What if a 4-loss (or worse) Northwestern wins the Big10?

[magnusblitz]

@That_Don_Guy

After looking at the 11/13 CFP rankings, I came up with something involving Northwestern that’s very possible:
Michigan slaps Ohio State around, then has a little trouble with Northwestern, but still manages to win the Big 10 title and end up #4 in the final CFP rankings
Northwestern ends up ranked ahead of Ohio State
Since the Big 10 champion is in a CFP semi-final, the Rose Bowl has to fill its spot with another Big 10 team
AFAIK, the Rose Bowl is not subject to the “you have to choose the highest ranked team from that conference” rule, the way the Sugar Bowl is with the SEC and Big 12 (and the Orange with the ACC, in years when it’s not a CFP semi-final)
The Rose Bowl Committee goes with Ohio State, because “they’re a better draw” - and Northwestern is so far down in the final rankings that it ends up shut out of the Big Six bowls

If Michigan wins the B10 and gets a playoff bid, I’d go beyond saying it’s “very possible” and say that I fully expect the Rose to take OSU over NW. I only see them taking NW if they win out the regular season, have a good close showing in the B10 Championship, and maybe OSU gets blasted by Michigan and/or loses to Maryland. Even then they might take PSU instead.

[Skammer]

There’s no way the Rose Bowl takes a 5-loss Northwestern (even if they lose a shootout to Michigan in triple OT) over a 3-loss OSU, even if OSU gets embarrassed by Michigan and Maryland, no matter what the rankings are. They’ll want OSU or Penn State. NU will end up in the Outback Bowl or whatever.