Penn State Nittany Lions

How the Big Ten could end up with three teams in the College Football Playoff

Published Dec. 9, 2016 12:45 p.m. ET

Aaron Torres

Over the past few days, college football fans have driven themselves crazy while thinking about all the various College Football Playoff scenarios that could come about in the next 36 hours.

What if Penn State wins the Big Ten? Would the Nittany Lions jump Washington or possibly bump out Ohio State? Could Michigan sneak into the final four? How about Wisconsin? Is there anything Alabama can do to lose the No. 1 overall seed?

But of all the crazy scenarios, there is one that few are talking about: Could three Big Ten teams possibly make the playoff? It isn’t likely. But with the Big Ten title game set to kick off at 8:00 p.m. ET on Saturday on FOX, it is at least possible.

Now understand that in the most realistic scenario, only one Big Ten team will get in. If Alabama, Clemson and Washington all win, they’ll likely be joined by Ohio State in the final four (even if some would argue that a Penn State win in the Big Ten title game should make the Nittany Lions the league’s sole representative). If either Clemson or Washington loses, it opens up a whole other can of worms for the selection committee: Does it take the winner of the Big Ten title game? Or does it take Michigan, a club that beat both Penn State and Wisconsin head-to-head?

There is no easy answer.

The committee could get saved by one simple scenario: both Clemson and Washington losing. If that were to happen, it is almost certain we’d get three Big Ten teams in the playoff. Ohio State and Michigan as at-large teams, and the Big Ten champion in as well.

In that scenario, it seems virtually impossible that anyone else could jump those three Big Ten teams. At that point, Colorado would be the Pac-12 champion, but how could you move the Buffaloes ahead of Michigan, which the Buffaloes lost to head-to-head? Same with Oklahoma in the Big 12. Yes, with a win this weekend, the Sooners would be the Big 12 champs with nine straight wins. But they would also have a head-to-head loss to Ohio State, and not nearly the qualitywins that either a Michigan or Big Ten champ has.

So that’s how the Big Ten could get three teams in the playoff. And by the way, with the way that committee chair Kirby Hocutt kept mentioning the razor-thin edge that No. 4 Washington had over No. 5 Michigan on Tuesday, I wouldn’t be stunned if Penn State or Michigan jumped Washington even if the Huskies win and it’s ugly this weekend. I wouldn’t say it’s likely, but wouldn’t rule it out.

Oh, and one more little treat: If all three Big Ten teams make the playoff, then guess what? It likely means an Ohio State-Michigan semifinal in Glendale. And who doesn’t want that?!

So, if you’re a Midwest football fan, pay close attention to everything that happens this weekend.

It would likely take quite a bit of chaos, but the Big Ten very well could send three teams to the playoff.