LSU football: College Football Playoff chances

Oct 24, 2015; East Lansing, MI, USA; General view of Big Ten logo on field prior to a game between the Michigan State Spartans and the Indiana Hoosiers at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

The Big Ten 

In order to solidify a spot in the playoff, LSU needs the Big Ten to beat up on each other much like they need the Big 12 to.

The two undefeated teams in the Big Ten are Iowa and Ohio State, and if both run the table for the remainder of the regular season, then the two teams will play each other other in the Big Ten Championship Game with a trip to the College Football Playoff on the line.

LSU badly needs Ohio State to stumble on their way to the Big Ten Championship game. If Ohio State loses to either Michigan State or Michigan in their upcoming games, which are both legitimate possibilities, then LSU would have to be excited about its chances.

Again, using the ‘who had the more impressive loss’ metric, LSU could look more impressive to the committee than the Buckeyes. And the Tigers’ most impressive win against Florida would be more significant as well.

As for Iowa, the Hawkeyes appear to have a cakewalk schedule leading into the Big Ten Championship Game, but they will certainly be underdogs in that game, regardless of their opponents.

An undefeated Iowa may seriously damage LSU chances, but an Iowa loss in the Big Ten championship game is likely, as they would be overmatched by Ohio State, Michigan State or Michigan.

Next: Clemson, Notre Dame and Stanford