By Marc LAWRENCE, PlaybookSports.com — The Big Ten nearly took the weekend off, concocting a nonconference slate consisting of 11 buy games and three matchups with commensurate competition (Colorado-Northwestern, Virginia Tech–Maryland and Michigan State–Notre Dame).
The league won all the games it was supposed to while going 1–2 in the other ones.
This reinforced the fact that five Big Ten teams aren’t playing power-conference opponents or Notre Dame in nonleague play: Indiana, USC, Penn State, Nebraska and Washington.
That limits the number of chances for marquee nonconference wins by the Big Ten. Thus far that number is basically one: Michigan over Oklahoma. Those same Wolverines did as much to hold themselves back with their controversial, miracle win over Western Michigan as they did to advance their cause—or the Big Ten’s cause—by beating the Sooners.
As noted below, there isn’t much reason to rank multiple Big Ten teams in the current playoff bracket (per SI.com). Take a look…
Seeding
- Mississippi (3–0)
- Texas (3–0)
- Ohio State (2–1)
- LSU (2–1)
- Miami (3–0)
- Notre Dame (3–0)
- Georgia (3–0)
- Alabama (3–0)
- Mississippi State (3–0)
- Louisville (2–1)
- BYU (3–0)
- Tulsa (3–0)
Lo and behold. What do we find?
No less then 6 SEC squads, and just one Big Ten team.
The numbers speak for themselves.
