Wisconsin Football: Breaking Down Big Ten Championship Scenarios

Dec 5, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; General view of the logo on the field prior to the game between the Michigan State Spartans and the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Big Ten Conference football championship at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 5, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; General view of the logo on the field prior to the game between the Michigan State Spartans and the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Big Ten Conference football championship at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
6 of 6
Next
Nov 5, 2016; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions running back Saquon Barkley (26) celebrates his touchdown with teammate wide receiver Chris Godwin (12) against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the fourth quarter at Beaver Stadium. Penn State defeated Iowa 41-14. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 5, 2016; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions running back Saquon Barkley (26) celebrates his touchdown with teammate wide receiver Chris Godwin (12) against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the fourth quarter at Beaver Stadium. Penn State defeated Iowa 41-14. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports /

Penn State Nittany Lions

Penn State has a much easier path to the title, but they still require a bit of help. The Nittany Lions take on Michigan State this Saturday, which is by far the easiest contest out of all the contenders. However, Michigan State did almost play spoiler to Ohio State, and will be hungry to avenge a missed opportunity and knock out Penn State. In order to clinch, Penn State would need a victory and an Ohio State victory, which many think is the most likely situation on Saturday. That likely means it wont happen, but who knows. Penn State was written off early in the season as they lost a heartbreaker to rival Pittsburgh, and got destroyed by Michigan. But the Nittany Lions took a big bounce back as they’ve rattled off seven wins in a row including the win over Ohio State which put them back in the Big Ten discussion. While Penn State appears to be the weakest of the three on paper, they have played quality football down the stretch. As a Wisconsin fan, many are saying they hope to see the Nittany Lions, but I would not be so fast to jump to that. Any team that has won seven games in a row is doing something right. They’re playing the best football of the three, and they’ve built a large amount of momentum with playoffs on their mind. Don’t rule out the ole Blue and White just yet.