Big Ten Championship game scenarios still have four teams alive

Big Ten Championship game scenarios still have four teams aliveStory byPhil Harrison, Buckeyes WireMon, November 24, 2025 at 12:05 PM UTC·5 min read

We have just one more week left in the college football regular season before the conference championship games take center stage. In the case of the Big Ten, there are still four teams: Ohio State, Indiana, Oregon, and Michigan that all have a legitimate chance of making it to Indianapolis to play for a trophy and confetti.

With the expansion of leagues in the era that we are in, and the decision to eliminate divisions, determining the teams to play for a conference title involves more complex tiebreaking scenarios, and that's exactly what we might be dealing with in the Big Ten. In fact, there are seven different scenarios that could still play out (some more likely than others) to determine the two teams playing in Indianapolis.

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First things first, though, to get it out of the way, if both undefeated teams in the league, Ohio State (11-0, 8-0) and Indiana (11-0, 8-0), both win on the road against Michigan and Purdue, that takes all of the drama out of things. Those two would obviously be the two playing for the Big Ten Championship. If, however, either of the two should falter, that's where tiebreakers will kick in.

Here are the seven scenarios that are still in play when determining the two teams that will play in the Discover Big Ten Football Championship Game, including the tiebreaking scenarios that would kick in.

But first, a look at the conference's tiebreaking standards and procedures. Don't worry about getting the scientific graphing calculator out; just trust us on the process and what we received from the Big Ten.

Big Ten Championship Game tiebreaking scenarios

Dec 5, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; A Big Ten logo on the field before the Big Ten Conference football championship game between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Michigan State Spartans at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

1. The tied teams will be compared based on head-to-head matchups during the regular season.

2. The tied teams will be compared based on record against all common conference opponents.

3. The tied teams will be compared based on record against common opponents with the best conference record and proceeding through the common conference opponents based on their order of finish within the conference standings.

4. The tied teams will be compared based on the best cumulative conference winning percentage of all conference opponents.

5. The representative will be chosen based on the highest ranking by SportSource Analytics (team Rating Score metric) following the regular season.

6. The representative will be chosen by random draw among the tied teams conducted by the Commissioner or designee.

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Big Ten Championship Game scenario No. 1 - Ohio State (9-0) vs. Indiana (9-0)

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Carnell Tate (17) celebrates a first down catch beside Indiana Hoosiers defensive back Terry Jones Jr. (12) during the NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. Ohio State won 38-15.

• Indiana (9-0) def. Purdue

• Ohio State (9-0) def. Michigan

No drama here. Ohio State and Indiana would be the only two undefeated conference teams and would head to Indy to settle things on the field

Big Ten Championship Game scenario No. 2 - Indiana (9-0) vs. Oregon (8-1)

Indiana cheerleaders celebrate a touchdown as the Oregon Ducks host the Indiana Hoosiers Oct. 11, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon.

• Indiana def. Purdue

• Michigan def. Ohio State

• Oregon def. Washington

Big Ten Records:

Indiana (9-0)

Michigan (8-1)

Ohio State (8-1)

Oregon (8-1)

Tiebreaker Step No. 1 | No head-to-head among 3 tied teams

Tiebreaker Step No. 2 | 2-0 vs. common opponents (WASH and WIS)

Tiebreaker Step No. 3 | N/A

Tiebreaker Step No. 4 | Oregon confirmed to have the best overall record of conference opponents among tied teams and clinches a berth

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Big Ten Championship Game scenario No. 3 - Indiana (9-0) vs. Michigan (8-1)

Nov 9, 2024; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Michigan Wolverines wide receiver Peyton O'Leary (81) dives for a first down but Indiana Hoosiers linebacker Aiden Fisher (4) stops him second half against the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

• Indiana def. Purdue

• Michigan def. Ohio State

• Washington def. Oregon

Big Ten Records:

Indiana (9-0)

Ohio State (8-1)

Michigan (8-1)

Oregon (7-2)

Tiebreaker Step No. 1 | Michigan def. Ohio State head-to-head; Michigan clinches berth

Big Ten Championship Game scenario No. 4 - Ohio State (9-0) vs. Indiana (8-1)

Nov 23, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day(right) and Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti meet at midfield before the game at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

• Ohio State def. Michigan

• Purdue def. Indiana

• Oregon def. Washington

Big Ten Records:

Ohio State (9-0)

Indiana (8-1)

Oregon (8-1)

Tiebreaker Step No. 1 | Indiana def. Oregon head-to-head; Indiana clinches berth

Big Ten Championship Game scenario No. 5 - Oregon (8-1) vs. Michigan (8-1)

Nov 2, 2024; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Traeshon Holden (1) runs the ball chased by Michigan Wolverines defensive back Aamir Hall (12) in the second half at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

• Purdue def. Indiana

• Michigan def. Ohio State

• Oregon def. Washington

Big Ten Records:

Indiana (8-1)

Ohio State (8-1)

Michigan (8-1)

Oregon (8-1)

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Tiebreaker Step No. 1 | No head-to-head among tied teams

Tiebreaker Step No. 2 | 1-0 vs. common opponent (WIS)

Tiebreaker Step No. 3 | N/A

Tiebreaker Step No. 4 | Oregon confirmed to have best overall record of conference opponents among tied teams and clinches berth

Proceed to three-way tiebreaker between OSU/MICH/IND at 8-1

Tiebreaker Step No. 1 | No head-to-head among tied teams

Tiebreaker Step No. 2 | OSU and MICH 2-0 vs. common opponents, IND 1-1 (PUR and WIS). Indiana removed from tiebreaker.

Revert to two-way tiebreaker between OSU and MICH

Tiebreaker Step No. 1 |  Michigan def. Ohio State head-to-head; Michigan clinches berth

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Big Ten Championship Game scenario No. 6 - Ohio State (8-1) vs. Michigan (8-1)

Ohio State Buckeyes defensive tackle Tyleik Williams (91) motions at the line during the first half of the NCAA football game against the Michigan Wolverines at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024.

• Purdue def. Indiana

• Michigan def. Ohio State

• Washington def. Oregon

Big Ten Records:

Indiana (8-1)

Ohio State (8-1)

Michigan (8-1)

Oregon (7-2)

Tiebreaker Step No. 1 | No head-to-head among tied teams

Tiebreaker Step No. 2 | OSU and MICH 2-0 vs. common opponents, IND 1-1 (PUR and WIS) Indiana removed from tiebreaker; Ohio State and Michigan clinch berths

Big Ten Championship Game scenario No. 7 - Ohio State (9-0) vs. Indiana (8-1)

Ohio State Buckeyes offensive lineman Carson Hinzman (75) calls out a play during the second half of the NCAA football game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. Ohio State won 38-15.

• Purdue def. Indiana

• Ohio State def. Michigan

• Washington def. Oregon

Big Ten Records:

Ohio State (9-0)

Indiana (8-1)

Michigan (7-2)

Oregon (7-2)

Ohio State and Indiana clinch berths

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This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Big Ten Championship game scenarios: 4 teams still alive for Indy.

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