For the second year in a row, Michigan football defeated Ohio State to advance to the Big Ten championship game.
And for the second year in a row, if the Wolverines (12-0, 9-0 Big Ten) win the conference title game in Indianapolis on Dec. 3, they'll advance to the College Football Playoff.
So who will U-M play? That's where things get tricky.
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The Big Ten West Division has been topsy-turvy all year, but it's down to three options:
1. If Purdue (7-4, 5-3) wins at Indiana on Saturday afternoon, the Boilermakers will win the division and take on Michigan. Purdue has never played in the Big Ten title game.
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2. If Purdue loses and Illinois (7-4, 4-4) wins at Northwestern, then the Fighting Illini will head to Indy. Illinois has also never played in the conference championship game, though their head coach, Bret Bielema, has coached in it with Wisconsin. Last week, Illinois gave Michigan a late scare, losing in Ann Arbor, 19-17.
3. If both Purdue and Illinois lose, then Iowa (7-5, 5-4) will meet the Wolverines in the title game for the second consecutive year. The Hawkeyes, coming off a 24-17 home loss to Nebraska on Friday, also lost to Michigan this season. U-M won in Iowa City in October, 27-14.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan football's Big Ten title game opponent: The scenarios
