There had been whispers for days that “The Game” would not take place due to COVID issues at Michigan and earlier Tuesday, the whispers were right as the annual Ohio State versus Michigan game has been canceled, marking the first time since 1918 that this annual game will not be played.

It seems to be just par for the course when it comes to the 2020 college football season as Ohio State has returned from its own COVID issues, going on the road with a short-handed squad to defeat Michigan State while the Wolverines reported their own issues a week ago, cancelled their game against Maryland last week and are reportedly still in no position to field a team, forcing a cancellation and thrusting Ohio State’s season into uncharted territory.

This game marks the third game that Ohio State has had canceled this season, a problem when the Big Ten painted itself into a corner with the expectations (or hopes) of playing eight games in eight weeks with no opportunities to make games up should a scenario like this arose.

Ohio State and Michigan had played 14 times before this series became an annual rivalry; Michigan owned the then-lopsided series with a 12-0-2 record against Ohio State. Fortunes changed once this became a yearly affair, Ohio State won three of the next four and of course now the Buckeyes are on a 17-2 run in the last 19 match-ups.

Now, this creates a conundrum for the Buckeyes because of a couple of rules that were put in place by the conference. Unless something changes in a hurry, the Buckeyes could be left on the outside looking in on the Big Ten Championship Game, an opportunity to win a record 4th outright league title, and possible inclusion in the College Football Playoff.

The Big Ten shot down Nebraska’s plan to play an out of conference game in week two of the season when the Huskers’ game against Wisconsin was cancelled. Scott Frost’s team had found a dance partner and just needed the conference to sign off on it, only to get the idea spiked back into their faces by a league that has flaunted responsibility while practicing irresponsibility every step of the way.

It would seem unlikely that the conference would reverse course now, in the 8th week of the season, after telling Nebraska no so early in the process.

So, if that limits Ohio State to finding a conference foe to get a 6th game in, the Buckeyes have to see if anyone else is unable to play a game this upcoming weekend, and in a hurry with a Wednesday deadline in place to make the 11th-hour change.

There were thoughts that Minnesota might not be able to finish out its regular season after the Gophers were hit hard by positive tests and contact tracing within their athletic department. If that were to happen, strangely enough, that would leave Nebraska without an opponent.

Ohio State and Nebraska have played each other in week one of the season and there might not be much desire to see a rematch, but that could create an opportunity to move schedules around much like other conferences have done, and Ohio State could draw Maryland, a divisional foe that was forced to cancel a game earlier in the season and the Huskers could face Rutgers instead.

Why is it so important to get to a 6th game for the Buckeyes, especially when they were without several starters and had 23 players unavailable for the MSU game?

As we have mentioned before, the conference athletic directors set rules before the start of this odd season for inclusion in the Big Ten Championship Game and without getting into all the inner-workings of averages and such, the basement is reaching six games under current conditions to be eligible for the game, and with the cancellation of the Michigan game, Ohio State is down to just five games.

MORE: Could the AD’s step in and make a change?

The conference ADs could make a change to those rules, allowing Ohio State to play in Indianapolis with just five wins and hope for the best when it comes to the CFP selection, especially since two of these three cancellations were imposed by schools other than Ohio State. But it also creates an issue where Ohio State has played about half as many games as teams from other leagues and the whole “fairness” issue aside, have the Buckeyes been tested enough to go on and compete in the CFP?

The other side of the coin would say, would Michigan have really posed enough of a challenge to move the needle?

A lot of questions right now with this shocking and disheartening news, be sure to keep it locked in here at BuckeyeGrove for all the latest as we try and get to the bottom of what is next for the Buckeyes either on the field, on a conference AD Zoom call or any other front as 2020 continues to be the bad gift that keeps on giving.