Big Ten Bowl Projections: Pour one out for Rutger and Michigan State

Indiana finally dispatched of the Rutger, what happened elsewhere in the Big Ten?

RUTGER-INSPIRED CARNAGE REPORT:

• Michigan Rutger'd Maryland, 59-3. Indiana goes to Ann Arbor in two weeks. Should be a gas.
• Ohio State Rutger'd Nebraska, 62-3 and holy cow I just now saw that final score and hoo boy that's absurd. Nebraska had a chance to state their case for the College Football Playoff and failed to do much of anything against a very mad offline Ohio State team that could be starting their rampage toward the playoff.
• Wisconsin fell a couple touchdowns shy of a true Rutgering of Northwestern, but took care of business to put themselves in the driver seat for the Big Ten Championship Game.
• Penn State Rutger'd Iowa and are now 9th in the S&P+, likely to be top ten in the Playoff Rankings as well when they come to Bloomington this weekend.
• Illinois beat Michigan State and the fact it wasn't horribly surprising says everything you need to know about the Spartans, who are running out the clock on a Rutger-esque year.
• Minnesota turned a halftime deficit into a comfortable victory over Purdue, who now find themselves lower on the S&P+ than Rutger, who Indiana defeated on Saturday in their own building despite playing horribly.

B1G in the CFP

THE FAVORITE(S): Ohio State, Michigan

THE DARK HORSE: Nebraska

And then there were two. With everyone in the West currently sitting with two losses or more, it looks like one or both of the East's powerhouses will represent the conference in the playoff. Imagine with me the following scenario, though: Ohio State defeats Michigan in Columbus and then subsequently loses the Big Ten Championship- does one-loss Michigan get the nod over the Big Ten's Champion and runner-up? Let's say it does! How quickly does Columbus declare their independence and then declare war on the entire state of Michigan? One day? Less?

MY TOP FOUR: 1. Alabama 2. Washington 3. Ohio State 4. Clemson

No changes here.

Bowl Projections (bowl-eligible teams marked with an *)

Ohio State*: CFP Semifinal vs. Washington

Michigan*: Rose Bowl vs. Colorado

Wisconsin*: Orange Bowl vs. Louisville

Penn State*: Cotton Bowl vs. Western Michigan

Nebraska*: Outback Bowl vs. Florida

Minnesota*: Holiday Bowl vs. Utah

Indiana: Music City Bowl vs. Kentucky (gonna make this A Thing)

Maryland: Pinstripe Bowl vs. Miami

Northwestern: Foster Farms Bowl vs. USC

Iowa: Quick Lane Bowl vs. Georgia Tech

________________

LOL nah: Illinois, Purdue, Rutger, Michigan State

Penn State's ridiculous run is going to put three teams from the Big Ten East into the New Year's Six or better, sure glad that Indiana gets to play in this division! Anyway, I'm not moving Indiana out of the Music City Bowl because I don't believe they can rise above that tier (even with a win over Penn State) and their presence at the Pinstripe Bowl last year somewhat forces it. You're likely looking at Indiana, Maryland, Northwestern, and Iowa all at 6-6 with the Holiday Bowl jumping on a possible 8 or 9-win Minnesota, leaving the next tier of Music City / Pinstripe / Foster Farms to sort out the other four with the leftover team headed to Detroit.