FIRST WORD

I think that would be very difficult to do. There’s no part of me that says if you go undefeated as a Power Five and win your conference championship, and you’re not going to be in the final four? I don’t see that. That would shock me.” Wisconsin athletics director Barry Alvarez, to ESPN, about the College Football Playoff. The Big Ten team is 9-0 and in last week’s first ranking by the CFP selection committee was ninth, behind six one-loss teams.