana
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Big Ten Championship Game Scenarios Entering Week 14: Breaking Down Every Possibility.
