Wisconsin Loss Further Shows Why Big Ten Isn't Playoff Worthy

Following an ugly September, the Big Ten hoped that October would be a better month for the league’s flagging College Football Playoff chances.

So far, just the opposite has been true.

For the Big Ten, getting a team in the inaugural College Football Playoff was always going to be difficult. Now, it seems near impossible, unless Nebraska (who is trailing Michigan State at time of publication) makes an undefeated run through the league and the Big Ten title game.

Thursday night, the league’s best marquee defeat (Michigan State’s 46-27 loss at Oregon) took a hit when the No. 2 Ducks were upset at home by unranked Arizona.

And Saturday afternoon, one of the league’s best one-loss teams went down when No. 17 Wisconsin suffered a 20-14 defeat to Northwestern.

While junior tailback Melvin Gordon, one of college football’s top tailbacks, rushed for 259 yards and a score, the Badgers offense looked very one-dimensional.

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

Junior Joel Stave took over for Tanner McEvoy as the starting quarterback this week, but he struggled, completing eight of 19 passes for 114 yards and a touchdown against three interceptions.

McEvoy was no better, completing four of 10 passes for 24 yards with an interception.

Entering Saturday night’s Nebraska-Michigan State game, the No. 19 Cornhuskers were the league’s only remaining unbeaten team, and the No. 10 Spartans were the highest-ranked one-loss team.

Penn State, Rutgers, Iowa and Minnesota all have one loss apiece, but none are considered serious playoff contenders.

The best hopes were Nebraska, Michigan State, No. 17 Ohio State or Wisconsin making a run, and with the Badgers out of the equation, hopes for a College Football Playoff berth become even thinner.

The Buckeyes have a home loss to Virginia Tech, which has since lost at home to East Carolina and Georgia Tech, neither of which are considered world-beaters.

Northwestern lost to Cal and Northern Illinois to open the season but has beaten Penn State and Wisconsin in successive weeks, furthering the narrative that the league isn’t good enough to win against outside competition but beats up on itself.

In all likelihood, the attrition and self-inflicted defeats will pile up over the next two months, further separating the Big Ten from the heart of the playoff conversation.

In most years, talk around the Big Ten would turn to the fight for the league title and a berth in the Rose Bowl, a tradition the league holds near and dear to its heart.

This year, however, the Rose Bowl is hosting one of the two College Football Playoff semifinals, pushing the Big Ten champion to another playoff-affiliated bowl.

For the Big Ten, when it rains, it pours.