As things stand early in the third quarter of the Big Ten Championship Game, it appears Ohio State will defeat the undefeated Wisconsin Badgers to win the conference title.

What does that mean for No. 5 Alabama, who is one spot behind the Badgers in the College Football Playoff rankings? That remains to be seen, but it’s what the Crimson Tide need if they are going to get into the final four.

However, according to the Chicago Tribune, Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany was (understandably) making a case for the Buckeyes ahead of Saturday night’s title game, saying the Buckeyes, and the Big Ten in general, have challenged themselves more than the SEC:

“I feel we can make an argument that we’re the strongest conference,” he said. “We had the most FBS wins; we had the fewest FCS games. We challenged ourselves in every way. I think our efforts to play more conference games, to schedule up to a reasonable degree, to reduce the number of mismatches should serve us well.

“Another distinction is that Ohio State, if it wins, would have a championship. Conference championships are part of it.”

Of course, the CFP selection committee will have the final say on the matter, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a victorious Buckeyes squad overtake the Crimson Tide in the standings when they are revealed on Sunday.