Programs from the Big Ten have won the last two national championships, and after No. 3 Ohio State’s 14-7 win over No. 1 Texas on Saturday, in a rematch of the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Cotton Bowl.
The Buckeyes’ newly hired defensive coordinator, Matt Patricia, and his elite secondary spoiled Arch Manning’s debut and made a strong case as the conference’s top contender. However, Ohio State isn’t the only Big Ten program with national title aspirations, and while the other two didn’t quite have the same test, they didn’t do anything to dim their outlook.
Penn State, which came into Week 1 ahead of Ohio State in the AP poll at No.