At some point, the top of the College Football Playoff picture won’t be in flux at the level it has been. Until then, the Big Ten will be battling it out with the SEC for the claim of best conference in the nation.
That said, this week’s College Football Playoff projections done by Erick Smith, Paul Myerberg, and ESPN show the revolving door of the top 12 as expected once the bracket is released December 8, 2024.
There was some shuffling amongst the teams in Myerberg’s CFP projections, including the removal of the Alabama Crimson Tide despite squeaking out a 27-25 win against the South Carolina Gamecocks.
Kansas State also moves out of the top four spots guaranteed for the big four conference winners. Replacing the Wildcats is the Iowa State Cyclones.
ESPN also has the Cyclones representing the Big 12. The Wildcats should not hold a spot in the College Football Playoff according to the sports network.
How did Week 7’s action transform this week’s projections for the Big Ten?
Buckeyes, Ducks split Big Ten berth
Two projections, two top seeds for the Big Ten. Myerberg believes that the Ohio State Buckeyes should still be in the No. 2 seed despite losing to the Oregon Ducks.
Those same Ducks are 6th in Myerberg’s projections, below the top non-conference seeded Georgia Bulldogs.
ESPN was much closer to the larger audience’s expectations. Oregon swapped spots with OSU, going from 6th to 2nd.
Myerberg still believes Ohio State makes it to the National Championship game. That’s more than fair.
Penn State moved up one spot from No. 8 to No. 7 after their come-from-behind win at USC this past weekend.
Iowa has a chance
Despite having two losses, Myerberg believes that the Iowa Hawkeyes could find a way into the playoffs as long as they run the table. Their remaining schedule is at Michigan State, home against Northwestern and Wisconsin, on the road at UCLA and Maryland, and home to close out the regular season against Nebraska.
Big Ten bowl projections at a glance
Below is the latest bowl game projections from Erick Smith.
- Duke’s Mayo – Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Louisville Cardinals
- First Responder – Washington Huskies vs. West Virginia Mountaineers
- Citrus – Indiana Hoosiers vs. Alabama Crimson Tide
- ReliaQuest – Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Ole Miss Rebels
- Music City – Michigan Wolverines vs. Tennessee Volunteers
- Pinstripe – Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. Syracuse Orange
- Las Vegas – USC Trojans vs. Missouri Tigers
- Guaranteed Rate – Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs. Cincinnati Bearcats
- GameAbove Sports – Wisconsin Badgers vs. Buffalo Bulls
12 teams are projected to make a bowl game out of the Big Ten. That has been the threshold the past few weeks in projections.
All of these matchups have some level of entertainment, but seeing the Hoosiers and Crimson Tide as a potential matchup is intriguing. Could Indiana slow down the Alabama offense while keeping pace with the ball?
There’s time before anything is set, but these projections remain a fun exercise.