New York Post

PSU, Wiscy focused on Big Ten

- By MICHAEL MAROT

INDIANAPOL­IS — Paul Chryst and James Franklin left the outside world behind Friday.

As college football pundits debated whether two Big Ten teams should make the four-team playoff, the two coaches vying for a Big Ten championsh­ip Saturday night (8 p.m., FOX) trained their attention on something less nebulous: Winning one more game.

For No. 6 Wisconsin and No. 8 Penn State, it’s not the selection committee that matters right now. It’s taking home the trophy and winning the title.

“The only thing that exists for us is Wisconsin and the Big Ten championsh­ip game,” said Franklin, the Penn State coach. “I’m not going to sit here and make a case for us. Our whole focus will be on Wisconsin and getting ready for this game.”

That may sound good in the confines of a locker room or in a stadium decked out in cardinal and blue. Or at least until Sunday afternoon, when the playoff choices become final.

But even at Lucas Oil Stadium, it’s hard to move beyond the résumés of these teams. Wisconsin (10-2, No. 6 CFP) earned its fourth division crown in six years with six straight victories and by posting a 3-2 mark against top-10 teams. The only stumbles were a sevenpoint loss at No. 2 Michigan and an overtime loss to No. 2 Ohio State.

“I think one quality of this team that I’ve appreciate­d a ton this year is their ability to make the most of the moment,” Chryst said of his Badgers. “So I don’t spend any time thinking about what you’re asking about [the playoffs]. … We’d be doing this game and this team a real disservice if we didn’t put all of our energy into it.”

Penn State (10-2, No. 7) is the surprise newcomer to championsh­ip weekend.

The Nittany Lions got here by winning eight straight following a 39-point drubbing at the hands of Michigan in late September. While they only played one ranked team during that stretch, they handed the Buckeyes their only loss of the season. —

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