The coronavirus may put one of college football rivalries in play for the Big 12 Championship.
Oklahoma and Iowa State are slated to play in the game on Dec. 19 at 11 a.m. CT. The Sooners finished second in the Big 12 standings at 6-2 thanks to the unbalanced schedule provision to the Big 12 tiebreakers with the Cyclones finishing 8-1.
COVID-19, though, has been a problem in the Big 12 as of late.
Oklahoma’s game on Saturday was postponed due to COVID-19 issues at West Virginia. Texas’ game against Kansas was, too. Baylor played on Saturday without a ton of players or coaches against Oklahoma State.
The Big 12 recently told ESPN that the Big 12 Champion would be decided by the team leading the regular season standings for College Football Playoff purposes if something were to happen and the game couldn’t be played. Ralph Russo of the Associated Press reports that the Big 12 Championship game would involve the third-place team in the Big 12 standings if Oklahoma or Iowa State can’t play.
It sounds like the Big 12 has contingency plans in place for this week in case COVID-19 does have an affect on the game.
From the Big 12, if either Oklahoma or Iowa State cannot play in the championship game a replacement team will be selected using the standings and tiebreakers. Texas is next in line to play if the Cyclones or Sooners cannot.
— Ralph D. Russo (@ralphDrussoAP) December 13, 2020
If Oklahoma or Iowa State could not play in the game, Texas would be the participant in the Big 12 Championship game. The Longhorns, though, recently shut down their facility due to COVID-19.
Oklahoma beat Texas 53-45 in a historic quadruple overtime game against the Longhorns. The Longhorns also lost to Iowa State in a 23-20 game that came down to the final two drives.
The Big 12 Championship game is scheduled for Dec. 19 at 11 a.m. CT from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
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