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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The Michigan – Ohio State tilt, affectionately called ‘The Game’ will not be happening this year, though the Wolverines were quite clear that they wish they didn’t have to cancel the contest due to COVID-19 reasons. However, Michigan fans who weren’t eager to see a potential blowout to the No. 4 team in the nation weren’t particularly upset about the cancellation, many proponents of the Buckeyes felt that the Wolverines were dodging the game to save face, as well as to keep OSU out of the Big Ten championship game and the College Football Playoff.
ESPN College GameDay host Kirk Herbstreit intimated that was a possibility the day before Michigan canceled its Big Ten Week 7 contest against Maryland, but quickly apologized. Wolverines athletic director Warde Manuel had some strong words for Herbstreit in the aftermath, and on Tuesday, as he had to discuss his own program’s COVID-19 cases ensuring The Game will be paused for the first time since 1917, Manuel said that six game threshold for a Big Ten championship should be reevaluated by the conference.
“We made decisions months ago now about six-out-of-eight games, not knowing where this pandemic would take us,” Manuel said. “We were all hoping to play all eight games. And like we have done on the medical subcommittee, which I sit on, and throughout this process, we have discussed, we have adjusted, we have changed.
“I don’t believe that anybody — Ohio State or any other team — should just be punished for decisions we made by looking at eight games and saying we should play six, and not knowing the effects of what happens to them and their team versus what others because of what happens to our team affects them. I would be open, and I think the conference would be open, to having a discussion about whether or not we should make adjustments, whether or not schedules should be adjusted to get Ohio State enough games to play six, or to play the championship with five. But I don’t think we should just hunker down and say, ‘Well, we said six, so that should be it.’ I think they deserve, the conversation deserves to happen, to see if we could have any adjustments made. Because this is unprecedented times for everybody, and we need to make sure that we are flexible and able to move and make decisions based off the data that we have.”
Manuel is going even further than merely stating that Ohio State should have an opportunity to play for bigger things, despite having only played five games.
He states, categorically, that in his mind, the Buckeyes are one of the best four teams in the nation, and that Michigan’s decision to cancel shouldn’t hold them back from reaching their goals.
“I just want to make it clear: I think Ohio State is one of the top four teams in this country, deserves the opportunity and the conversation about their success this season, and would be a great representative to the College Football Playoff, if they are chosen,” Manuel said. “So it is, for me, that’s where I stand, and I’m gonna work with my colleagues in the Big Ten and Commissioner Warren to help make the best decision for us moving forward.”
But, what if, let’s say, the Michigan – Ohio State game has the capability for being rescheduled on Dec. 19, the day when the Big Ten championship game is currently scheduled, where the Wolverines would potentially — assuming the team is cleared to play — face off against a Big Ten West foe? Would Manuel be open to seeing the maize and blue square of against the scarlet and grey if that’s possible?
He certainly didn’t write it off.
“We will make any adjustments from my standpoint that we need to make,” Manuel said. “So if it’s not, and we make adjustments on our calendar, and we play Ohio State on the 19th, from my perspective, that would be great. We will play whoever is going to be scheduled for us.”