By Jordan Hansen

jordan-hansen@uiowa

After a wild Saturday in which three top-four teams lost, the College Football Playoff race got a whole bunch more complicated.

The Big Ten title race is heating up as well, which will have a direct effect on postseason scenarios. Michigan losing actually hurt Ohio State’s bid for the East Division title as well. All Penn State now has to do to win the East is win out. With Rutgers and Michigan State on the slate, that doesn’t seem like the most difficult thing in the world.

Right now, Michigan still has the best chance of any Big Ten team to make the playoffs. If the Wolverines win out (which would include a win over the Buckeyes) and then beat the West Division champion, there is no doubt they are in.

They’re also zeroed in on what’s ahead.

“We still have big dreams there,” Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh said during Tuesday’s teleconference. “The focus of our team, the work ethic of our team, it’s been good all year.”

A loss against Iowa did end the Wolverines’ quest for a perfect season, but there’s still a whole bunch more for the team ahead.

There’s also a chance Ohio State still manages to sneak into the playoffs, even if it doesn’t make it to the conference championship. The Buckeyes have just one loss, and if both Ohio State and Penn State win out (pushing the Nittany Lions into the Big Ten Championship), the Buckeyes would have an extremely strong case.

The next few weeks should be very interesting.

Badgers stay in Big Ten West driver’s seat

Following a 48-3 drubbing of Illinois, Wisconsin continues to separate itself as the best team in the Big Ten West.

Nebraska stayed in the picture with a 24-17 win over Minnesota, but the Cornhuskers need help. The Badgers have a fairly easy slate through the rest of the season; they play at Purdue this week and then get the Gophers at home in the last game of the year.

Wisconsin will be heavily favored in both of those games. Nebraska has a slightly tougher slate, playing at home against Maryland and then at Iowa on Black Friday. Not an easy slate but still the second-most realistic chance in the West Division.

Not helping matters? The uncertain status of Cornhusker quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr.

He did not practice on Tuesday and his outlook appears very questionable.

“We’ll practice like we did a week ago when Tommy was going through the concussion protocol,” Nebraska head coach Mike Riley said. “Until we know better, we’ll head into the game and prepare like he won’t play.”

Rutgers still searching for a conference win

It has not been a good season to be a Rutgers football fan.

The Scarlet Knights have been shut out three times this season, and while they have been very close games, it still has yet to pick up a conference victory. That probably won’t change this week.

Rutgers hosts a very hot Penn State team, and things might not be pretty, again. With just the Nittany Lions and Maryland left on its schedule, the team just may not be in for a Big Ten win this season.

“We got a night game, it’s Senior Day, we’re working very hard to work back from a tough a loss at Michigan State,” Rutgers head coach Chris Ash said. “We want to send this seniors out on a good note.”