Fansided

Rose Bowl might pass on Big Ten Championship loser for Ohio State

ByCharles Rahrig V|
Nov 28, 2015; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer walks off the field after the game against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium. Ohio State won 42-13. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 28, 2015; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer walks off the field after the game against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium. Ohio State won 42-13. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

The Rose Bowl might take Ohio State instead of the Big Ten Championship loser.

With conference championships this weekend, things in college football are about to get very interesting. One of the biggest games of the weekend will be when Iowa takes on Michigan State for the Big Ten Championship. The winner of the game will likely move onto the final spot of the College Football Playoff.

It was long thought that the loser of the game would go on to play in the Rose Bowl against the winner of the PAC 12 conference, which will either be Stanford or USC. Not so fast on that one. It appears that should the Hawkeyes or Spartans lose in the Big Ten Championship, neither school should pack their bags for Pasadena just yet.

According to ESPN, the Rose Bowl isn’t obligated to take the loser of the game and could very well pass on the loser, if Ohio State leap frogs them in the final standings.

"If No. 6 Ohio State is ranked above the loser, it makes it very easy for the Rose Bowl to select the Buckeyes, but if Iowa loses the Big Ten championship game, this scenario allows for the Buckeyes to potentially leapfrog the Hawkeyes for a coveted spot in the Rose Bowl on College Football Playoff Selection Day (ESPN, Sunday at noon ET).Should Michigan State lose, it would be unlikely that the Spartans remain the next-highest-ranked Big Ten team, because they would have two losses and Ohio State would still be 11-1. The bigger debate would be between Ohio State and Iowa."

So if Michigan State beats Iowa on Saturday, it’s going to be interesting to see just how far the Hawkeyes drop. The real debate will be whether or not they or the Buckeyes deserve to go to Pasadena. It’s easy to see the allure of bringing Ohio State to town. The game will be one that has all the hype and is off the charts.

Bringing Iowa would create for a high-profile game as well, but they aren’t the defending champs. So the best course of action for the least amount of controversy, would be for Iowa to take care of their business against Michigan State, who with two losses, would be out of the discussion.

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