With two-thirds of the regular season in the rearview mirror, the Ducks have maintained a perfect record and currently stand at 8-0 and only have four conference matchups remaining. However, even if Oregon wins out, finishing the regular season at 12-0 overall, the team may not earn a spot in the Big Ten Championship game.
Oregon isn't the only undefeated team in the conference. The Penn State Nittany Lions and the Indiana Hoosiers have also maintained a flawless record through Week 9 and all three are fighting for a spot in the conference championship game, and the College Football Playoffs.
The catch? The three teams aren't scheduled to play each other, so, at the end of the regular season, all three could remain perfect.
This is so comical I almost want it to happen:
— Doug (@DouglasTS) October 27, 2024
There’s a scenario where Oregon could go 12-0, be ranked #1, and not make the Big Ten title game
The Ducks already defeated Ohio State and the other two teams are scheduled to face the Buckeyes over the next few weeks. If the Nittany Lions and the Hoosiers can also down the Buckeyes, and win their other three remaining games, they may edge out Oregon for a spot in the Big Ten Championship.
Keep in mind, Oregon only beat Ohio State by one point. Oregon's other ranked win, a 38-9 victory over Illinois is almost dead even with Penn State's 21-7 win over the Fighting Illini from earlier this season.
So, if Penn State can defeat Ohio State by more than one point in Week 10, the Nittany Lions would already have a better argument for earning a place in the conference championship game.
On the other side of things, the Hoosiers have yet to play against a ranked opponent and most likely won't face a ranked opponent other than Ohio State over the remainder of the season. However, Indiana did topple the Nebraska Cornhuskers by a resounding 49 points and the UCLA Bruins by an impressive 29 points.
Indiana lacks the strength of schedule argument when it comes to Big Ten play but the Hoosiers' point differential over common opponents may be the deciding factor on if they make it to the conference championship game this year.
At the end of the day, Oregon deserves a spot in the Big Ten Championship, it's that simple. However, there is only room for two teams and three conference members are still fighting for one of those spots.