Tag: Northwestern Wildcats

Big Ten officially announces Ohio State as East division representative for B1G Championship Game

The Big Ten has officially announced Ohio State as the Big Ten East division representative for the Big Ten Championship Game.

Ohio State is officially headed to Indianapolis to participate as the East division’s representative in the Big Ten Championship Game. The conference announced the move in an official release on Wedensday.

The decision is not really a surprise. The Buckeyes are the highest rated Big Ten team in the College Football Rankings at No. 4, despite having only played five games — winning them all. A policy that had to be changed in order for the Buckeyes to head to Indy was the six-game minium outlined by the conference in its return to play plan.

According to the release, the decision was voted on by the institutions’ Presidents and Chancellors, athletic directors, and Conference Administrators Council.

One of the main decision points has to do with the fact that the Indiana Hoosiers wold have been the East Division’s representative, but by virtue of the head-to-head result Ohio State has with the Hoosiers, in combination with the Buckeyes’ still getting the nod if it would have played and lost to Michigan, it was an easy decision to do what was right.

The move of course does not come without criticism. Many feel that the Big Ten is bending rules to appease Ohio State and to give the conference a shot at an entry into the College Football Playoff, but it’s hard to see any reason why this isn’t the right move by the conference.

The Big Ten Championship Game will be played between Ohio State and Northwestern on Saturday, December 19, at Noon. The action will be televised by FOX.

Big Ten changes policy to get Ohio State in conference Championship Game

Ohio State will be able to play Northwesten in the Big Ten Championship Game

To the surprise of no one, the Big Ten decided on Wednesday to change its policy in the COVID-19 impacted season when it came to a school being eligible for the conference championship game on Dec. 19.

And because of the adjustment, Ohio State will face Northwestern despite playing — and winning — only five games in 2020.

Per the Big Ten:

The Big Ten Conference Administrators Council, which includes the Directors of Athletics and Senior Women Administrators from all 14 member institutions, voted today to eliminate the minimum-game requirement for participation in the 2020 Big Ten Football Championship Game. The decision was made in collaboration with the Big Ten Council of Presidents and Chancellors and the conference office.

The decision was based on a competitive analysis which determined that Ohio State would have advanced to the Big Ten Football Championship Game based on its undefeated record and head-to-head victory over Indiana regardless of a win or loss against Michigan.

As a result of the decision, Ohio State will represent the East Division in the 2020 Big Ten Football Championship game against Northwestern.

The Buckeyes’ place in the postseason became a question on Tuesday when Michigan canceled its regular-season rivalry game because of COVID-19 issues within the Wolverines program. It was the third canceled game for Ohio State this season, after others against Illinois and Maryland.

 

Report: Big Ten to change minimum game requirement sending Ohio State to Big Ten Championship Game

Ohio State appears headed to the Big Ten Championship Game vs. Northwestern pending official word on six-game minimum game policy change.

Good news Ohio State football fans — It appears the Big Ten is set to announce a change in the policy requiring a minimum requirement of six games to be played in order to be eligible for the Big Ten Championship Game.

Several reports have surfaced, and Sports Illustrated’s Pete Thamel is all over the news. The move has yet to be announced as official, but that is expected to be communicated sometime today as a mere formality. This comes as a result of the league’s Big Ten athletic directors were scheduled to meet this morning as a part of a regularly scheduled conference. There’s no doubt Ohio State’s plight was the main topic that became a priority in a hurry.

With the rise in coronavirus cases, several games have been shelved late in the season within the Big Ten. In the Buckeyes’ case, three games have now been canceled. The game against Maryland in Week 3 because of rising cases in the Terrapins program, then a road trip to Illinois two weeks ago, and now the big one this Saturday against Michigan.

Had pending change to the policy not occurred, that would have left Ohio State with just five games and on the sidelines while Indiana got the nod to go because the Hoosiers have met the requirement.

