Kirk Herbstreit names two-loss Big Ten team with best shot at College Football Playoff

Kirk Herbstreit | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The pecking order of the Big Ten is fairly plain. You have Ohio State and Indiana stampeding toward a Big Ten championship bash and certain College Football Playoff appearance, while Oregon seems very likely to get in as well. After that, though, there's a slew of programs in a rat race to be the fourth Big Ten bid.

Now, the league could get as little as just three teams in, or could end up with 5-6 if insanity breaks out across the country. You just don't know. But right now, what seems likely is that Ohio State, Indiana and Oregon all get in, plus at least one more team.

On a YouTube live stream Monday morning alongside Joey Galloway, Herbstreit took a look at how the Big Ten stacks up and why one team has a prime opportunity to snag that coveted No. 4 spot in the Big Ten pecking order, at least when it comes to the CFP rankings.

"If we look at those three, Indiana, Ohio State, and Oregon — the next two are USC and Michigan," Herbstreit laid out. "Michigan has probably the best opportunity because they still have Ohio State to play. I think we would all agree, with an opportunity at 9-2, if they beat Ohio State at home to get to 10-2, they’re in. You know, I don’t know who’s out, but Michigan would be impossible to not put in."

Michigan Wolverines running back Bryson Kuzdzal (24) | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

We don't need to inform college football fans about the winning streak Michigan owns over Ohio State — four games in a row now — and are getting the game back at their own home stadium and with a chance to pretty much punch their playoff ticket. But Joey Galloway doesn't want to forget about USC in all this.

USC also has CFP hopes

"But you also look, USC has a shot, and they play Oregon," he noted, explaining that several Big Ten clubs have chances to assert themselves. "When we talk about who can be the fourth team, if there is a fourth team, there’s going to be teams with an opportunity to make that argument."

USC and Michigan have slobber-knockers left on the schedule and still just two losses to their name, while Iowa just faced and failed their big remaining challenge and are now likely done in the greater playoff picture.

"Iowa just had their opportunity, came up a little short. USC is going to play Oregon. Ohio State has to go play Michigan. So, both those teams are going to have a chance to at least get into the conversation."