I’ll implore The Fringe to look away now. The College Football Playoff might not feature Ohio State for the first time since the addition of eight more teams to the playoff format. The Buckeyes lost to No. 23 Oregon on Saturday and it not only blew open the Big Ten title game race, it also took the Buckeyes from being a bubble team and first team out, to no longer in contention. While Ohio State struggled against Oregon, UCLA steamrolled Minnesota in the early window to remain undefeated. Here’s what the updated Big Ten rankings look like after a wild Week 10.
Big Ten power rankings after chaotic start to Week 10
- Indiana Hoosiers
- UCLA Bruins
- USC Trojans
- Oregon Ducks
- Ohio State Buckeyes
- Illinois Fighting Illini
- Iowa Hawkeyes
- Northwestern Wildcats
- Wisconsin Badgers
- Minnesota Gophers
- Washington Huskies
- Michigan Wolverines
- Purdue Boilermakers
- Nebraska Cornhuskers
- Penn State Nittany Lions
- Rutgers Scarlet Knights
- Maryland Terrapins
- Michigan State Spartans
Ohio State’s season hits new loss with loss Oregon
Unfortunately, this was the fate of Ohio State’s season when they lost Julian Sayin indefinitely after injuring his throwing arm against Indiana. Luke Fahey was put in an impossible situation and now the Buckeyes are preparing for next season. Sure, there are still three games left as well as The Game, but at the end of the day, the goal is playing for a championship and Ohio State won’t get to do that this season.
The College Football Playoff selection committee left the door open for Ohio State to still get in, ranking them No. 12 as the first team out. That’s now a pipe dream as they don’t have the remaining strength of schedule to be one of the potential three-loss teams to get in. It’s not completely impossible, but Ohio State needed a win and losing to Oregon essentially puts them at a disadvantage as head-to-head will certainly come into play if they become a bubble team.
UCLA further’s gap in race to Big Ten title game
You have to start giving UCLA some credit. They are passing every test in front of them and the most recent one, a 34-20 decision over Minnesota. That win doesn’t just prove the Bruins are legit this year; it extends their cushion in the Big Ten race to the title game. They’re the only team with an undefeated conference record and with Ohio State’s loss, the Hoosiers are the lone one-loss team in the conference. Bob Chesney continues to show why the Bruins are legit this year and is showing every program how to turn things around in a year.
With UCLA’s win, it also gives them more margin for error if they happen to slip up or even lose to USC. The Big Ten race is wide open, but one thing’s for sure, if UCLA continues to play the way it is, it will not only secure its spot in Indianapolis, but prove to be the team to beat in the title game and even in the College Football Playoff.
Oregon gains massive advantage in Big Ten championship game contention
So you’re saying there’s a chance? Oregon can actually land in the Big Ten title game? They can indeed. The Ducks have a muddied path to get back to Indianapolis, but it’s not impossible after stunning Ohio State in Columbus. This is the toughest remaining game for Oregon. They don’t have a team with a winning conference record left on their schedule. This also means the pressure is up on them to finish the season unscathed.
The Ducks have to beat Michigan, Michigan State and Washington to even have a chance and they’ll need some help around the rest of the conference. They need USC to beat Indiana next week, UCLA to win out and a loss from Iowa down the stretch to sneak into the title game. It’s a long shot, but there’s a path. If Dylan Raiola and Oregon play like this the rest of the way, they could very well turn into a CFP dark horse.
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