Ranking Week 11 Games By College Football Playoff Implications

Nov 1, 2014; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes running back Curtis Samuel (4) runs the ball during the first quarter against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

No. 14 Ohio State Buckeyes at No. 8 Michigan State Spartans

Here comes the Big Ten showdown we have all been waiting for. Michigan State and Ohio State have been waiting for this one all year, and as it turns out, their early-season losses didn’t diminish the importance of this game.

Currently, the Big Ten is getting no respect as a conference in the court of public opinion or from the College Football Playoff Selection Committee. That means that the winner of this game still needs some help to get into the College Football Playoff talk. But they get a lot closer.

And while the winner of this game vaults right into the thick of the conversation, the loser is definitely going to be eliminated. Not only are they likely out of the Big Ten championship race, as noted in our Vegas Big Ten Predictions you can see here, but the Selection Committee this year won’t give any consideration to a two-loss Big Ten team. That means that no matter what happens on Saturday, somebody is going to be done in this game.

With that certainty and the knowledge that the winner is as much in the College Football Playoff race as anybody, this game has by far the biggest impact on the playoff scenarios of any game this weekend. So enjoy what should be an epic match-up.