Novig pricesUCLA climbs into CFP top four at No. 4 as Big Ten places six teams in second rankings
Unbeaten UCLA is No. 4 in the second College Football Playoff rankings, a bye spot, with Indiana, Iowa, Oregon, USC and Ohio State also ranked.
UCLA is in the top four of the College Football Playoff rankings. In the committee's second release on Tuesday night, the 9-0 Bruins landed at No. 4. If the season ended today, that would put them in line for a first-round bye. CBS Sports reported that Georgia took over No. 1 after Miami lost to Notre Dame, with Utah at No. 2 and Alabama moving up to No. 3 after beating LSU. UCLA and Utah are the only unbeaten teams left in FBS.
The Bruins are the Big Ten's highest-ranked team, and the conference placed six teams in the top 25. Indiana is No. 9 at 8-1, Iowa is No. 15, Oregon is No. 16 and USC is No. 18. Ohio State is No. 20 after losing two straight games. Trojans Wire noted that USC moved up two spots after beating Ohio State 30-18. Notre Dame rounds out the top five at No. 5.
The ranking reflects how steady UCLA has been. The Bruins have scored 302 points and allowed 127, an average of about 33.6 to 14.1 per game. Wisconsin, Michigan State and Nevada combined for 17 points against them over a three-game stretch. UCLA's best result is still the 17-15 win at Oregon, which was No. 13 at the time. Last week the Bruins won 34-20 at Minnesota. They still have to protect their spot, because the committee's top four only matters if UCLA keeps winning through November.
What it means for Illinois on Friday
UCLA's next chance to hold its place comes Friday night at home against Illinois on Fox. Across the 12 venues on this site's board, the Bruins are clear favorites. Novig has UCLA at -365 to win outright and Illinois at +335. Sportsbook hold on the moneyline runs from 3.8% to 5.8%. On the spread, Novig lists UCLA at -10.5 with a +108 price. The best number anywhere is FanDuel's UCLA -9.5 at -120, so the venues are a full point apart on the line. The total is 48.5 at Novig. FanDuel has the over at 47.5 and theScore Bet has the under at 49.5, a two-point spread between venues.
The other ranked Big Ten teams have their own tests on Saturday. USC plays at No. 9 Indiana in the biggest game of the weekend for the league. Indiana is favored at -277 on Novig, and the best price anywhere is FanDuel's -275. Novig has the spread at Indiana -7.5, while BetRivers has -7. A win in Bloomington would give the Trojans two top-10 wins in a row and push them toward the at-large group.
Ohio State is home against Northwestern after losses to USC and Oregon. The Buckeyes are favored at -426 on Novig and by 12.5 points, and they need a win to stay in the conversation. Iowa hosts Purdue as the heaviest favorite of the group, at -809 on Novig and 17.5 points. The Hawkeyes' last two wins came by a combined 54-10 over Wisconsin and Northwestern.
For UCLA, the formula is simple: keep winning and the Bruins stay in position for a bye. Illinois is the next team trying to stop them.