The Big Ten's Position as College Football Playoff Powerhouse
Once a New Year's Day pinata, the conference that was too slow, too boring and too far behind in recruiting to compete on a national scale finds itself resting comfortably in the College Football Playoff throne—still sporting its national championship crown.
This new playoff life has been good to the Big Ten. Very good. The confetti from Ohio State's national championship run earlier this year has long been tucked away, but the memories are fresh. And if just the right amount of chaos comes calling in the upcoming days, this unexpected presence could reach a fascinating—and for some, frustrating—new threshold.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
That much is clear while looking at the College Football Playoff selection committee's latest Top 25. Although other conferences currently have a stranglehold on the top three spots, the Big Ten owns the next three: No. 4 Iowa, No. 5 Michigan State and No. 6 Ohio State are sitting neatly in a row.
Regardless of what happens, one Big Ten team is in. That's the floor. The winner of the Big Ten Championship Game, either the Hawkeyes or the Spartans, will punch a playoff ticket. For all intents and purposes, this is a quarterfinal.
The possibilities, however, don't stop there. If either (or both) Clemson or Alabama falter Saturday, Ohio State could be in prime position—even without another impression to make or a conference championship to win—to gobble up another playoff spot.
That all-Big Ten National Championship is hovering off in the distance. You might not be able to see it yet, but it's there. Wave back.
Now, despite its lingering presence, this scenario is incredibly unlikely. For starters, Clemson or Alabama still need to lose. Nick Saban's team is a substantial favorite against Florida in the SEC Championship Game; an upset seems doubtful. The Tigers' game against North Carolina for the ACC championship feels a bit more feasible. Still, they aren't the current No. 1 by accident.
Regardless, either loss could spring another Big Ten team. At the very least, Ohio State—fresh off a dominating final impression against Michigan—has put itself in position to be an alternate.
Yes, this theory has holes. If Clemson lost, the Tigers could still end up in the committee's final four. And what about a Stanford win over USC in the Pac-12 Championship Game? And then there's North Carolina—a team that will be addressed momentarily.
As of now, the Buckeyes would still likely get the nod. That could change rather quickly, of course. For further poof, Ohio State can ask Ohio State from last year how much can change in a week.
But this bit of chaos—one of the only remaining possibilities of madness left—is there. It will take a great deal of help for it to be realized, and it will likely be greeted with outrage, but don't lose sight of the possibility.
The Big Ten seems hell-bent on turning this whole playoff-dominance routine.
As for other observations from the most recent Tuesday reveal, let's dive right in.
Does North Carolina Have a Shot?
For weeks, I have asked this very question. Now it's time for its potential (or lack of) to be realized.
North Carolina has continued its slow climb up the Top 25. Heading into its final game against No. 1 Clemson, the Tar Heels, having won 11 consecutive games, are still just No. 10.
That's a problem. I refuse to say North Carolina has absolutely no shot. We've done this before, and it does not end well. Trying to handicap how a room full of human beings will react in the moment is difficult.
If the Tar Heels somehow manhandle the nation's top team, perhaps that will be enough for them to drive into the Top Four. But at this point, that's hard to envision. Even a North Carolina victory seems like it wouldn't do the trick.
"It's clearly in Ohio State's favor on strength of schedule," selection committee chairman Jeff Long said on ESPN after the rankings were revealed.
That's not an ideal position to be in heading into this final weekend. And while the Tar Heels have the luxury of making one last impression, a loss to South Carolina, coupled with two FCS opponents early on, has really hindered this team.
Never say never. Not anymore. But North Carolina has to somehow cruise up the rankings like it hasn't yet—past a handful of teams that have finished playing, past Stanford, a potential conference champion, and past Ohio State.
Oh, and it has to beat Clemson, too.
Thanks to Oklahoma, the Big 12 Is Now a Glorious Couch Playoff Team
What should the Sooners eat Saturday? Should they order wings? Maybe pizza? Pie-cut, of course. Always pie-cut.
These are the pressing questions Oklahoma faces with its regular season complete. The selection committee's No. 3 team stayed there this week after clobbering Oklahoma State 58-23 in its finale, winning the Big 12 championship in the process.
Although much was made last year about the lack of a conference championship game, this void won't be an issue this year. In fact, it's a luxury. Not playing anymore is just fine for a team that has battled injuries these past two weeks.
Only one question remains, beyond the food: Where to?
Oklahoma, even with a loss to Texas, is in. In fact, Long revealed that there still might be some room for it to climb. The Big 12 championship, via Fox Sports' Stewart Mandel, hasn't even been tallied yet:
"Long: Committee knows that OU is the Big 12 champion but does not apply that until the final rankings.
— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) December 2, 2015"
This is a critical nugget as it pertains to the future for this team and a few others. Oh, the Sooners were moving on regardless. But they might not be done. Is it possible they jump up one spot? Could they end up as the No. 1 seed?
That seems like a perfect transition to the next point. Crafting a top four is no longer the sole bit of playoff intrigue.
It's Time to Talk About Seeding
We can do this now and not sound totally insane. Although handicapping potential playoff matchups back in October was probably not a promising exercise, things are different now. The master reveal is just days away.
If it ended today—and, of course, it does not—No. 1 Clemson would play No. 4 Iowa in the Orange Bowl on one side of the mini-bracket. On the other side, No. 2 Alabama would play No. 3 Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl.
It seems likely that some movement will occur by the time the playoff is made final Sunday morning. Beyond the obvious possibility of one of the three active teams moving out, the strength of a particular conference championship over another could also factor in.
Would an Iowa win over Michigan State give the Hawkeyes an unexpected bump as an undefeated team? On the other side, how would the committee treat a Spartans victory?
Is undefeated Clemson a lock for the top spot with a win? How would a dominant Alabama performance against a fading team be greeted? What about a team off the pace—say Ohio State, Stanford or UNC—that somehow cracks the Top Four at the very end? And then there's Oklahoma again—the biggest wild card of them all.
If you're looking for a little conspiracy theory to sprinkle into your nice, tidy playoff picture, consider the following: The best possible national championship game from a business and eyeball perspective would be Alabama vs. Oklahoma.
Ohio State could have something to say about that, although the possibility doesn't exist. Yet.
That's no knock on Clemson, Iowa or any other team that has made it this far. All are quality teams and—as of now—deserving of a playoff spot. Most of us will watch intently regardless.
But the general public might feel differently. And this football concoction's business side will be put into motion come Sunday. A succulent championship certainly wouldn't hurt.
Prepare your outrage accordingly.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
