Report: Big Ten to change 6-game rule, allow OSU to play for title

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Published Dec 9, 2020

Report: Big Ten to change 6-game rule, allow OSU to play for title

Griffin Strom • DottingTheEyes

Team Writer

@GriffinStrom3

A vote from the Big Ten is expected to nix its six-game minimum requirement for participation in the conference championship game Wednesday, which will allow Ohio State to play for the Big Ten title, according to multiple reports.

Big Ten administrators met Wednesday morning following Tuesday’s cancellation of Ohio State’s scheduled matchup with Michigan this weekend, which threatened to leave the Buckeyes with only five games played, and ineligible to play for the conference crown under the previous rule.

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Ranked No. 4 in the College Football Playoff rankings, Ohio State is the lone unbeaten team in the Big Ten, and the only program in the conference with the top 10 of the CFP rankings.

The Buckeyes have dealt with cancellations to three of their past five scheduled contests. However, Ohio State sits atop the Big Ten East Division, and due to a tiebreak, it would have been the East’s representative in the conference game title even if the Buckeyes had lost to Michigan on Saturday.

Following Tuesday’s cancellation, the conference released a statement that said it will "continue to collaborate with its member institution stakeholders to determine Big Ten Championship Game participation requirements as well as tiebreakers,” and it appears that the continued collaboration led to a change in policy.

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Ohio State has won the past three Big Ten Championship games in a row, and claims a win against Indiana, the second highest-ranked team in the Big Ten and the second-place team in the East, earlier this season.

Indiana’s scheduled opponent for this weekend, Purdue, canceled practice Tuesday due to COVID-19 concerns, which fueled speculation that the Buckeyes could play a sixth game against the Hoosiers this weekend. However, the Indiana program announced it would pause team activities later on Tuesday due to the virus.

Ohio State last took the field against Michigan State this past weekend, when the Buckeyes topped the Spartans by a score of 52-12 on the road.

Pending final approval from conference administrators, the Buckeyes will take on No. 14 Northwestern in the Big Ten Championship Game on Dec. 19 in Indianapolis.