COLUMBUS, OHIO (WKZO-AM) — The showdown between #3 Michigan and #2 Ohio State lived up to the hype and broke a lot of hearts in Michigan and will leave the brain trust behind the College Football Playoff poll with some tough and controversial decisions to make.
The Big Ten may have just been too good for its own good this year, leaving some of the top teams in the country with enough losses, like Michigan, to leave them out of the playoff picture.
The two teams in “The Game” were so closely matched that they went into overtime with the Buckeyes outlasting the Wolverines to win it 30 to 27 after a controversial ruling in the second overtime that favored Ohio State and had Jim Harbaugh fuming about the officiating during the post-game news conference.
This is where it gets complicated.
The loss by Michigan and the win by Penn State over Michigan State will mean that neither Ohio nor Michigan will play in the Big Ten Championship.
Because Penn State, Michigan and Ohio State all finished 8 and 1 in conference play, and because Penn State was the one team that beat the Buckeyes who in turn beat the Wolverines…that means the Nittany Lions wins the tie-breaker, and will square off against Big Ten West Champs Wisconsin in Indianapolis for the Conference title.
Never mind that Michigan crushed Penn State when they met earlier in the season 49 to 10, and only lost to Ohio State by a whisker.
Strength of opposition does not play a role in how they figure the conference rankings, but it is factored into who gets into the playoffs, further complicating the issue.
We will see how the playoff rankings look after they are released Tuesday evening.
Upset losses by several teams ranked just ahead of Western Michigan University, particularly Boise State and Houston gives the Broncos a clear path to the Cotton Bowl if they can win the MAC Championship Friday. Strength of schedule will keep them out of consideration for the national championship, even if they are undefeated after next weekend.
They may move up from 21st in the Playoff rankings, but not close enough for a shot at the title.