The move makes sense in many ways too. It wouldn’t be fair to penalize a team that had two games canceled by other institutions, and because of an outbreak of its own during a global pandemic. Additionally, even if Ohio State would have gotten beaten by Michigan by 30 points, it still would have won the tiebreaker over an Indiana team that looks like it’s not going to be able to play this week either.

So, while not official, it looks like Ohio State will be headed to Indianapolis to play in the Big Ten Championship Game against Northwestern.

As official news hits, we’ll have it for you.

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Mel Tucker named Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week following upset of Northwestern

When you pick up a big-upset victory over a highly ranked team, you’ll get some recognition.

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When you pick up a big-upset victory over a highly ranked team, you’ll get some recognition. That was the case for a pair of Michigan State football players on Monday, and new head coach Mel Tucker got the same treatment on Tuesday.

Tucker was selected as the Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week on Tuesday after leading the Spartans to a 29-20 victory over then-No. 13 Northwestern. The victory was Tucker’s second of his career at MSU, with both coming against highly ranked teams.

“Coach Tucker is already leaving his mark at Michigan State with two marquee wins during his first season,” Jim Terry, chairman of the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation, said in a press release. “Coach Dodd believed every game was important, but there’s no doubt that he would admire how Coach Tucker has been able to motivate his team against some of its toughest competition this season.”

Senior linebacker Antjuan Simmons and senior kicker Matt Coghlin each received Big Ten Player of the Week honors on Monday, with Simmons being named Defensive Player of the Week and Coghlin named Co-Special Teams Player of the Week.

The Spartans return to the field on Saturday against No. 4 Ohio State. Kickoff from Spartan Stadium is scheduled for 12 p.m. EST and the game can be seen on ABC.

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Big Ten Football Power Rankings after Week 6

It’s been a struggle, but we are now through six weeks of Big Ten football. Here are our latest power rankings as we head down the stretch.

We made it through another week in the Big Ten, kind of. Two more games were canceled because of coronavirus outbreaks, but the others made it to the finish line.

But of course, even with the games that made it to the field and completed, there were some very, very interesting results that have changed the landscape of the conference. We had a big upset by Michigan State over Northwestern, Penn State got its first win of the year, and Michigan lost yet again.

It all plays into how we see the power of the conference shaking out this week as we give you our latest Big Ten football power rankings, post Week 6.

What to expect in the second College Football Playoff rankings

The second rankings of the College Football Playoffs will be released tonight and here are a few things that you could see when they’re released.

As always, another wild week of college football occurred prior to the College Football Playoff committee meeting again prior to their release of their second set of rankings for the year. There were some upsets, No. 8 Northwestern losing to Michigan State and blowouts, No. 3 Clemson saw the return of star quarterback Trevor Lawrence and trounced Pittsburgh. Here are a few guesses at what you might see tonight when the committee reranks the top 25 teams.

Locked On Spartans: A GLORIOUS SATURDAY WAS HAD BY ALL

Wil and Matt revel in a victory Monday and breakdown Michigan State football’s big win over No. 8 Northwestern.

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Wil and Matt revel in a victory Monday and breakdown Michigan State football’s big win over No. 8 Northwestern. They talk about the improvement in the run game, Rocky Lombardi’s decision making and take a vibe check of the program under Mel Tucker.

You can find the episode on iTunes, Spotify, and Google Podcasts.

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Notre Dame inches closer to No. 1 Alabama in latest Amway Coaches Poll

The updated Amway Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports doesn’t see much change inside the top 10.

Notre Dame headed to Chapel Hill in what many called a trap game against former No. 23 North Carolina. That’s exactly what it wasn’t, as the Irish continued their impressive run of play, staying undefeated in winning 31-17 over the Tar Heels.

That win was enough to catch some attention in the latest Amway Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports as the Irish didn’t move up, but garnered more votes than they did last week.

