Report: Big Ten to allow Ohio State to play in conference championship

The Big Ten is working toward a resolution that would allow Ohio State to play in the Big Ten Championship Game later this month.

Ohio State’s game against Michigan that was scheduled for Saturday has been canceled due to COVID-19 cases with the Wolverines football program. The Big Ten set a rule prior to the season that a team would need to play at least six games to be eligible to play in the title game, and Ohio State has only played five. According to ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg, Big Ten officials met on Wednesday and have decided to drop the six-game requirement.

The rationale behind the change is that 5-0 Ohio State would not have needed a win against Michigan to qualify for the Big Ten Championship Game on Dec. 19. The Buckeyes could have lost to Michigan and still qualified at 5-1.

Another possibility is for Ohio State to find a new opponent for this weekend, though that would depend on whether there are other cancellations within the conference.

Many expected this outcome all along. Ohio State is ranked No. 4 in the country and the only Big Ten team with a shot at making the College Football Playoff, so it is in the best interest of the conference to help them get there. Urban Meyer recently spoke about the importance of the Big Ten being flexible with some remarks you can read here.

One way or another, it looks like Ohio State is going to face Northwestern in the Big Ten Championship Game.