There’s something to be said for that, because the other side of the coin is quite the thing to consider. Penn State winning the Big Ten title means adding a victory over the nation’s top-ranked team. At 12-1 with a conference title under their belts, who's to say the Nittany Lions aren’t the No. 1 overall seed?

The race for a berth in the Big Ten championship is straightforward entering the final week of the season. Undefeated Oregon has already clinched a spot. One-loss Penn State, Ohio State and Indiana are all in play to be the Ducks’ opponents on Dec. 7 in Indianapolis.

Penn State won't need the Big Ten title game to get into the College Football Playoff, but tiebreakers can still get them to Indianapolis.