Taji34
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This keeps coming up in different threads, so I'm making a new thread for visibility that can be referenced. Here are the Rose Bowl team selection rules:
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bids_to_college_bowl_games#Big_Ten_Conference:
And from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose_Bowl_Game#College_Football_Playoff
What this all means is is during non-semi final years:
1. The Big Ten champion goes to the Rose bowl automatically when they are not in a playoff semi-final. So if OSU wins the conference over us, but does not make the playoffs, they go to the rose bowl. Only way I see this happening is if they drop a game before the conference championship. If they are undefeated and then beat us, they are in the CFP as an undefeated P5 no if, ands, or buts.
2. In the case OSU is in the playoffs, the bowls then submit their preferences and then the Big Ten sets the bowl games. What this has effectively meant is the "Second best" Big Ten team goes to the Rose bowl, probably since the Big Ten wants to have the best chance at winning that bowl game. In all the years of CFP when the Rose bowl was not a semi final, and the Big Ten Champion was in the playoffs, this has gone to the second highest Big Ten team in the CFP rankings. This, however, is not codified anywhere in the rules:
What this all means is, if we win the west division, but lose the Big Ten championship we have a pretty good chance at the rose bowl as long as we are the 2nd highest ranked big ten team. Things that screw that up:
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bids_to_college_bowl_games#Big_Ten_Conference:
2019:
NOTE: Bowls submit preferences to conference, and conference actually assigns schools to bowls. Other than the Rose Bowl, all Big Ten bowls have agreed to have at least five different schools in their bowl over the 2014–19 contract cycle. Also, no school will appear in same bowl back-to-back years.
#1 College Football Playoff. Champion goes to Rose Bowl if not selected for playoffs. The Rose Bowl gets filled by a Big Ten team if champion is in the playoffs
The Citrus Bowl versus SEC
The Outback Bowl versus SEC
The Holiday Bowl versus Pac-12
The Music City Bowl or the Gator Bowl versus SEC. From 2014–19, the Music City and Gator will each get Big Ten team three times. No Big Ten will appear in either bowl more than once each.
The Pinstripe Bowl versus ACC
The Redbox Bowl versus Pac-12
The Quick Lane Bowl versus ACC
The First Responder Bowl versus Conference USA
The Armed Forces Bowl versus Mountain West
And from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose_Bowl_Game#College_Football_Playoff
The BCS was replaced in 2014 by the College Football Playoff, which selects four teams for two national semifinal games, leading to a championship game. As part of the arrangement, the Rose Bowl game functions as a semifinal playoff game every three years. In years when the Rose Bowl is not hosting a semifinal, it takes the Pac-12 and Big Ten champions, unless one or both teams qualify for the semifinals, in which case they are replaced by another team from the same conference.
What this all means is is during non-semi final years:
1. The Big Ten champion goes to the Rose bowl automatically when they are not in a playoff semi-final. So if OSU wins the conference over us, but does not make the playoffs, they go to the rose bowl. Only way I see this happening is if they drop a game before the conference championship. If they are undefeated and then beat us, they are in the CFP as an undefeated P5 no if, ands, or buts.
2. In the case OSU is in the playoffs, the bowls then submit their preferences and then the Big Ten sets the bowl games. What this has effectively meant is the "Second best" Big Ten team goes to the Rose bowl, probably since the Big Ten wants to have the best chance at winning that bowl game. In all the years of CFP when the Rose bowl was not a semi final, and the Big Ten Champion was in the playoffs, this has gone to the second highest Big Ten team in the CFP rankings. This, however, is not codified anywhere in the rules:
- 2015 Rose Bowl was a playoff game, not Big Ten Team.
- 2016 Rose Bowl: #6 Iowa (Big Ten West Division Champ and Second Highest rated Big Ten Team behind #3 MSU in the playoffs)
- 2017 Rose Bowl: #5 Penn State (Big Ten Champs, but also Second Highest rated Big Ten Team behind #3OSU in the playoffs)
- 2018 Rose Bowl was a playoff game, not Big Ten Team.
- 2019 Rose Bowl: #6 OSU (Big Ten Champs, highest ranked Big Ten team)
What this all means is, if we win the west division, but lose the Big Ten championship we have a pretty good chance at the rose bowl as long as we are the 2nd highest ranked big ten team. Things that screw that up:
- Big Ten Champ does not receive a playoff bid
- We are not the 2nd highest ranked big ten team after the Big Ten Championship. I could see this happening potentially. If we win the west, then lose to OSU, we wind up 11-2, with PSU being 10-2. We have one more win, and the head to head win, but also lost to Iowa who PSU beat. In the eyes of the CFP it may come down to who played OSU "better". Whoever did that would likely be ranked higher.