Big Ten Announces Tie Breaker Scenarios for Big Ten Championship Football Game

Written by Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)

On Tuesday evening the Big Ten Conference announced that they played out every tie breaker scenario and that the Oregon Ducks had clinched a spot in the Big Ten Football Championship Game. They also released a breakdown of each scenario, including those that have IU heading to Indianapolis for the title game.

2024 DISCOVER BIG TEN FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME TIEBREAKER SCENARIOS

Current Standings 

Oregon 8-0 

Indiana 7-0 

Ohio State 6-1

Penn State 6-1 

Scenario #1 Oregon and Indiana finish 9-0 Penn State finishes 8-1 Ohio State finishes 7-2 

OUTCOME: Indiana and Oregon earn berths in champ game with No. 1 and No. 2 designations determined following final game of the season based on highest cumulative conference winning percentage of all conference opponents. 

Scenario #2 Oregon finishes 9-0 Indiana and Penn State finish 8-1 (both lost to OSU) Ohio State finishes 7-2 (losses to ORE and MICH) 

OUTCOME: Oregon earns outright berth as No. 1 seed. The No. 2 seed will be determined by highest cumulative conference winning percentage of all conference opponents at the end of the season for IND and PSU. 

Scenario #3 Oregon finishes 9-0 Indiana and Penn State finish 8-1 (PUR def. IND, OSU def. PSU) Ohio State finishes 7-2 (losses to ORE and IND) 

OUTCOME: Oregon earns outright berth as No. 1 seed. Indiana earns berth as No. 2 seed due to win vs. common opponent with Penn State (IND def. OSU, OSU def. PSU) 

Scenario #4 Oregon finishes 9-0 Indiana, Ohio State and Penn State finish 8-1 (OSU def. IND, ORE def. OSU, OSU def. PSU) 

OUTCOME: Oregon earns outright berth as No. 1 seed. Ohio State earns berth as No. 2 seed due to head-to-head wins vs. both Indiana and Penn State. 

Scenario #5 Indiana finishes 9-0 Oregon and Penn State finish 8-1 (WASH def. ORE, OSU def. PSU) Ohio State finishes 7-2 (losses to IND and ORE) 

OUTCOME: Indiana earns outright berth as No. 1 seed. Oregon earns berth as No. 2 seed due to win vs. common opponent ranked highest in standings (OSU). 

Scenario #6 Ohio State, Oregon and Penn State finish 8-1 (ORE def. OSU, WASH def. ORE, OSU def. PSU) Indiana finishes 7-2 (losses to OSU and PUR) 

OUTCOME: Ohio State earns first berth due to highest cumulative conference winning percentage of all conference opponents. Oregon earns second berth due to win vs. common opponent with Penn State (OSU; ORE def. OSU, OSU def. PSU). Oregon would be No. 1 seed and Ohio State would be No. 2 seed due to head-to-head result. 

Scenario #7 Indiana, Oregon and Penn State finish 8-1 (PUR def. IND, WASH def. ORE, OSU def. PSU) Ohio State finishes 7-2 (losses to ORE and IND) 

OUTCOME: Indiana and Oregon earn berths due to win vs. common opponent ranked highest in standings (OSU; IND and ORE def. OSU, OSU def. PSU). Indiana would be No. 1 seed and Oregon would be No. 2 seed (of common opponents that IND and ORE lost to, WASH ranked higher than PUR in conference standings; IND def. WASH and WASH def. ORE). 

Scenario #8 Indiana, Ohio State and Oregon finish 8-1 (OSU def. IND, ORE def. OSU, WASH def. ORE) Penn State finishes 7-2 (losses to OSU and either MINN/MD)

OUTCOME: Ohio State earns first berth due to highest cumulative conference winning percentage of all conference opponents. Oregon earns second berth due to win vs. common opponent with Indiana (OSU; ORE def. OSU, OSU def. IND). Oregon would be No. 1 seed and Ohio State would be No. 2 seed due to head-to-head result. 

Scenario #9 Indiana, Ohio State, Oregon and Penn State finish 8-1 (OSU def. IND; ORE def. OSU; ORE lost to WASH; OSU def. PSU) 

OUTCOME: Ohio State earns first berth due to highest cumulative conference winning percentage of all conference opponents. Oregon earns second berth due to win vs. common opponent ranked highest in standings (OSU; ORE def. OSU, OSU def. PSU). Oregon would be No. 1 seed and Ohio State would be No. 2 seed due to head-to-head result. 

Scenario #10 Oregon finishes 9-0 or 8-1 Penn State finishes 8-1 (lost to OSU) Indiana and Ohio State finish 7-2 (IND lost to OSU and PUR; OSU lost to ORE and MICH) 

OUTCOME: Oregon and Penn State earn berths into champ game. Oregon earns No. 1 seed due to win vs. common opponent ranked highest in conference standings (OSU; ORE def. OSU; OSU def. PSU)

Big Ten Conference Release

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The University of Oregon has secured a berth in the 2024 Discover Big Ten Football Championship Game. The 14th annual title game will be played on Saturday, December 7, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis and will feature the top two teams in the standings for the first time. The contest will be broadcast on CBS with kickoff set for 8 p.m. ET.

Following a comprehensive evaluation of all possible scenarios over the final two weeks of regular-season play across the conference’s 18 teams, there are no conditions whereby the Ducks do not finish No. 1 or No. 2. A list of those scenarios can be found here.

Oregon is currently ranked No. 1 in the College Football Playoff rankings and head into this weekend’s bye with a perfect 11-0 record, having just completed an uninterrupted stretch of eight consecutive Big Ten games. They will conclude the regular season on Nov. 30 when they host the Washington Huskies.