Whether Ohio State, Michigan, or Michigan State plays the Hawkeyes, an undefeated Iowa team in the conference title game is the best thing for the Big Ten.
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I don’t like Florida’s chances of getting there, but it’s hard to deny that they would jump people by closing with wins over both Florida State and Alabama, thus taking Alabama’s slot in the current top 4.
The selection committee will prepare two more rankings, including the final set on Selection Day (Dec. 6). In other action, #7 Notre Dame takes on #9 Stanford. Championships have been won and lost in this game… that was then, this is now. You can be sure Coach Dabo Swinney has been working on his celebration dance for the conference title game.
Alabama: The Crimson Tide might have the nation’s top defense. Is “a win a win” or do style points matter? In the last rankings, when Baylor’s and TCU’s schedule were nearly identical, the committee finally honored the head-to-head result and placed Baylor ahead of TCU. Enjoy them anyway. The winners: Michigan, Iowa, Michigan State, UCLA. No team has had more dramatic finishes this year than the Huskers, so maybe they have one more left in them. The Sooners will play at Oklahoma State on Saturday with a chance to win the Big 12.
Just two short years ago, teams like Alabama, Florida State, Ohio State and Baylor were fighting for a spot in the BCS National Championship.
The Irish might be able to get some help from their rivals.
The Sooners (10-1) seem to be in solid shape with only one game to play. If the Spartans lose, the victor of the Ohio State and MI game will vie for the Big Ten title.
This leaves 6 teams (provided a Cowboy win and a Baylor loss) between Oklahoma State and a postseason berth. They can end up as Big 12 champions or co-champions, but it might not be enough to gain the favour of those 12 making the decisions about the Final Four.
However, you have to admit that even if there’s a one-in-a-million shot at a playoff made up of Oklahoma State, North Carolina, Iowa and Florida, that’s all we on Team Chaos need.
#10 Michigan: Root for Ohio State this weekend. Losses by those teams would assure the ascent, however.
Path to the Playoff: Beat No. 9 Stanford tonight and have Oklahoma lose to Oklahoma State. But it needs a lot more help.
BEST OF REST: CFL: Grey Cup, Ottawa Redblacks vs. Edmonton Eskimos (3:30 p.m., ESPN2 (31)); NFL: Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs (10 a.m., CBS (8)), New York Giants at Washington Redskins (10 a.m., Fox (5)), Pittsburgh Steelers at Seattle Seahawks (1:25 p.m., CBS (8)).
After losing last week to Michigan State, and Meyer’s star running back, Ezekiel Elliott called out the coaching staff for not having the team prepared in a 17-14 loss, the worst thing that could happen to the Buckeyes would be two losses in the row.
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The Big 12 will need to have an outright champion this time around, lest history repeat itself. This game in particular will be worth tuning into as they attempt to earn a signature win at Gainesville. At minimum, four of those teams will take a loss, although in Clemson and Iowa’s case, a loss still keeps them as a one loss team. The fact that Florida still has just one loss this year is testament to the job that Jim McElwain has done. Well a few weeks later the Sooners have jumped all the way up to #3 – improving 4 spots this week alone – thanks to wins over Baylor and TCU. Neither is Wisconsin, which Bama beat in the season opener.
