The Minnesota Golden Gophers dropped to No. 18 in the penultimate rankings from the College Football Playoff selection committee, following a 38-17 loss to Wisconsin in the regular season finale. Beating the Badgers would have set the stage for a Top 10 showdown with Ohio State in the Big Ten title game, but instead the Gophers will be watching from home, awaiting word on their bowl destination. Minnesota checked in at No. 8 in last week’s rankings.
The Buckeyes retained the top spot in the rankings, followed by Wisconsin at No. 8. Penn State stood pat at No.