Bold claim: the season’s clash that could reshape the playoff picture is unfolding right in Indiana’s backyard, as the No. 1 and No. 2 teams meet in the Big Ten Championship for the first time ever. This historic pairing—Ohio State vs. Indiana—will take place in Indianapolis, marking a milestone in conference title games.
The CFP rankings released for Week 14 reaffirmed the top two spots: Ohio State and Indiana sit at 12-0, both unbeaten in Big Ten play, ahead of Georgia, Texas Tech, and Oregon in the top five. The rest of the top 12 includes Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Alabama, Notre Dame, BYU, and Miami (FL), rounding out the list.
CFP Rankings — Week 14
- 1 OHIO STATE 12-0 Big Ten
- 2 INDIANA 12-0 Big Ten
- 3 GEORGIA 11-1 SEC
- 4 TEXAS TECH 11-1 Big 12
- 5 OREGON 11-1 Big Ten
- 6 OLE MISS 11-1 SEC
- 7 TEXAS A&M 11-1 SEC
- 8 OKLAHOMA 10-2 SEC
- 9 ALABAMA 10-2 SEC
- 10 NOTRE DAME 10-2 FBS Independents
- 11 BYU 11-1 Big 12
- 12 MIAMI (FL) 10-2 ACC
- 13 TEXAS 9-3 SEC
- 14 VANDERBILT 10-2 SEC
- 15 UTAH 10-2 Big 12
- 16 USC 9-3 Big Ten
- 17 VIRGINIA 10-2 ACC
- 18 ARIZONA 9-3 Big 12
- 19 MICHIGAN 9-3 Big Ten
- 20 TULANE 10-2 American Athletic
- 21 HOUSTON 9-3 Big 12
- 22 GEORGIA TECH 9-3 ACC
- 23 IOWA 8-4 Big Ten
- 24 NORTH TEXAS 11-1 American Athletic
- 25 JAMES MADISON 11-1 Sun Belt
Beyond the headline matchup, several conference championships highlight the weekend slate:
Friday
- Conference USA: Kennesaw State vs. Jacksonville State (7 p.m., CBSSN)
- Sun Belt: Troy vs. No. 25 James Madison (7 p.m., ESPN)
- American: No. 24 North Texas vs. No. 20 Tulane (8 p.m., ABC)
- Mountain West: UNLV vs. Boise State (8 p.m., FOX)
Saturday
- MAC: Miami (Ohio) vs. Western Michigan (Noon, ESPN)
- Big 12: No. 11 BYU vs. No. 4 Texas Tech (Noon, ABC)
- SEC: No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 9 Alabama (4 p.m., ABC)
- ACC: Duke vs. No. 17 Virginia (8 p.m., ABC)
- Big Ten: No. 2 Indiana vs. No. 1 Ohio State (8 p.m., FOX)
Ohio State completed a flawless regular season, starting with a 14-7 victory over No. 13 Texas and then ripping through 10 straight opponents before a dominant 27-9 win over No. 19 Michigan in The Game.
Today, Ohio State sits atop the CFP, AP, and Coaches polls. They also lead Bill Connelly’s SP+ rankings and ESPN’s College Football Power Index. Notably, ESPN lists Ohio State second in strength of record, trailing Indiana, but the Buckeyes rank first in game control—the measure of how often a top-25 team could steer a game from start to finish given the schedule—while Indiana sits at No. 4 in that metric.
The winner of the Big Ten Championship Game will claim the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff and earn a trip to the Rose Bowl on January 1, 2026. With the top four teams receiving first-round byes, the loser from this title clash should still land inside the top four, though the exact placement could shift depending on other conference outcomes.
Which take do you find more convincing—the Ohio State dominance argument or Indiana’s undefeated momentum? Do you expect this title game to cement Ohio State’s playoff status, or might Indiana pull off a historic upset that reshapes the final four? Share your thoughts in the comments.
