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After a crazy weekend in college football, ESPN also got hectic Tuesday night thanks to the unveiling of this week’s College Football Playoff rankings. And it was a historic night for the ranking and for the B1G.
This week, the B1G will feature six ranked teams – Northwestern at No. 25, Iowa at No. 20, Penn State at No. 14, Ohio State at No. 13, Michigan State at No. 12, and Wisconsin at No. 8. However, once again, the Badgers were the talk of the B1G during the show.
The Big Ten has 6 teams ranked in the committee’s Top 25 this week, most of any conference and its most in a single week in the #CFBPlayoff era.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 8, 2017
So far this season, Wisconsin is 9-0. They are one of two (the other being the Miami Hurricanes) Power 5 teams that are undefeated still. But that zero may be a little tainted.
“[Wisconsin] still don’t have a quality win,” said ESPN college football analyst, David Pollack.
However, as The Athletic All-American’s Stewart Mandel pointed out, the Badgers do have a win over the No. 25 Northwestern Wildcats.
Northwestern is No. 25. .. Wisconsin now has a Top 25 win.
— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) November 8, 2017
While having Northwestern ranked, Wisconsin also received good news in analyst Joey Galloway’s mind with the Iowa Hawkeyes coming in at No. 20, who the Badgers will face this Saturday.
“It eliminates the conversation that Wisconsin doesn’t have a ranked opponent on its schedule,” Galloway said.
Despite this, guys like analysts Kirk Herbstreit and Booger McFarland still feel like Wisconsin is in a position that needs help. Heck, McFarland believes that a two-loss Auburn team (which is currently ranked at No. 1o) is better than an undefeated Badger team. Plus, McFarland went on a rant asking who should Wisconsin replace in the top-4. Georgia? Alabama? Notre Dame? Clemson? If all five win out.
“Tell me who you are taking out of that scenario,” McFarland said.
Later on in the show, Herbstreit stated that just because an undefeated team like Wisconsin is undefeated, that should not guarantee a top-4 ranking.
“I don’t buy undefeated teams equals being one of the best teams,” Herbstreit said.
Despite Herbstreit making a valid argument, multiple college football reporters around the country voiced their opinions that if the Badgers do win out, they should make the playoffs:
If Wisconsin wins out, it’s in. Stop with this nonsense. An undefeated Power Five champion will be in somewhere.
— Barrett Sallee (@BarrettSallee) November 8, 2017
If an undefeated Power 5 champ, especially one from the B1G or SEC, gets left out, I suspect that’d generate momentum for the Playoff to move to 8 teams. #Wisconsin
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) November 8, 2017
Wisconsin is getting in the Playoff if it wins out. No question about it now
— Dustin Schutte (@Schutte_B1GFB) November 8, 2017
Wisconsin and Alabama have the same number of top 25 wins.
One is ranked No. 2 and the other is ranked No. 8.
— Dustin Schutte (@Schutte_B1GFB) November 8, 2017
Shouldn’t have ever been one.https://t.co/n6N0gSkGb8
— Connor O’Gara (@cjogara) November 8, 2017
While Wisconsin’s playoff hopes were debated once again, there is no question that if it wins out, it still has a good chance to make the Final Four. But for now, the Badgers may not be happy that it got hurdled by a team like Miami.
“Wisconsin can’t be all that happy,” Galloway said. “They got jumped with still having a zero at the end of their record.”