The Big Ten is expected to revoke the six-game minimum requirement for teams to compete in the conference championship game, according to CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd. ESPN's Heather Dinich and Yahoo Sports' Pete Thamel previously reported that conference athletic directors were on the verge of overturning the rule on Wednesday. As a result, No. 4 Ohio State would be eligible to play for the Big Ten title on Dec. 19 against No. 14 Northwestern.
The Buckeyes' eligibility for the Big Ten title has been a national talking point for the past couple of weeks and it took center stage on Tuesday. Ohio State's Dec. 12 game against Michigan was canceled due to ongoing COVID-19 issues within the Wolverines' program, putting its eligibility for the title game in jeopardy. At 5-0, Ohio State fell one game below the six-game minimum for title game eligibility previously agreed upon by Big Ten ADs before the season. By default, No. 12 Indiana would have been the Big Ten East representative even though the Hoosiers lost to Ohio State 42-35 on Nov. 21.
Also at stake was the Buckeyes' path to the College Football Playoff. Based on the selection committee's latest rankings, Ohio State would probably be in regardless of whether it won the Big Ten title, but this adds to the assurance for the Buckeyes.
The Big Ten decided in September, prior to starting its eight-game season, that it would require teams to play at least six of the scheduled games in order to protect the integrity of the championship game. CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd reported that the minimum was unanimously agreed upon. But in recent weeks, some Big Ten athletic directors, including Wisconsin's Barry Alvarez and even Michigan's Warde Manuel, have publicly favored overturning that rule.
"I don't believe that anybody at Ohio State or any other team should be punished for decisions that we made by looking at eight games and saying, 'We should play six,'" Manuel said during a Zoom call with reporters, "not knowing the effects of what happens to them and their team versus what happens to our team."
While Ohio State's game against Michigan was canceled, it's possible it could still play this weekend. Purdue paused athletic related activities on Tuesday, putting its game with Indiana in doubt. In the event that game is canceled, the Buckeyes and Hoosiers could play a rematch of their November game.
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