The Wisconsin Badgers (5-4, 3-3 Big Ten) are currently in line to host the No. 1 team in the country in Week 12 on Nov. 16.
That team is the Oregon Ducks (9-0, 6-0 Big Ten). Not only did they remain No. 1 in the AP Poll for the third consecutive week after a decisive win over Michigan, but the team was also the No. 1 seed in the season’s first College Football Playoff rankings release.
Related: Every Big Ten team’s bowl projection following Week 10
Those rankings now reflect the updated 12-team model, with auto-bids for the five highest-ranked conference champions and seven more at-large selections. In that expanded format, seeds 1-4 get first-round byes, while the rest of the field plays first-round games at the campus of the higher-ranked team.
Here is a full look at the first projected bracket, led by Wisconsin’s upcoming opponent:
The first 12-team College Football Playoff bracket is here 👀
🔗https://t.co/HMcuwasSxp pic.twitter.com/uRhmhAvlWA
— USA TODAY Sports (@usatodaysports) November 6, 2024
Oregon is one of four Big Ten teams in the top 12 of the first rankings, joining Ohio State (No. 5 seed), Penn State (No. 7 seed) and Indiana (No. 8 seed).
The Ducks host a struggling Maryland team in Week 11 before traveling to Wisconsin for the Week 12 matchup. The team isn’t expected to have any trouble improving to 10-0 and maintaining its No. 1 ranking — it’s playing the best football of any team in the sport currently, with three recent wins by a combined margin of 85 points.
Wisconsin is idle in Week 11 before hosting the No. 1-ranked Ducks. All likely signs point to a 10-0, No. 1-ranked Oregon team facing the 5-4 Badgers.
Wisconsin has had several AP top-five home matchups in 2024. Week 12 vs. Oregon projects to be the biggest of them all, and should give Wisconsin its first chance at a win over the No. 1 team since it defeated then-No. 1 Ohio State in 2010.
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