How Ohio State could still miss Big Ten Championship Game, even after Penn State win

While Ohio State should celebrate its huge road victory over rival Penn State, there is still so much left to be played for both teams. Ohio State improved to 7-1 (4-1) with a 20-13 win over Penn State, who fell to the same record of 7-1 (4-1). With this win, Ohio State is very much alive to make the College Football Playoff. For Penn State, this loss does make it a touch harder to get to Indianapolis.

Although Ohio State does not own the head-to-head tiebreaker over Penn State, keep in mind that undefeated Oregon owns the head-to-head tiebreaker over them. Worst of all, no matter what happens in East Lansing today between Indiana and Michigan State, a home loss to the Hoosiers would probably knock the Buckeyes out of consideration of getting to Indianapolis almost entirely.

This is because Oregon is projected to go undefeated, Penn State is not expected to lose another game and Indiana would own the head-to-head tiebreaker, as well as handing Ohio State its second loss of the season. That game in a few weeks feels like a Big Ten Championship elimination game, if not even. Ohio State and Indiana both have to play Michigan later this college football season as well.

The Big Ten Championship race is going to be one to watch, no matter who ends up winning it.

How Ohio State can still end up missing the Big Ten Championship Game

The good news for Ohio State is there are really only four teams left in the Big Ten with any serious College Football Playoff aspirations. Those are the ones we have already mentioned in undefeated Indiana, undefeated Oregon, one-loss Ohio State and now one-loss Penn State. The Big Ten is almost certainly going to get at least three of its teams into the field, maybe all four of them in some manner.

To put it as simply as I can, if Indiana wins out, the Hoosiers will go to Indianapolis. The same thing applies to Oregon, as the Ducks are also undefeated. Ohio State would get in if the Buckeyes win out, as that would include a win over Indiana. They are probably not getting in with another loss to anyone. The same applies to Penn State, but the Nittany Lions are going to need help from multiple teams.

Right now, I would Oregon is the most likely Big Ten team to get to Indianapolis, followed by Ohio State, actually. Indiana controls its own destiny, while Penn State is really the only team left in contention for the Big Ten that does not. To be quite frank, I like Penn State's chances to win out far more than I do Indiana's. So with that, I would tab Penn State third most likely and Indiana the least...

This will be clearer once Oregon finishes playing Michigan and Indiana is done with Michigan State.