B1G debate: ESPN analysts discuss multiple scenarios for the conference
Bristol, Connecticut got a little chaotic on Tuesday once the College Football Playoff rankings were finally released.
There wasn’t much debate about the top four spots as Alabama, Ohio State, Michigan and Clemson reclaimed the same positions as last week. But different scenarios for teams ranked five through 15 really sparked the conversation. A lot of that revolved around the B1G.
Obviously there are a lot of outcomes that still have to be decided in the B1G, but that appears to be the conference where the most controversy lies.
Does the winner of Ohio State-Michigan lock up a bid no matter what? Could Penn State win the conference and bump the Buckeyes out of position because of the head-to-head win? What about Wisconsin, with losses only to the No. 2 and No. 3 ranked teams?
The conversation started when Wisconsin moved up a spot to No. 6. Kirk Herbstreit wondered how the downfall of LSU would hinder the Badgers as the committee continues to look at impressive wins:
Wisconsin at six, their big win against LSU, with LSU falling [from the rankings] you wonder how much that could hurt Wisconsin in an either-or scenario
Host Rece Davis agreed with Herbstreit and wasn’t sure a B1G title guaranteed a CFP berth for the Badgers:
Their resume matters because they’re on the edge
Herbstreit was also asked if he thought that Ohio State would get in if it beat Michigan this weekend, even without a conference title. The analyst believes the Buckeyes would:
I think that Oklahoma win in the non-conference is a trump card for them – Kirk
Then, the real debate started.
When the panel started discussing the possibility of Penn State winning the B1G Championship, David Pollack dismissed the Nittany Lions as true contenders:
If Ohio State ended the year with one loss and Penn State won the B1G with two losses, I’d have no problem putting Ohio State in and leave Penn State out.
Herbstreit, who called the Ohio State-Penn State matchup back in October, agreed with Pollack, saying that for the better part of the game, the Buckeyes proved they were the better team:
I don’t think anyone walked away saying Penn State is emphatically better than Ohio State.
Joey Galloway didn’t agree with that.
Galloway cited the head-to-head matchup as a tiebreaker that should favor the Nittany Lions if they were to finish with a B1G title by beating Wisconsin in Indianapolis.
It would be easier for me, if Wisconsin gets left out than if Penn State got left out. You get into that issue, why do you play the games
Galloway went on to say that doesn’t necessarily believe that Ohio State should be left out of the playoff if that scenario plays out, but that it would prove that Penn State was worthy of one of the two bids.
It was possibly the most heated debate we’ve seen this crew get into during this season, but a fun one nonetheless.
Now we just wait for a hectic weekend ahead and everything to change again next Tuesday.