I've been doing research on this to try to figure it out and this is what I have. Let me know if this is wrong or if you have any additional information.
I know this is looking ahead a bit, but I have to do that so I can get the time off work if needed....
So here are the scenarios and what they might mean to Ohio State's bowl game selection:
1.) Ohio State wins this weekend and gets one of the playoff spots
This is the easiest and best scenario. Ohio State will play in one of the semi-final games on New Year's Day. If they win, they play on January 12th. I already have New Year's Day off and the game on the 12th will be at night so I don't have to worry.
2.) Ohio State wins this weekend but doesn't get selected for the playoff spot
This is where I get a little confused.... On the College Football Playoff's website, it states that...
Both participants in the Orange, Rose and Sugar Bowls are contracted outside the playoff arrangement (Big Ten and Pac-12 to Rose Bowl; SEC and Big 12 to Sugar Bowl; ACC to Orange Bowl against the highest ranked available team from the SEC, Big Ten and Notre Dame)
As we all know, the Rose Bowl has conference ties with the B1G. With the Rose Bowl being one of the semi-final games, we wouldn't go there. So I'm assuming we would go to the Orange Bowl against an ACC team in this scenario, right? If so, that's good news because the Orange Bowl starts at 8:30pm on New Year's Eve. What wouldn't be good is if Ohio State ended up playing playing in the Peach Bowl... It's on at 12:30pm on New Year's Day. I'm not sure if that could happen though.
3.) Ohio State loses this weekend and Wisconsin are the 2014 B1G Champions
Probably the most depressing scenario but also an easy one to figure out the bowl game. Wisconsin would probably take over the spot in the Orange Bowl and, from the research I've done, Ohio State would be relegated to Citrus Bowl on New Year's Day against an SEC team.
So is that what everyone else has as well?