If Michigan COVID Issues Continue, Ohio State Will Need New Opponent or Big Ten Rule Change

Welcome to today's edition of what needs to happen for Ohio State to play in the Big Ten Championship Game. Here's the latest:

1) Michigan has canceled their game against Maryland this week due to COVID issues in the Wolverines program. It remains to be seen whether they will be able to play their historic rivalry game against Ohio State next Saturday. The signs right now suggest that it isn't likely, but who knows?

2) Ohio State seems to be on track to play against Michigan State this weekend. The game previously felt like a longshot, but the Buckeyes resumed football activities on Tuesday. However, head coach Ryan Day, who tested positive for COVID, will miss the game if it happens. So will a number of players, whose identities we do not yet know.

3) Ohio State needs to get two more games in to be eligible for the Big Ten title game. I have argued all week that the Big Ten should change their rules if Ohio State doesn't get both of their remaining games in. Ohio State is 4-0 and has already beaten Indiana. Every other team in the Big Ten East has at least two losses. The Hoosiers are also two-touchdown underdogs to Wisconsin this weekend, so it's likely they'll have two losses soon as well.

4) Another thing the Big Ten could do is give Ohio State another opponent next weekend if Michigan can't play. In order for this to happen, another program besides Michigan would have to have COVID issues, but as we've seen the past several weeks in college football, that is hardly out of the question.

The bottom line is that it would be a miscarriage of justice if Ohio State is ineligible for the Big Ten Championship Game, not to mention a worse TV show. Hopefully everything will fall in line so that, if they remain undefeated, the Buckeyes are not left out of the game.