Never mind that scary three-way Big Ten divisional tiebreaker scenario. Nebraska may have taken the College Football Playoff committee off the hook when it comes to picking the representative from the Big Ten East in the conference championship game. Instead it looks like that will be determined the old-fashioned way: between Ohio State and Michigan. No, it’s not THE Big Ten championship, but it’s the next-best thing in today’s conference landscape. If the Buckeyes and Wolverines can’t play for a Big Ten championship, then at least they could decide who will. From 1935 (when it was moved to the end of the regular season) to the beginning of divisional play in 2011, The Game determined the Big Ten champion 22 times. In 22 other editions since ’35, the outcome had the potential to have major impact in the standings, such as one team clinching a share of the championship or denying the other a crown. Now it looks like they could be on another collision course after the Cornhuskers upset Michigan State 39-38 on Saturday night with a controversial late touchdown in Lincoln. The Spartans’ setback leaves Ohio State as the only undefeated team in the division, but Michigan State is far from finished. If they win out — which would include a win at Ohio Stadium against the defending Big Ten and national champion Buckeyes on Nov. 21 — the Spartans are headed to Indianapolis as the winners of the East by virtue of head-to-head tiebreakers against OSU and Michigan. …
Continue Reading: Big Ten East notebook: Regular season could be heading toward a familiar conclusion
