The Scarlet Knights face the Fighting Illini in a tough march through the late-season heart of Big Ten conference play.

Only two of the current half-dozen unbeatens could meet prior to the finalized 12-team playoff bracket -- Ohio State and Indiana in the Big Ten Championship Game if both elites keep it up. Here's our best guess at handicapping what's left on the schedule for each team with perfect records and where that first loss may come next month:

The Big Ten’s championship picture, as Joel Klatt sees it, could come down to two unbeaten powers. The Fox Sports analyst projected an Ohio State–Indiana title

Josh Pate defends SEC's nine ranked teams while proposing a compelling theory: Big Ten might have the three best teams in the country while SEC dominates the rest of the rankings

Based on records to date, the Big Ten has five options for a fourth bid: Iowa, Nebraska, Washington, USC and Michigan. They have the same number of losses (two) but different resumes. Our assessment of their CFP prospects, from best to worst:

The final stretch of the season is upon us. The ACC race continues to take shape and after another weekend where a contender dropped a game, there are now only