Following the cancellation of Ohio State’s annual rivalry game with Michigan, the Big Ten released a statement on Tuesday afternoon that hinted it could revisit the rule that requires teams to play six games in order to be eligible for the conference championship game.
“We are in unprecedented times. The health, safety and wellness of our student-athletes, coaches, administrators, fans, campuses and the surrounding communities remains the No. 1 priority of the conference and its member institutions.
“The Michigan-Ohio State rivalry is one of the most important rivalries in all of sports. The conference shares the disappointment of our student-athletes, coaches, administrators, partners and fans.
“The conference is committed to transparency and will continue to collaborate with its member institution stakeholders to determine Big Ten Football Championship Game participation requirements as well as tiebreakers.”
At 5-0, Ohio State sits in first place in the Big Ten East Division. But if the conference doesn’t change the rule and the Buckeyes are unable to schedule a sixth game for Dec. 12, Indiana would represent the East against Northwestern on Dec. 19. The Hoosiers are 6-1 this season.
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