By Michael Gross

🔐 

Nebraska, Michigan, Mich St., Illinois

“Near Lock”

Purdue, 

“Good Shape”

Iowa, Wisconsin 

“Bubble”

USC, UCLA, Ohio St., Indiana 

“Fringe Bubble”

Washington

           Michigan, Mich St. and the Illini all have joined Nebraska as 🔐 from the Big Ten giving a league a total of 4 bids already locked up.

           Purdue has lost 3 straight games and remains 1 win away from securing a bid. All they gotta do is beat Maryland on the road on Sunday and that’ll do it!

           Where things start to get a bit murkier is when we drop down to Iowa and Wisconsin. They both remain in “good shape” for bid. However, had either lost last night at home to USC in Iowa’s case or at home to Minnesota for Wisconsin; they probably would have dropped down to the “Bubble” section. 

After surviving at home against Rutgers and USC, the Hawkeyes head out west to play Oregon and Washington. A win out west would put them in very good shape. Win both and they move up. Lose both and they probably move down. For Wisconsin, they really need to beat Ohio St. at home this weekend. The schedule is about to get tougher so if they drop this one it could put them in some trouble.

          Ohio St. continues to just hang around. Recently they lost to Michigan on the road and struggled to beat Penn St. on the road. Big opportunity for them this weekend against Wisconsin! Tough loss last night for USC against Iowa, but before that the Trojans picked up a huge win at Wisconsin. If they can take care of business against Rutgers and Indiana at home, I like their chances. 

UCLA followed up their win over Purdue by beating Northwestern and Oregon. Next comes a big bubble game against Indiana. Indiana for the moment picked up a season saving win over Purdue. They are still only 2-7 in Q1/2 games. It would really help their cause if they can get 1 of these 2 road games out west against the LA Schools.

          Washington is barely hanging onto the page. They’ll have to win either at Illinois or at Northwestern this weekend to stay alive.

Minnesota has dropped off the page after another tough loss. I figured this tough stretch of games was going to do them in and it has.