Iowa Wins Big Ten West; Ohio State Falls to Michigan State

There wasn’t a whole lot of talk about Iowa’s chances of winning the Big Ten football championship, and even less talk about the Hawkeyes getting into the four team College Football Playoff.  Last season, they finished 7-6, losing four of their last five, including a 45-28 loss to Tennessee in something called The TaxSlayer Bowl, and they were not favored to win the Big Ten West this year.

The time has come to entertain such notions.  The Hawkeyes beat Purdue 40-20 on November 21st to improve their record to 11-0 and the win clinched the Big Ten West title.

Iowa plays at Nebraska (5-6) on November 27th, and then it’s on to Indianapolis and the Big Ten Championship game on December 5th.  Though the Cornhuskers upset previously undefeated Michigan State on a controversial late touchdown on November 7th, not much else has gone right for Nebraska this season and will have their hands full against the Hawkeyes.

While a loss at Lincoln won’t keep the Hawkeyes from being Big Ten champs, it would have an effect on Iowa’s chances in the College Football Playoff.  The biggest strike against Iowa is its schedule; while it doesn’t have a bunch of cream puffs, the Hawkeyes have only played two teams ranked in the Top 25 (Wisconsin and Northwestern), so a loss in the regular season finale will hurt a lot.  But if the Hawkeyes keep playing the way they have all season long–especially defensively, where they have allowed just 18.5 points per game– they should roll over the Cornhuskers and will be a formidable opponent against the winner of the Big Ten East.  And if they win the Big Ten championship game and go undefeated, they’ll have to be some explaining to do if they don’t make the College Football Playoff.

Speaking of the Big Ten East, Michigan State made that into an interesting mess by upsetting undefeated Ohio State 17-14 in Columbus.  The Spartans and Buckeyes are both 10-1 and 6-1 in conference play, with Michigan State winning the tie breaker by virtue of having beaten OSU.  If Michigan State beats Penn State (7-4) on November 28th, they win the East.  If Michigan State loses, and Ohio State beats Michigan (9-2, 6-1) on the 28th, then Ohio State wins the East.  And if Michigan State loses, and Michigan beats Ohio State, the Wolverines are in.