COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — It’s barely September and the Big Ten might be out of the inaugural College Football Playoff race.

A conference that has had more than its share of epic failures in high-profile showdowns in recent years had a massive breakdown on Saturday night. Three of its biggest bullies — No. 7 Michigan State, No. 8 Ohio State and once mighty Michigan— all were soundly defeated at about the same time on national TV.

Factor in Wisconsin’s loss to LSU a week earlier and it’s easy to see why the conference could be a spectator for the next four months when the talk turns to the best teams at the college level.

It wasn’t the worst day in Big Ten football history. But it was close.