The College Football Playoff worked out well for the Big Ten in 2014, as Ohio State won the national championship despite being the last team in as the #4 seed. Under the BCS, the Buckeyes would have had to settle for a Rose Bowl berth instead of playing for a national championship.
Since then, Big Ten teams have been a big zero in the playoff. 2015 Michigan State and 2016 Ohio State were both shut out in their semifinal games, while no Big Ten team qualified for a playoff spot in 2017 or 2018.
Not that the Big Ten’s absence has hurt the playoff; it’s considered a rousing success, except for the concept of New Years Eve semifinals.