B1G bowl projections after Week 9: Buckeyes or Spartans for CFP?

Michigan State has planted itself front and center of the College Football Playoff debate.

After the Spartans came back from 16 points down to topple rival Michigan and remain undefeated on Saturday, the battle for first in the Big Ten East Division remained hot.

That’s because Ohio State, unbeaten in the B1G and with only one nonconference loss, hung on against Penn State to stay tied atop the East with MSU.

So with the first CFP rankings being released Tuesday, who is going to be the top-ranked team in the B1G? Ohio State or Michigan State? Spartans or Buckeyes?

Those two teams won’t meet until Nov. 20 and they both have a couple of hurdles to clear before then. But for now we still have OSU projected into the CFP with Michigan State now projected for the Rose Bowl (even if the CFP committee puts the Spartans ahead on Tuesday, and it might). We also think the Wolverines, even after their loss, will make a New Year’s Day 6 bowl.

But Iowa’s NYD6 dream took a huge hit in its loss to Wisconsin, a result that further jumbled a chaotic West race.

Also, Minnesota, the new leader in the West, earned its 6th victory to clinch bowl eligibility. Ohio State, Michigan State, Michigan and Iowa went into the weekend already bowl eligible. Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin and Maryland each need one more win to clinch a postseason spot.

As always, these projections reflect where we predict these teams will wind up in December, not where they are as we head into November.

Here are our Week 9 B1G bowl projections:

Cotton Bowl (CFP semifinal): Ohio State vs. Georgia

Rose Bowl: Michigan State vs. Oregon

Fiesta Bowl: Michigan vs. Notre Dame

Citrus Bowl: Minnesota vs. Kentucky

Outback Bowl: Wisconsin vs. Auburn

Las Vegas Bowl: Iowa vs. Washington State

Music City Bowl: Penn State vs. Tennessee

Pinstripe Bowl: Purdue vs. North Carolina

Guaranteed Rate Bowl: Maryland vs. Texas Tech

Jim Tomlin

Longtime newspaper veteran Jim Tomlin is a writer and editor for saturdaytradition.com and saturdaydownsouth.com.