The Big Ten should end its College Football Playoff drought this season.

There's at least four teams — and maybe two others — capable of winning nine or more games, a league fueled by its two elites jockeying for supremacy inside the Top 10.

As mentioned in the SEC version of this projection, there's a difference between realistic expectations and visions of impractical grandeur, however. Not all programs in the Big Ten are created equal and a few are worried more about hitting bowl eligibility than competing with league titans.

For the teams expected to hover around .500 based on preseason win totals, the home games against comparable competition are must-wins. Victories over ranked teams are rare for squads outside the Top 25 and results in those contests won't hold as much bearing as, say, a tough-to-stomach loss to an opponent you expected to beat.

Here are our picks for the most important game for every Big Ten team this season relative to obtainable goals for every program: