Big Ten College Football Playoff bubble watch, Week 10: Dan Lanning's Oregon stands strong with its undefeated streak
The Big Ten's College Football Playoff situation is actually fairly simple. There are four Big Ten teams with realistic shots at the CFP. At least three will probably be in. But here's the in-depth rundown on the Big Ten's Playoff candidates and how their Playoff situation will evolve.
Big Ten College Football Playoff watch for Week 10
In the Playoff
Oregon
The Ducks are 8-0 and are one of three Big Ten teams yet to lose a conference game. They've also got a relatively light schedule over the final month of the regular season. Oregon has to go to Michigan and Wisconsin, and it'll face Maryland and Washington at home. The road games could be a challenge but probably won't be.
The one odd thing is that all three undefeated Big Ten teams won't play each other. The league could end up with three undefeated teams in league play. That would obviously create a solid case for those three teams to all be in the CFP. But Oregon is one of the teams in the most secure standing.
Penn State
The Nittany Lions are the other team that's probably all but guaranteed to make the CFP. Penn State is No. 3 in the nation and its 7-0 start is impressive. Their biggest game left is doubtlessly this week's clash with Ohio State. The winner of that one will all but wrap up a CFP spot, while the loser may settle back into the pack of contenders.
If PSU can survive Ohio State (and it's a home game for the Nittany Lions), their toughest remaining game would probably be at Minnesota. Again, no matchups with Oregon or Indiana await. PSU's Playoff situation is probably solid barring almost whatever could happen.
Teams with a good chance at CFP
Ohio State
Ohio State is here as the odd man out, a team already with one loss (to Oregon) on its dance card. The Buckeyes, as noted above, have to survive Penn State to enter into this conversation. Would a second loss knock out OSU? Very possibly, because an OSU team with two conference losses is almost definitely left out of the field.
But if the Buckeyes can take care of Penn State, they will basically switch spots with PSU in the playoff pecking order. OSU needs two of the unbeatens to lose to allow it to make the Big Ten title game. After PSU, Ohio State will play Indiana on November 23, so the Buckeyes can be masters of their own fate.
Indiana
The Hoosiers are the Big Ten's feel-good story and at 8-0, ESPN has rendered them as having a 68.4% chance at a CFP berth. IU has yet to play the Michigan schools or Ohio State, but the Spartans and Wolverines aren't very imposing.
At No. 13, Indiana is perhaps still perceived as a bit less deserving of the playoff than the most experienced programs out there. But even with a loss (like Ohio State), IU would still have a thriving postseason opportunity.
Teams Still Seeking
Of the remaining teams, only Illinois has a greater than 0.2% chance at a CFP berth. The Illini don't have any tough opponents yet to come, with Minnesota, Michigan State, and road trips to Rutgers and Northwestern still ahead. A 10-2 season would certainly be something to talk about, even if the team came up a bit short.
Other pretenders are Wisconsin (0.2% chance of CFP), Michigan (0.1%) and Iowa (also 0.1%). They all have 3-2 records in league play, so chaos is really their only chance.
What do you think of the Big Ten's CFP situation? Share your thoughts below in our comments section!