If you haven’t heard yet, the Ohio State vs. Michigan game has been canceled. The annual grudge match between two of college football’s most storied historical programs won’t be played because of the state of the coronavirus outbreak inside the Wolverine program. It’s the first time since 1918 that The Game between these two arch-rivals won’t be contested.
And while the news is deeply disappointing for both sides, there are ramifications to what happens next for the Ohio State program. The Buckeyes will now only finish with five regular-season games, one short of the mandatory six games the league outlined as in its return to play policy for teams to be eligible for the Big Ten Championship Game.
There are also College Football Playoff implications. Having one-less game against a quality opponent, and not winning a conference championship could play into the College Football Playoff Committee’s decision-making when selecting the four best teams.
But don’t panic yet Buckeye Nation. There are still some things that could happen for OSU to still go to Indy and we’re going to outline them for you here.
Here are three ways Ohio State can still get into the Big Ten Championship Game and improve its resume for the College Football Playoff. Either way, it’s going to take some work, and might need the conference to step up, but the Buckeyes should not be penalized for things they cannot control.