1. Wisconsin Badgers (63 wins)
The program keeps pushing that rock up the mountain only to have Ohio State continually crush its hopes of making it to the top.
Wisconsin has the formula. Great defense, amazing running game, efficient passing, no panic coaching, recruit-to-a-type talent, and just enough good wins to be the best Power Five program in college football over the last six years – by far – to not make it to the College Football Playoff.
0-5 against Ohio State since 2014, and 0-for-4 in the Big Ten Championship in the College Football Playoff era – there’s a loss to Penn State in there in 2016 to go along with losses to the Buckeyes – Bucky just can’t get find its way in.
It would’ve been a lock in 2017 had it been able to close out a final drive against the Buckeyes to go 12-0.
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It would’ve had an interesting argument last year had it pushed past a juggernaut OSU team – after blowing out Minnesota the week before – to be in over Oklahoma – and it’s been able to prove time and again that it belongs up there with everyone outside of the elite of the elite in terms or production and respect.
But as the man said, coffee is for closers.
It won five straight bowl games – including and Orange and a Cotton – before gagging away the Rose Bowl to Oregon, but don’t use what happened in Pasadena as a guideline.
With the bruising style, the toughness on the lines, and the overall way this program plays for 60 minutes, it might have the right formula to actually do some damage against the teams loaded with Johnny Five-Stars if it can finally get into this whole playoff thing.
And if it can get by Ohio State.
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