Scenario: Big 10 East 3 way tie
The only “likely” way that there will be a three-way tie for the Big Ten east division is for Penn State to beat Ohio State, Ohio State to beat Michigan, and for all 3 to win out giving all 3 a 8-1 conference record.
* BEAT OHIO AND WIN OUT and it’s that easy. But since it’s a slow week for the bye week let’s look at the scenario of a three-way tie.
5. The records of the three (or more) teams will be compared based on the best cumulative conference winning percentage of non-divisional opponents.
(a) Example: East 1 non-divisional opponents are 20-7, East 2 non-divisional opponents are 19-8, East 3 non-divisional opponents are 14-13 – East 1 would be the representative.
Michigan non-division opponents 5-5 record Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois
Nebraska remaining schedule- Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa
Iowa remaining schedule- Ohio State, Northwestern, Nebraska, Purdue, Wisconsin, Minnesota
Illinois remaining schedule- Nebraska, Michigan State, Purdue, Michigan, Northwestern
Ohio State non-division opponents 3-7 record Wisconsin, Iowa, Northwestern
Wisconsin remaining schedule- Purdue, Maryland, Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota
Iowa remaining schedule- Ohio State, Northwestern, Nebraska, Purdue, Wisconsin, Minnesota
Northwestern remaining schedule- Maryland, Iowa, Ohio State, Minnesota, Purdue, Illinois
Penn State non-division opponents 5-5 record Purdue, Minnesota, Northwestern
Purdue remaining schedule- Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Northwestern, Indiana
Minnesota remaining schedule- Penn State, Rutgers, Nebraska, Northwestern, Iowa, Wisconsin
Northwestern remaining schedule- Maryland, Iowa, Ohio State, Minnesota, Purdue, Illinois
October 21st, 2022 at 12:32 PM ^
Hilarious. The bye week blues.
October 21st, 2022 at 12:32 PM ^
BEAT OHIO AND WIN OUT and it’s that easy.
/end thread
October 21st, 2022 at 12:35 PM ^
Thus why we'd want Tagovailoa to stay healthy. Go Turtles.
October 21st, 2022 at 12:35 PM ^
Hey OP, first time caller/long time listener. Do you honestly see OSU losing to PSU to create this scenario?
I’ll hang up and listen.
October 21st, 2022 at 12:48 PM ^
It’s going to be their second hardest game on their schedule and at Penn State but no, no I don’t. But why not give us something to think about.
October 21st, 2022 at 3:05 PM ^
Doubtful, but a very different matchup than UM. Not nearly the running threat and may play somewhat more to PSU's defensive strengths. Plus, that's a hard stadium to win in. The problem is that PSU's offense sucks. So it would really take an miracle performance from Clifford. Could happen, but maybe 10% chance.
Oh, and then there's Frames Janklin, so really there's no way. He's only beaten OSU once and it was a fluke and with probably his best team.
October 21st, 2022 at 12:58 PM ^
I mean...no...but Penn State does tend to keep games close with them. Even last year it was a 3-point game heading into the 4th quarter before OSU clinched the win. If they can get some of that horseshoe-up-their-ass luck like in 2016, and Clifford goes off on their "improved" defense, maybe they can pull off an upset. Probably not. But maybe!
October 21st, 2022 at 1:15 PM ^
I don't think PSU will beat OSU. However. PSU's defensive strength is pass defense - and they have (probably, maybe) the league's best corner and another very good one. If they can keep OSU mortal, it will give Clifford something to play for. At home in front of a probable white out crowd of ~100,000. A bit of rabbit's foot luck might make a difference. I mean, Frames can't be much worse than Day, can he?
October 21st, 2022 at 2:11 PM ^
I'm no fan of Ryan Day but Frames is much, much, much worse than him. Judged on any number of criteria.
October 21st, 2022 at 2:28 PM ^
PSU boosters have been making PB&J sammiches all week. They learned last week you can't win tunnel bragging rights with 1 or 2 spare PB&Js.
October 21st, 2022 at 2:46 PM ^
Weird things happen at Beaver stadium
October 21st, 2022 at 7:16 PM ^
Leave it to Beaver
October 21st, 2022 at 12:36 PM ^
Don’t put these thoughts into my head. It just reminds me of 2016, where I angrily watched the B1G title game between two squads that we defeated.
October 21st, 2022 at 3:15 PM ^
Why did you watch the 2016 Big Ten title game?
The only one I’ve ever watched, I attended. And you can guess which one that was. :)
October 21st, 2022 at 12:36 PM ^
Looks to me like Michigan's West opponents have a more than reasonably good chance of being better than OSU's opponents, and UM already beat the living shit out of PSU. So I don't really care if PSU beats OSU and that crapstain of a finish comes to pass. Michigan will own the tie-breaker and play in the B1GCG against whatever stray kitten the West offers up for sacrifice.
OSU can cry about the 'backdoor' entry to the BTCG. Don't care... If PSU does somehow win that game, the UM-OSU outcome will (more than likely) already be decided. UM wins, win or lose.
I'm good with that.
October 21st, 2022 at 3:09 PM ^
After the fiasco in 2020 OSU doesn't ever get to cry about any team getting into the BTCG.
