What is the Big Ten's record in the College Football Playoff? Full conference history

Monday night could be the start of a coronation across major college football. For the first time ever, we could be living in a world were a Big Ten team has won the College Football Playoff in back-to-back seasons. Last year saw Michigan go an undefeated 15-0 in what was Jim Harbaugh's final season leading his alma mater. To pull this Big Ten "repeat" off, Michigan must put its trust in Ryan Day.

That is because the only Big Ten team left in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff happens to be Day's Ohio State Buckeyes, a team that still has not beaten Michigan since COVID. However, the Buckeyes are 13-2 on the season with three playoff wins under their belt so far. They beat Tennessee at home, Oregon in the Rose Bowl and then Texas in the Cotton Bowl to face Notre Dame in Atlanta.

The College Football Playoff expanding from four to 12 teams in its 11th season has re-opened a can of worms in college football, especially when it comes to the Big Ten's status among the Power Two. It is no longer a Power Five, but a Power Four, but really just a Power Two featuring the Big Ten and the SEC. This season, the Big Ten beat the SEC with four teams to three when it came to making the CFP.

Now that we only have one playoff game left to be played this year, what is the Big Ten's CFP record?

Big Ten College Football Playoff history: Wins, losses, appearances

To date, six Big Ten programs have sent a team to the playoff. That would be Ohio State, who has made it in six times, Michigan, who qualified the three previous seasons, and Michigan State, who got in once way back in 2015, Indiana, who made its playoff debut this season, as did Penn State, and Oregon, who made its first trip to the playoff in over a decade, the first time since switching leagues.

Here is how every Big Ten football program has fared so far in the College Football Playoff to date.

• Ohio State Buckeyes: 6-4 (Wins: 2014 Sugar Bowl, 2014 National Championship, 2020 Sugar Bowl, 2024 First-Round, 2025 Rose Bowl, 2025 Cotton Bowl. Losses: 2016 Fiesta Bowl, 2019 Fiesta Bowl, 2020 National Championship, 2022 Peach Bowl)
• Michigan State Spartans: 0-1 (Loss: 2015 Cotton Bowl)
• Michigan Wolverines: 2-2 (Win: 2023 Rose Bowl, 2023 National Championship. Losses: 2021 Orange Bowl, 2022 Fiesta Bowl)
• Indiana Hoosiers: 0-1 (Loss: 2024 First-Round)
• Oregon Ducks: 0-1 (Loss: 2025 Rose Bowl)
• Penn State Nittany Lions: 2-1 (Wins: 2024 First-Round, 2024 Fiesta Bowl. Loss: 2025 Orange Bowl)

Overall, Ohio State has made it in the most (six), won the most games (six), is tied for the most national titles (one) and suffered the most losses (four). Michigan State, Indiana and Oregon only have blowout losses on their resume in the Big Ten. Michigan lost its first two playoff games before winning it all last season. Penn State won its first two playoff games this year before falling to Notre Dame.

Overall, the Big Ten seems to have benefitted the most from playoff expansion of any league. It has the prestige of the SEC, but not necessarily the tougher conference top to bottom. By picking up four former Pac-12 schools in Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington, they are gaining several traditional powers, as well as two programs who made the playoff during its first 10 years as Pac-12 programs.

Ultimately, the Big Ten is in an advantageous position to see its playoff record improve, or grow at the very least. Through last season, only three Big Ten teams ever made it in, going a combined 5-7 between Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State. Now that Ohio State and Penn State went on deep runs with Indiana and Oregon also making it, the Big Ten's playoff record is now a combined 10-10!

Only Ohio State can improve or worsen that mark depending on how they perform vs. Notre Dame.