Could Ohio State be the No. 1 team in the country?

It certainly seems reasonable, regardless of what the poll’s say. The Buckeyes are 6-0 and one of the B1G’s first officially bowl eligible squads along with Michigan, which punched its ticket with a win over Indiana.

They both look good, as does Penn State, which remained 5-0 after its bye week. The Nittany Lions are the clear No. 3 team in the B1G.

Purdue turned the most heads this week. The Boilermakers squeaked by Maryland and put themselves well within contention to land a decent bowl by the end of the year.

Illinois’ win over Iowa was far from pretty. A touchdown-less game ended 9-6 and saw Illinois snag its 5th win of the season — with Nebraska, Northwestern and Michigan State still to go.

That’s right, it’s hard to keep going to bat for the Spartans. Mel Tucker’s squad has lost 4 in a row and, if it loses to Wisconsin next week, will be all but out of bowl contention. The Spartans need all 4 of Wisconsin, Illinois, Rutgers and Indiana with Penn State and Michigan still on the schedule.

Sports Betting in Big Ten Country

There is big news coming to the upcoming 2022-23 Big Ten football season (and NFL season). Ohio online sports betting and Maryland sports betting are on the way.

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If Wisconsin can beat Michigan State in East Lansing, its chances look good. The Badgers look like they can squeeze to 6 wins. For now, let’s assume the Spartans will keep falling.

Ultimately, only 1 B1G program will reach the College Football Playoff, and Ohio State will be the favorite until further notice. It will likely all come down to The Game in the regular season finale vs. Michigan.

The B1G postseason slate looks similar to last season. The conference will add the Duke’s Mayo Bowl to its lineup instead of the Las Vegas Bowl. Those bowls rotate between the SEC and B1G on a year-to-year basis, meaning a B1G coach will have the chance to earn the coveted mayo bath this postseason.

B1G bowl projections following Week 5

Fiesta Bowl (Playoff semifinal): Ohio State vs. Alabama

Rose Bowl: Michigan vs. USC

Cotton Bowl: Penn State vs. Notre Dame

Citrus Bowl: Minnesota vs. Mississippi State

Music City Bowl: Maryland vs. Texas A&M

Duke’s Mayo Bowl: Illinois vs. Washington State

Guaranteed Rate Bowl: Wisconsin vs Kansas

Pinstripe Bowl: Iowa vs. North Carolina