Perception prevails.
That's part of the reason Alabama made the College Football Playoff instead of Big Ten champion Ohio State. We can talk wins, losses, strength of schedule, resumes, branding and whatever metric for that argument, which the Crimson Tide won over the Buckeyes.
Perception prevailed. It's that image of Clemson beating Ohio State 31-0 in the Fiesta Bowl last season, or Alabama beating Michigan State 38-0 in the Cotton Bowl Classic in 2015. The idea of Clemson-Alabama III is much better than the risk of watching the Buckeyes get blown out by the Tigers again. There's no metric for that, but it's a thought process that happens all the time in college football.
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The perception of the Big Ten has changed. It has improved since Urban Meyer arrived at Ohio State in 2012, and it can still make the argument it's the strongest conference in college football. No. 6 Wisconsin and No. 9 Penn State made New Year's Day Six Bowls. No. 16 Michigan State and No. 21 Northwestern enjoyed nine-win seasons. Reports of Michigan's demise after a four-loss team under Jim Harbaugh are greatly exaggerated.
The Big Ten is fine. The conference isn't lightyears behind the SEC — or even ACC — like it was for a merciful stretch from 2007-12 before Meyer's arrival in Columbus. Yet Ohio State's national championship in 2014 hasn't changed the perception that much.
Why? National championships matter. Since the BCS started, the Buckeyes have accounted for the conference's two national championships. The SEC and ACC have combined for 13 of the last 19 championships and make up 75 percent of the College Football Playoff field this season. It has nothing to do with ratings. Those are the best teams in the country. College football isn't worse off for it either.
Clemson's victory against Ohio State wasn't the only blow last season. Michigan and Penn State lost New Year's Day Six bowls to FSU and USC, respectively. The conference finished 3-7 and didn't have a marquee nonconference victory this season. Michigan's victory against Florida looked good at the time, but these are perceptions that become harsh reality as the process unfolds.
Wisconsin finished 12-0, but the committee believed Alabama, Auburn and Georgia were better throughout the process, and they haven't been proven wrong. So the Big Ten needs to start changing that perception for 2018 with the bowl season.
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That means Ohio State beats USC in the Cotton Bowl Classic, Penn State beats Washington in the Fiesta Bowl and Wisconsin beats Miami in the Orange Bowl. Victories by Michigan State, Northwestern and Michigan wouldn't hurt. A strong bowl season bleeds into 2018, and the nonconference schedule presents more opportunities.
Michigan plays at Notre Dame on Sept. 1. Penn State travels to Pitt, and Michigan State to Arizona State the following week. Ohio State travels to TCU on Sept. 15, and Notre Dame visits Northwestern on Nov. 3. Win those — and don't lose two games.
A one-loss Big Ten team will never be turned away from the playoff, unless it misses out because of another one-loss Big Ten team. Alabama-Ohio State wouldn't have been a discussion if not for a 31-point loss to Iowa on Nov. 4. That loss, and that 31-point loss to Clemson, formed that perception of the Buckeyes that college football fans and the committee simply couldn't shake.
Perception always prevails. The Big Ten can't change what happened now, but a strong bowl season would go a long way in making sure it doesn't happen again.
