Three years ago, quarterback J.T. Barrett was unable to participate in the Big Ten Championship Game for the Ohio State Buckeyes due to an ankle injury. The Buckeyes still routed the Wisconsin Badgers without him 59-0 as 4-point underdogs and went on to win the national championship as dogs in each of their last two games as well.
Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com
Last Saturday, Barrett again suffered an injury against the Michigan Wolverines in the regular-season finale, but it is not serious enough to keep him from playing the Badgers for the conference title this time around.
Ohio State (10-2) is listed as a 6-point favorite at the sportsbooks on Saturday against unbeaten Wisconsin (12-0) and hopes one more victory will put the team in position to make another run at the national title in the College Football Playoff.
Sportsbooks will likely need the Badgers to come through here based on the popularity of the Buckeyes in the eyes of the betting public along with their recent dominance in this series. Ohio State has won the past five meetings, going 4-1 against the spread.
Elsewhere, the Auburn Tigers (10-2) are listed as 2.5-point betting favorites against the Georgia Bulldogs (11-1) in the SEC Championship Game. The Tigers will be going for their second win over the Bulldogs in four weeks as the two teams also battle for a College Football Playoff berth; the loser risks falling out of Playoff contention.
Over in the Big 12 Championship Game, the Oklahoma Sooners (11-1) look like they are facing a must-win situation against the TCU Horned Frogs if they want to get into the CFP for the second time in three years.
The Sooners have already beaten the Horned Frogs (10-2) once this year and are 7-point favorites in the rematch this weekend. Oklahoma may close as an even bigger favorite considering what is on the line, so the books might need TCU.
And whoever wins the ACC Championship Game between the Clemson Tigers and the Miami Hurricanes would seem to be a lock to make the College Football Playoff. The defending national champion Tigers are 9.5-point favorites to win their third straight ACC title, and books will probably need the Hurricanes to cover the spread in order to beat bettors.