Around the ACC, No. 4 Clemson saw the return of all-world quarterback Trevor Lawrence and blew out Pittsburgh, 52-17. Miami, FL, the No. 9 team,  the only other conference team ranked inside the Amway Coaches Poll.

Nationally, No. 13 Northwestern was upended in East Lansing, falling the Michigan State 29-20, giving them their first loss of the year. Iowa State, ranked No. 15, continues it’s impressive run as they defeated No. 21Texas in Memorial Stadium, 23-20. Oregon State upended No. 11 Oregon in their unnamed rivalry game, 41-38 on Friday night. No. 1 Alabama blew out their rivals No. 19 Auburn, 42-13, with head coach Nick Saban watching from home as he tested positive for COVID-19 this week.

Former No. 3 Ohio State dropped one spot after having their game against Illinois canceled due to a spread of COVID-19 this week. It was Clemson’s gain here, as they now hold the same ranking in the College Football Playoff rankings.

Here is the updated Coaches Poll, with ACC teams in bold and last weeks ranking in parenthesis.

1 Alabama (1)

2 Notre Dame (2)

3 Clemson (4)

4 Ohio State (3)

5 Florida (5)

6 Texas A&M (6)

7 Cincinnati (7)

8 BYU (8)

9 Miami, FL (9)

10 Georgia (10)

11 Indiana (12)

12 Iowa State (15)

13 Oklahoma (14)

14 Coastal Carolina (17)

15 Marshall (16)

16 USC (18)

17 Northwestern (14)

18 Oklahoma St (22)

19 Wisconsin (20)

20 Oregon (11)

21 Louisiana-Lafayette (24)

22 Tulsa (25)

23 Washington (NR)

24 Iowa (NR)

25 Liberty (NR)

Dropped out: No. 19 Auburn, No. 21 Texas, No. 23 North Carolina

 

MSU Football vs. Northwestern: Five takeaways from Spartans’ upset victory over Wildcats

Here are five takeaways from Saturday’s victory over the Wildcats, and what this win means for MSU moving forward.

For the second time this year, Michigan State football has pulled off a major upset, this time against No. 13 Northwestern, 29-20. The Spartans entered this match-up as a two-touchdown underdog, but were able to shock the Wildcats with a massive upset.

“Culture doesn’t change overnight,” MSU Head Coach Mel Tucker said during his postgame press conference. “It just doesn’t. But wins like today show what type of football that we’re capable of playing when we’re more focused, when we’re process driven, when we play complimentary football, and when we take care of the football.”

The win over the Wildcats improves MSU to 2-3 on the season, with their other win coming against Michigan on Oct. 31.

Here are five takeaways from Saturday’s victory over the Wildcats, and what this win means for MSU moving forward:

Big Ten Football Championship Game to be noon kick

According to a release from the Big Ten Conference, its football championship will be played in FOX’s Noon window at Lucas Oil Stadium.

We’re still on the edge of our collective seats trying to figure out if the Ohio State football team will play enough games to make the Big Ten Championship Game — assuming it beats both Michigan State and Michigan. However, with or without OSU, we now know that time slot the game will be played.

According to a release from the Big Ten, the game will be televised by FOX and broadcast during the Big Noon Saturday window. The game will is still scheduled for December 19 and will be played at Lucas Oil Stadium. If OSU makes the game, it’ll mark the seventh time it either plays or was scheduled to play at Noon this season.

This year’s Big Ten Championship Game be the tenth game played. Ohio State has participated in five and won a conference tops four times. Wisconsin is the only team that has played in more Big Ten Championship games with six.

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If the Buckeyes can curb the coronavirus outbreak it is currently dealing with, they will be shooting for their fifth-straight Big Ten Championship.

Now, all that’s missing are two teams. Northwestern has the inside track in the West Division with OSU in the driver’s seat pending the status of this week and next week’s games. If OSU can’t play over the next couple of weeks, Indiana would be the next in line.

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