There’s no rest when it comes to the College Football Playoffs, especially with 12 teams now getting the chance to play for it all.
Sure there are obvious choices to fill openings (Georgia, Ohio State, Texas), and at least one spot will go to a team outside of the power conferences, the Group of Five, which limits the number of spots remaining.
Which teams made the cut, and how many of them are from the Big Ten?
No. 2 – Ohio State Buckeyes
The Buckeyes deserve to be no worse than top three heading into Week 3. A home matchup against the Marshall Thundering Herd is unlikely to change OSU’s spot in the CFP rankings.
Ohio State has to win at least their next four games before taking a loss – Georgia and Texas square off in five weeks – to at least hope to sit atop the CFP ranks for one week.
No. 9 – USC Trojans
The talent drop-off between the Buckeyes and Trojans is reflected in the ranking predictions. There is also more to learn about L.A.’s finest to feel as if the playoffs make sense for them.
Travel is going to cause chaos for the west coast Big Ten teams, as only Hawai’i is logging more travel miles than both UCLA and USC.
No. 10 – Oregon Ducks
The Ducks are the last 2-0 team in this iteration of projections, and that may be a gift. Their two wins were nearly losses, and the next four games aren’t ideal: at Oregon State, at UCLA, and home against Michigan State and Ohio State.
Does the College Football Playoffs need more Big Ten teams? Should Oregon be in this week, let alone if they struggle to win Week 3?