It has been wild over at the Big Ten down the stretch, as several teams are aiming for a spot at the conference championship and an automatic spot at the College Football Playoffs. Indiana has already clinched a spot at the conference championship game, but Michigan, Ohio State and Oregon still have to battle it out.
Michigan and Ohio State are playing out their rivalry game on Saturday, while Oregon will be facing Washington. Ohio State basically just needs to win on Saturday, while the other two are not just hoping to win, but also hope for another team to lose.
Big Ten Championship Scenarios
Ohio State Buckeyes
The Buckeyes currently are the No. 1 team in the country. The problem is, they will be traveling to Ann Arbor to face their most bitter rivals, Michigan, in the most hostile environment they could find themselves in this season. This is a must-win game for the Buckeyes, as they could suffer Texas A&M’s face and be booted out of contention for the conference title.
That being said, they have the easiest scenario to get that final Big Ten championship game spot, as all they need to do is beat the Wolverines at Ann Arbor, something easier said than done.
Michigan Wolverines
Should Michigan win at home, however, that would be a completely different story, as the Wolverines have a much better chance to get that final spot, and the keyword here is chance. This is because they do not just need to win, but also hope for the Oregon Ducks to lose to Washington.
In other words, they don’t just need to beat their still-undefeated eternal rivals at home, but also hope that the 8-3 Washington Huskies beat the 10-1 Oregon Ducks. While the Buckeyes control their own fate, Michigan’s fate is in the hands of either Oregon or Washington.
Oregon Ducks
For the Ducks to get that final spot, they do not just have to beat Washington, but they also need Ohio State to lose to Michigan. Should Oregon win and Ohio State lose, they are likely the team to get the tiebreaker as they currently have the “best overall record of conference opponents among tied teams.” Still, their fate also relies on Michigan and Ohio State to get that trip to the finals.
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