When Michigan State beat Oregon and solidified itself as a College Football Playoff contender for the 2015 season on Saturday, it set the Spartans on a collision course for another one of the biggest college football games of the year later this season. After all, the past two matchups between Michigan State and Ohio State have not only determined the Big Ten champion in each of the past two seasons for all intents and purposes, but they have had national championship implications as well. With manageable schedules ahead for both the Spartans and Buckeyes before their Nov. 21 showdown, this year’s Big Ten battle between the conference’s top two programs doesn’t figure to be any different. When Ohio State (ranked No. 1 in the nation) and Michigan State (ranked fourth following its win over Oregon) meet in Columbus later this year, a spot in the College Football Playoff could very well be on the line. And perhaps not just for the winner of the game. With only one year of the College Football Playoff in the books, only so many precedents have been established when it comes to determining who will partake in the new postseason format. One that’s yet to be determined is how leagues with two legitimate playoff contenders will be handled, especially in a conference that determines an outright champion like the Big Ten. Joe Robbins/Getty Images Last season was somewhat of a perfect storm for the College Football Playoff, with its four participants—Alabama, Oregon, Florida State and Ohio State—all hailing from separate conferences. The only Power Five league to be left out of the inaugural four-team tournament was the Big 12, which saw TCU and Baylor each left on the outside looking in. With only 10 teams and no conference title game to determine an outright league champion, the Big 12 presented the Horned Frogs and Bears to the playoff committee as co-champions, a tactic that wound up hurting both teams’ playoff candidacies…
Continue Reading: Can the Big Ten Get 2 Teams in the College Football Playoff?
