BCS berth at stake in Columbus next week

Big Ten Blog

November, 7, 2009

Nov 7

9:59

PM ET

By Adam Rittenberg

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

The Iowa-Ohio State clash next Saturday in Columbus will be the closest thing we'll see to a Big Ten championship game.

The winner will not only earn a share of the league title but gain the Big Ten's automatic berth to a BCS bowl, almost certainly the Rose Bowl. If Iowa wins, the Hawkeyes will have beaten Ohio State, Penn State and Wisconsin, the only teams that can tie them for first place in the league. So Iowa will hold all the tiebreakers. The same goes for Ohio State. If the Buckeyes win, they will have beaten Iowa, Penn State and Wisconsin. Even if the Buckeyes lose to Michigan on Nov. 21, they will win the tiebreaker at 6-2 in league play.

Thanks to Big Ten assistant commissioner for communications Scott Chipman for passing along this note.

Tags:

Big Ten Conference, Ohio State Buckeyes, Iowa Hawkeyes, Buckeyes-Lions 110709

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