Can't Wait For Saturday Big Ten set up for a banner Sunday when CFP field announced
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Dec. 3—***
Let me start with the not-so-good news for the Big Ten: It can't get a fourth bid to the College Football Playoff. Ohio State and Oregon took care of that with convincing wins against Michigan and Southern California, respectively.
The better news for Tony Petitti's league: It has a chance to enter the tournament with three guaranteed spots in the quarterfinals.
The winner of Saturday night's massive Ohio State-Indiana showdown for the Big Ten title will be the No. 1 seed in the CFP. It is a done deal.
The better question is what happens to the loser of that game? If the game is close, and evidence from the season shows us it will be, then the runner-up figures to stay in the top four of the final CFP standings, which means a first-round bye and an automatic spot in the quarterfinals.
Based on the CFP standings released Tuesday night, the Big Ten's third-place team Oregon has a solid chance to earn the league's third bye. It seems that all it will take is a loss by either Texas Tech or Georgia in the Big Ten and SEC title games.
That would leave Oregon, which has completed its regular season at 11-1, competing with 11-1 Mississippi and Texas A&M for the final bye.
If the committee goes with Aggies or Rebels, it wold drop the Ducks ti the No. 5 seed with a first-round game at home against the No. 12. I'd like Oregon's chances hosting at Autzen Stadium.
The Big Ten added a team to the CFP standings Tuesday, albeit not the one that plays at First and Kirby. Instead, Iowa is No. 23 going into its bowl.
The goofy scenario still exists that might keep the ACC out of the playoffs. The five highest-rated league earn automatic bids. If unranked 7-5 Duke upsets Virginia, then the ACC winner could finish behind the American and Sun Belt winners.
Miami is the wild card. Right now, the Hurricanes are outside the bracket, but the committee might be tempted to rank Miami ahead of Notre Dame because it beat the Irish earlier in the season. Stay tuned.
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