October 21st, 2022 at 12:38 PM ^
Illinois might not lose a game besides against us. Purdue will be their biggest threat, which is still hilarious to me. But all of those wins would probably give us the tiebreaker in this scenario. The other two teams having played northwestern really hampers them.
October 21st, 2022 at 12:41 PM ^
Come on. Ain’t no way Penn State is beating Ohio State.
October 21st, 2022 at 1:21 PM ^
Likely, though for whatever reason PSU tends to play OSU tighter than you'd expect regardless of overall talent. And it is a home game at night, so there's always a chance for stupidity.
October 21st, 2022 at 2:26 PM ^
It's a nooner.
October 21st, 2022 at 2:34 PM ^
My motto’s always been, “when it’s right, it’s right.”
October 21st, 2022 at 12:45 PM ^
Beating ohio state this season is far more important than getting to the big ten title game and i will explain why. We need to close the gap with them. Beating them last season was the first step . Unfortunately the perception is still ohio state is the big tens best. If we beat them this season in columbus that perception changes significantly. Everyone gets one lucky win sometimes but winning 2 years in a row with one being on the road against another elite osu team that is losing a lot next season will make us the favorite going into 2023. Even tho perception means squat when the season starts its huge on the recruiting trail. Its difficult to promise high school kids team success during the offseason when you have nothing to show for it and your team is not playing. But when you have recent previous success it makes that job a heck of a lot easier. High school kids have a very short memory and success from 5+ years ago doesnt mean shit to most of them
October 21st, 2022 at 12:59 PM ^
Thankfully beating Ohio State is almost always likely the path to the b10 and almost assuredly much easier opponent for the title game
October 21st, 2022 at 7:07 PM ^
It has been this way since 1969.
October 21st, 2022 at 1:11 PM ^
Exactly. I've long said we need to win 3 in a row to meaningfully restore the rivalry. 1 down 2 to go.
October 21st, 2022 at 1:15 PM ^
I think 2 does the trick to at least say we even now. Thats all we really need to do. Win 5 out of every 10 is a dream come true. Winning 3 in a row begins the argument of one sided rivalry and while that would be amazing the talent ohio state brings in makes that unrealistic.
October 21st, 2022 at 2:35 PM ^
Yes, 2 in a row makes it at least even.
If I can compare to 20 years ago, OSU won in '01 & '02. It sure didn't feel like OSU owned the rivalry; it was just nice not to have a new losing streak to Michigan get started the year after winning one. (Was also a huuuge relief to not have another undefeated season ruined by Michigan for once.)
Michigan won in '03 and it looked like an even rivalry that would feature a lot of back-n-forth. OSU won in surprise fashion in '04, which made it 3 out of 4, but it still didn't feel like OSU owned the rivalry.
It wasn't until after OSU won in AA in '05 to make 4 out of 5 did I feel like OSU took back the rivalry.
October 21st, 2022 at 4:29 PM ^
My attitude: you win 2 in a row, that in a way "validates" the previous victory.
One win at occasional spots in a series can always be written off, by the team that is winning more often, as a "random one-off."
If we're being honest, that was U-M fans attitude as regards OSU in the 2002 offseason, and as regards MSU in the 2009 offseason. 2002 & 2009 really changed the dynamic of those series. For another series - if PSU had (sigh, the saddest words of word and pen, what might have been) won that 2017 game at Columbus, they would have finally had two in a row versus OSU and potentially really changed that series' dynamic.
From 1983-2001 (19 years!), OSU never won 2 in a row versus U-M. Now it's 20+ years the other way. It was an even longer stretch (1968-2007) for MSU versus U-M.
October 21st, 2022 at 12:47 PM ^
Michigan's opponents so far are 6-5 FYI (Illinois 3-1, Nebraska 2-2, Iowa 1-2)
October 21st, 2022 at 12:51 PM ^
Noted, thanks! I’ll adjust IF something crazy happens next weekend.
October 21st, 2022 at 1:04 PM ^
Row the boat (this week). Doesn't seem likely, but one can hope. Then one can hope for the even less likely the following week.
October 21st, 2022 at 1:25 PM ^
How can we lose to OSU but still be East champs seems like a weird thought experiment at this juncture.
October 21st, 2022 at 1:43 PM ^
god, i hate bye week.
October 21st, 2022 at 2:02 PM ^
PSU has a chance if James Franklin can use his helicopter and his team doesn't have to use the same tunnel as Ohio.
October 21st, 2022 at 2:22 PM ^
Penn st isn’t beating oHIO
October 21st, 2022 at 3:11 PM ^
What is the point of this exactly?
If there is a tie between M and ohio, then it goes to H2H.
Whomever wins The Game wins the division.
October 21st, 2022 at 3:39 PM ^
I have Michigan's non division opponents record at 6-5.
October 21st, 2022 at 3:44 PM ^
Just win
October 21st, 2022 at 3:52 PM ^
You lost me at Penn State beating Ohio State...
October 22nd, 2022 at 8:50 AM ^
Penn State avoided doing the white out against Ohio and is doing it against Minnesota instead… Ohio by 25