The first set of College Football Playoff rankings were released Tuesday night, and there was plenty of Big Ten representation in the Top 25.

Of course, it was assumed AP No. 1 Oregon would get the top spot, as the Ducks remained undefeated with a win over Ohio State. Because the Buckeyes have just the 1 loss to the Ducks and a road win over Penn State, Ryan Day’s squad looked like a potential No. 2.

That’s exactly how things played out when the selection committee released its rankings, with Georgia, Miami  and Texas rounding out the Top 5.

After that, the major question across the league was whether unbeaten Indiana would get the nod over 1-loss Penn State. James Franklin’s squad has a win over Illinois, which has 3 losses. That’s really the best victory on its resume. Meanwhile, Curt Cignetti is directing a dream season with IU at 9-0, but the Hoosiers haven’t beaten a team in the initial CFP Top 25.

The committee decided to rank Penn State 6th and Indiana 8th, which raised some eyebrows and brought out chants of “brand bias” across social media. But it’s clear the committee looked at strength of schedule when comparing PSU and IU.

In total, 4 B1G teams were in the Top 25.

All these teams have a chance to make the initial 12-team Playoff. But there could be potholes along the way as we go through November and head toward Indianapolis and the B1G Championship Game.

Let’s take a look at 5 B1G upsets that could really shake up the CFP rankings no matter the week.

NOTE: Rankings reflect the first batch of CFP rankings that came out this past Tuesday night.

Saturday: Michigan at No. 8 Indiana (2:30 p.m. CT, CBS)

Even though this game will be played in Bloomington, and the Wolverines have felt the brunt of so many key personnel losses (as well as their head coach) from their national title team, the Hoosiers still have to be very wary. Michigan has lost just twice to Indiana since 1987, and the maize and blue hold a 62-10 all-time record against IU. Tackling has been a major issue for this Wolverines defense this season, so being disciplined in assignments will be vital against this Hoosiers offense. Michigan defensive coordinator Wink Martindale will also need to ensure his unit stymies the IU offense more times than not on 3rd down. And while Wolverines quarterback Davis Warren hasn’t been very dynamic, since regaining the starting job two games ago he has been turnover-free. That will be huge in this one if the Wolverines have a chance to spring an upset.

Nov. 16: No. 1 Oregon at Wisconsin

The Ducks are clearly the team to beat in both the B1G and the national race. Dan Lanning’s squad has beaten No. 2 Ohio State at home and the defending national champions on the road, though we know this is a different Wolverines outfit than last year’s. But the Ducks will have to travel in mid-November to the heart of B1G country at Camp Randall Stadium. Now, the Badgers have been a tough team to figure out. After a 2-2 start, Luke Fickell’s squad won 3 in a row before dropping back-to-back games, including a 42-10 loss at Iowa. This week, the Badgers are on a bye, so they will be well rested for this tilt. They played Penn State close a week before the Iowa loss, but mistakes cost them. Quarterback Braedyn Locke needs to be much more consistent and take care of the football. He has thrown an interception in 6 consecutive games, and he’s set to face a very tough defense. But in the 10 years of the CFP, only 2 teams won the national title after nabbing the first No. 1 ranking. So the Ducks always need to be on upset alert.

Nov. 23: No. 6 Penn State at Minnesota

The Golden Gophers have been trending upward. After a 2-3 start, PJ Fleck’s squad has won 4 in a row, the latest being a 25-17 victory over Illinois. The Golden Gophers haven’t lost since they were defeated by Michigan on Sept. 28. A big part of their game is their pass defense. They have allowed only 6 scoring passes this season. Quarterback Max Brosmer, outside of Tanner Morgan in 2019, has been 1 of the best Gophers signal callers in recent memory. Through 9 starts, Brosmer is completing 68.2 percent of his passes for 1,989 yards with 13 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. The defense can put the clamps on Drew Allar and Co., and Minnesota’s offense is balanced enough to make things difficult for the Nittany Lions’ defense.

Nov. 30: Washington at No. 1 Oregon

Whether or not the Ducks are still unbeaten at this point, an old Pac-12 foe could make things interesting. There is no doubt Oregon will be seeking revenge after Washington won both meetings by 3 points last season en route to securing a spot in the CFP. We know how difficult it is to go through a season unscathed, and these programs simply don’t like each other. U-Dub quarterback Will Rogers just helped the Huskies take down former Pac-12 rival USC 26-21. He threw for 262 yards to help U-Dub extend its winning streak to 19 games at home. The Huskies bounced back nicely from a 31-17 loss to Indiana. They would love nothing more than to knock the Ducks off their top perch.

Nov. 30: Michigan at No. 2 Ohio State

The Game. Enough said. Day is 1-3 against the Wolverines, losing his past 3. Before that skid, OSU had won 8 straight and 15 of 16 against Michigan, including a 7-0 mark under Urban Meyer. We know this Michigan team is not like last year’s national champs, or like any of its CFP predecessors. That doesn’t mean this won’t be a tough one for the Buckeyes, though. With 1 loss already, albeit to the B1G’s best team, could another knock the Buckeyes out of the league title game? Very likely. The CFP even? Possibly.

Dec. 7: Big Ten Championship Game

We obviously don’t yet know which teams will participate in the title game. But let’s assume Oregon makes it to Indianapolis. If it slips up against, say, Ohio State in a rematch, that top overall seed and bye is gone. What if the Ducks did drop that contest in Madison? Would a 2nd loss in the B1G title game knock them out of the field entirely? Indiana and Penn State, meanwhile, are still in the mix. A loss from either in this potential game would seemingly put them on the outside looking in.