BIG TEN FOOTBALL RELEASE – WEEK 13 | STANDINGS | MEDIA GUIDE | SCHEDULE

• Entering Week 13, two teams in the East Division and three teams in the West Division remain in contention for berths into the 2021 Big Ten Football Championship Game presented by Discover. Ohio State clinched at least a share of the East Division title with its win over Michigan State in Week 12. Remaining scenarios for all five teams can be found below:

East Division

Michigan

Clinches a share of the East Division title AND earns a berth into the Big Ten Football Championship Game with a win over Ohio State

Ohio State

Clinches the East Division title outright AND earns a berth into the Big Ten Football Championship Game with a win over Michigan

 West Division

Wisconsin

Clinches at least a share of the West Division title AND earns a berth into the Big Ten Football Championship Game with a win

Clinches the West Division title outright AND earns a berth into the Big Ten Football Championship Game with a win AND a loss by Iowa

Clinches a share of the West Division title AND earns a berth into the Big Ten Football Championship Game with a loss, AND losses by Iowa AND Purdue 

Iowa

Clinches at least a share of the West Division title with a win

Clinches the West Division title outright AND earns a berth into the Big Ten Football Championship Game with a win AND a loss by Wisconsin

Clinches a share of the West Division title with a loss AND a loss by Wisconsin

Minnesota 

Clinches a share of the West Division title AND earns a berth into the Big Ten Football Championship Game with a win, AND a loss by Iowa AND a win by Purdue

• Purdue has officially been eliminated from contention for a berth into the Big Ten Football Championship Game, but can still clinch a share of the West Division title with a win over Indiana AND losses by Iowa AND Wisconsin. 

• The 2021 Big Ten Football Championship Game will be played at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, Dec. 4, at Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium and will be televised nationally on FOX. The winner will earn the Amos Alonzo Stagg Championship Trophy and a chance to play in one of the six bowls that comprise the College Football Playoff, including the Rose Bowl Game.

• The College Football Playoff will release its next set of top 25 rankings on Tuesday, Nov. 23. The Big Ten had five teams in the top 17 of last week’s CFP’s rankings, including three teams in the top 10: No. 4 Ohio State, No. 6 Michigan, No. 7 Michigan State, No. 15 Wisconsin, and No. 17 Iowa. 

• Five Big Ten teams appear in the Associated Press Poll this week. Ohio State leads the conference at No. 2, followed by No. 6 Michigan, No. 12 Michigan State, No. 17 Iowa, and No. 18 Wisconsin.

• The Big Ten’s five teams in the AP Poll are tied with the Southeastern Conference for the most by any conference in the FBS.

• Four teams in the Big Ten rank among the top 10 in the nation in scoring defense: Penn State (4th, 15.5 ppg), Wisconsin (5th, 15.8), Michigan (7th, 16.3), and Iowa (9th, 16.9). In terms of total defense, Wisconsin ranks second in the nation (237.7 ypg), Minnesota is fourth (289.5), and Michigan is ninth (306.6). 

• In addition to ranking second in the nation in total defense, Wisconsin boasts the No. 1 rushing defense in the country and is surrendering just 64.3 yards per game on the ground. 

• Four Big Ten teams rank in the top 10 in terms of defensive passing efficiency: Iowa (4th, 104.32), Wisconsin (5th, 106.00), Penn State (7th, 108.77), and Michigan (9th, 110.12). 

• Offensively, Ohio State leads the nation with 559.9 yards per game, while also boasting the country’s highest-scoring offense (47.2 points per game). The Big Ten also has two of the top passing offenses in the country: Ohio State (6th, 362.3 ypg) and Purdue (7th, 345.9). 

• In 2021, the Big Ten has seen top-five single-game FBS rushing-yard performances from Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson (2nd, 270 vs. Tulsa) and Michigan State’s Kenneth Walker III (5th, 264 at Northwestern). The Big Ten has five additional 200-plus-yard rushing performances this season: Illinois’ Chase Brown’s 257 yards vs. Charlotte, Walker III’s 233 yards at Rutgers, Wisconsin’s Braelon Allen’s 228 vs. Nebraska, Brown’s 223 yards at Penn State, and Northwestern’s Evan Hull’s 216 yards vs. Ohio.

• In 2021, the Big Ten has seen top-five single-game FBS receiving-yard performances from Penn State’s Jahan Dotson (4th, 242 at Maryland), Purdue’s David Bell (t-5th, 240 at Iowa), and Ohio State’s Jaxson Smith-Njigba (t-5th, 240 vs. Michigan State).

• Additional top-five single-game FBS performances in the Big Ten include: Purdue’s Aidan O’Connell (2nd, 536 passing yards vs. Michigan State), Northwestern’s Brandon Joseph (5th, 111 punt return yards vs. Indiana State), Northwestern’s Chris Bergin (t-2nd, 19 tackles vs. Minnesota), Nebraska’s Luke Reimer (t-2nd, 19 tackles vs. Purdue), Iowa’s Jack Campbell (t-5th, 18 tackles vs. Colorado State), Wisconsin’s Leo Chenal (t-2nd, 5.5 tackles for loss), and Illinois’ Isaiah Gay (t-2nd, 5.5 tackles for loss).

• Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin have all secured bowl eligibility by reaching six wins this season. The Big Ten will continue to feature the largest bowl lineup in conference history.

• On October 10, for the first time in the history of the Associated Press college football poll (established in 1936), the Big Ten has five teams ranked in the top 10. Iowa leads the conference at No. 2, followed by No. 6 Ohio State, No. 7 Penn State, No. 8 Michigan, and No. 10 Michigan State.  

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