Dallas Jackson
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Michigan football announced today that their game against Ohio State this Saturday is canceled. This is not altogether surprising, given the tea leaves that had been coming out of Ann Arbor in the last week, but the Buckeyes are now in a tough spot. Either they must find themselves a new opponent for this weekend, or the Big Ten needs to change its championship game rules.
Ohio State has played five games, and Big Ten rules stipulate that six games must played for title game eligibility. Two of the three games that Ohio State missed were due to COVID-19 issues in their opponents’ programs.
Wisconsin Athletic Director Barry Alvarez said twice last week that Big Ten athletic directors should revisit the rules for Ohio State’s eligibility. We’ll see what they do now.
I have repeatedly advocated for the Big Ten to change its rules. Ohio State is undefeated, they already beat Indiana, and every other team in the Big Ten East has at least two losses. If the conference cannot secure another opponent for Ohio State for Saturday, it is a no-brainer for them to change the rules.
OutKick founder Clay Travis has called for Texas A&M and Ohio State to play:
Winner would clearly get in the playoff and not need to play any more games the rest of the season. It’s a no brainer, honestly.
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) December 8, 2020
Would the Big Ten and SEC agree to do that? It would be blockbuster TV if they did.
It’s a brilliant idea…the conferences would never go for it.
Agree. Definitely on former, probably on latter
The Little 10 is a joke.
The Big 12, SEC and ACC (save for Florida State who just didn’t want to finish the season) have done a great job of dealing with Covid and finishing a full conference schedule. In many instances an additional game. Guess what, not one athlete from those conferences has reported any long term complications or illness from COVID. It can be done but not from echo chambers and political positions. Every single fringe NFL draft player who stayed at a Little 10, and for that matter Lack-12 school, should sue the conferences and their schools. So lame and scared.
Of course it’s a no-brainer! Which is why it will never happen.
They’ve literally played five games against non-ranked teams besides Indiana which is maybe the least historical big ten football school. They shouldn’t even be ranked #4, this is the problem with the NCAA. This is like fantasy, teams are basically being ranked off of kid’s highschool performance and now given chamiponships. This is garbage, I’m sorry Covid ruines their season but why should the entire country bend their knee. Just lame they shouldn’t even be rankes that high until they prove something.
This is why preseason college football rankings are the biggest farce in amateur sports.
Then they would be mad at big ten but now we are just gonna givee teams that played 6 games title cracks lol why even tune in anymore
Why should A&M travel to OSU? Aggies are ranked #5. If OSU ends up out of the B10CG, Aggies have a great shot at getting if (when?) Bama routes Florida. Make OSU go on the road to play A&M – Buckeyes have more to lose here.
Big Bank takes little bank. Ohio State is probably an even bigger brother than Texas is to A&M.
They made the rules and regulations. They have nobody but to blame but themselves. The thing is I don’t think they care. They created it to fail
Nobody can tell me six games justifies putting OSU ahead of, say, Texas A&M at 9-1. Or a one-loss ND. We all need to just hope Florida beats bama and Clemson beats ND so OSu can be locked out. You shouldn’t be able to play half the season of others with MUCH MUCH better resumes and get in over them. Fuck your eye test. The playoff is more than just how good you THINK a team is.
2020 is the year that rules are changed in nearly every aspect of our lives.
we are letting it happen to us across sports, law and general society. people are being to accept changing the rules in just about any situation from elections, to football championships.
society breaks down after rule changing goes on long enough. college football may never be the same. maybe nothing will be the same again. 🤦♀️
Nope, no rule changes. Let them choke on their consequences. And don’t cry for the athletes, they have dumb politics too, same as the conference administrators. You vote for it, you get it. Stay home and stay safe, Big 10.
Despite Herbie’s somewhat inflammatory comments against Meatchicken, Jimbo just got a huge break. UM is trying to get Harbaugh to stay for less money and but have more incentives, but if Ohio State beats him again AND by more than the 30 point spread, there is no contract extension at any price.
Well if the Big 10 wouldn’t allow Nebraska to play out of conference…I highly doubt they’d allow Ohio State.
And they better not change their 6 game rule for Ohio State…otherwise that just basically tells you there’s one team that runs the conference.
And that corn-laden dogpile Kevin Warren is nowhere to be found, still in the basement licking the scat out of Biden’s diaper…
I feel sorry for the players at OSU, especially when many of them fought to play, but the conference did this to them. The teams that found ways to play 10 games shouldn’t be shoved aside because OSU wants in. They should blame their conference and leave for a better one. Except they’ll stay because 9 out of 10 years they get to coast through it.
Totally agree with this comment. Feel badly for the school or the conference – not in the least. Feel badly for the players (who had no control over the situation) – yes. It’s unfortunate for them, but what’s the point of making “rules” to just change them when it’s convenient?? If they did that, Alabama, Clemson and ND should refuse to play any more games and get an automatic ticket to the playoff.
And does Michigan get a break or what? They were about to be destroyed by a team that had something to prove – a break for Harbaugh…
Too bad for OSU! Their Conference f’ed up in the first place by canceling the season prematurely, thinking all the other conferences would follow..wrong you arrogant B10 high and mighty…
Now they are getting screwed by their own rules and the late start with no room for error. In 2020 all we have is trial, error, adjust, and overcome. Wouldn’t all schools in the top 10 like to have only played the minimal amount of games if they new 5-0 + reputation and projection would be enough to get you in the playoff. Why should Bama ND and Clemson play the games they have coming up and risk injury and covid or an unexpected loss?
I’m sure the Big 16 now wants to find loopholes to slip in the playoff so they don’t leave all that money on the table. Let’s play 5 games and qualify to win a title! Ridiculous.
I feel bad for Ohio State.