Clarity. We have clarity at last.
The Ducks from Oregon are in. The Ohio State Buckeyes are in charge of their own fate. The Nittany Lions of Penn State are still in the running. The Hoosiers of Indiana also say a prayer.
We will find out this week which two of the four teams will compete in the inaugural Big Ten Conference championship game.
First place As the final unbeaten Big Ten team and the final unbeaten major college football team, Oregon has already secured a berth in the championship game going into its regular-season finale versus the Washington Huskies. In its regular-season finale, Ohio State, who defeated Indiana previous weekend, would defeat rival Michigan to secure a rematch versus the Ducks.
However, Penn State and Indiana would have a chance to win a title if the Wolverines defeated the Buckeyes.
To get a date with the Ducks in Indianapolis, the three championship game contenders need to have the following:
Ohio State: The Buckeyes must defeat Michigan OR lose to Indiana and Penn State.
Penn State: The Nittany Lions must defeat the Terrapins AND lose to Ohio State in order to host Maryland this weekend.
Indiana: The Hoosiers need to defeat the Boilermakers AND suffer defeats at Ohio State and Penn State in order to host Purdue this weekend.
Finally, we have clarification after weeks of ambiguity.
Let’s rotate around the Big Ten now:
Coach Dabo Swinney of Clemson mocked the event as an SEC-Big Ten Invitational, even though the new 12-team College Football Playoff field is beginning to take form. Swinney made a swipe at the selection process while stumping for his on-the-bubble Tigers on Saturday on CBS Sports HQ. “We have a tough schedule,” he remarked. Playing the schedule you have is all you can do. It is what it is. The SEC-Big Ten Invitational is essentially what we have. That’s what college football is all about. You simply need to concentrate on what you have.Details are available on CBS Sports.
According to USA Today, Indiana is guaranteed to qualify for the playoffs despite its difficult defeat to Ohio State over the weekend. That view is shared by CBS Sports,which outlined the reasoning, among other notes, in its Week 13 overreactions.
The chaos of Week 13 shows thatthe expanded College Football Playoff is working, writes Sports Illustrated.
At Indiana s iconic bar, there was thethrill of possibility and the agony of realityduring a roller coaster Saturday, writes The Athletic.
Alittle recruiting intel, courtesy of ESPN, with nuggets about high-profile Michigan quarterback commits, Oregon s work to flip, land and retain sought-after prospects and much, much more.
Speaking of the playoffs … projections for the 12-team field continue to pour in from …The Athletic…CBS Sports…ESPN…ESPN s computer…USA Today…Bleacher Report…NCAA.com…Yahoo Sports…Sports Illustrated.
A look at whatwe learned about the College Football Playoff over the weekend,according to The Athletic.
Bill Connelly sWeek 13 recap features plenty of Big Ten flavor, including a favorite game of the week and a look at upcoming rivalry matchups.
Will Howard hasOhio State positioned to reach every goal, writes ESPN.
Mel Kiper s latestNFL Big Board has plenty of Big Ten talentearning first-round buzz, including Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon.
Did someone say NFL draft?ESPN breaks down the first round in its latest mock draft(tease: Harmon is heading to the Chicago Bears at No. 12) andanswers a ton of pressing draft questions.
In itsWeek 14 Report Card, CBS Sports handed out grades for every team boasting national title odds of +4000 or better. Ohio State earned an A+ for its win over Indiana, while Penn State was saddled with a D for its escape against Minnesota.
Pat Fordehands out gradesfor team s first season in a new conference. Unsurprisingly, the Ducks earned an A+ … USC and Washington didn t score so high.
A look atWeek 13 highlights from ESPN, with a goodbye to Cinderellas (Indiana), a Penn State survival and a wild escape by Illinois, among other things.
The rivalry stakes are low for Michigan and coach Sherrone Moore this year versus Ohio State,but the pressure will soon ramp up, writes The Athletic.
The Wisconsin Badgers landed a notable quarterback commit, Carter Smith, over the weekend.ESPN has the details.
USC, on the other hand,lost a four-star linebacker committo Florida.
Speaking of losses, Penn State star offensive tackle Anthony Donkoh and reserve defensive tackle Alonzo Ford Jr.suffered long-term injuries Saturday, according to ESPN.
Ohio State football issearching for revenge it cannot findagainst Michigan, writes Cleveland.com.
Penn State had the ultimate Houdini act over the weekend, leaning on multiple fourth-down conversions and a fake punt to avoid an upset.The Athletic has the details.
USCrediscovered its best selfwhile dazzling in final minutes against UCLA, writes Bill Plaschke.
The Trojans are bowl eligible,but it s still a lost season in Troy, writes the Los Angeles Times. Also from The Times:The Bruins are aiming for resiliencyafter fumbling away a signature victory.
Ablue-chip offensive lineman committed to the Huskiesover the Ducks and Utah, according to The Seattle Times.
Indiana s loss to Ohio Statewas an eye-openerfor a program on the rise, writes the Indy Star.
What does Indiana s massive financial commitment to Curt Cignetti mean about the football program? TheIndy Star takes a look.
–Joe Freemancovers theOregon Ducks. Reach him at 503-294-5183 or@BlazerFreeman. Listen to theDucks Confidentialpodcast or subscribe to theDucks Roundup newsletter.
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