This week, the teams in the middle of the pack in the Big Ten proved why they’re considered middle-of-the-pack teams.

Michigan State, ranked No. 18, lost at home to unranked Arizona State. Maryland, ranked No. 21, lost at Temple. Purdue got blown out by TCU.

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And others, such as ranked teams Penn State and Iowa, barely squeaked out victories over state rivals.

But the Big Ten still looks strong at the top. Ohio State rolled past Indiana as the Buckeyes opened B1G play. And Michigan took the weekend off before facing Wisconsin, which also had a bye. The winner of their game on Saturday will throw down a serious marker in the College Football Playoff conversation, especially if Michigan, already ranked in the top 10, can leave Madison with a victory.

At the bottom of our bowl list, we say goodbye to Purdue for now and welcome Minnesota. The Golden Gophers were not impressive at all in nonconference play, but 3-0 is 3-0. After all, three wins is halfway to bowl eligibility, and the conference schedule is favorable enough (no OSU or Michigan) that six wins seems like a reasonable expectation.

Now, on to our B1G bowl projections, in the conference’s approximate bowl selection order:

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