Changing of the Rules While Finishing the Season Would Be Shameful For the Big Ten
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Written by Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)
It is fitting that Ohio State is portrayed as Fat Tony, the mafia boss from The Simpsons since the fix looks to be on as the Big Ten could alter the rules that were mutually agreed upon prior to the season. It’s sleazy, it’s wrong, it’s done in the name of money and if you disagree with an Ohio State fan you could be sleeping with the fishes.
The Buckeyes are one more cancellation away from being disqualified from the Big Ten Championship Game. According to the rules put out prior to the 2020 football season any team in the Big Ten needed to play in at least six games to qualify for the Big Ten Championship Game or have the average number of games played per team to fall below 5.5 to reset that number. The rule was fine and dandy when it wasn’t affecting the headliner of the conference. Now that the Buckeyes are one cancelation away from being DQ’d and possibly having their College Football Playoff hopes dashed, it’s a problem and the rule may have to change to cater to the Buckeyes needs.
Yes, I know we are an Indiana Football site and it may come off as sour grapes as the Hoosiers would lose the chance to represent the Big Ten East. Yes, I know it would be better for the Big Ten if Ohio State wins the conference and heads to the College Football Playoff. Yes, I know it’s 2020. Yes, I know that some of the cancellations are not solely the Buckeyes fault. But if the Big Ten changes the rules on qualifying for the Big Ten Championship Game less than two weeks left in the season, it should be ashamed of themselves. Sorry Ohio State, the rules are the rules and they should apply to you as well.
While 2020 has been the year of moving the goal posts in every facet of life so far, rules for college football shouldn’t change because one of the blue bloods is getting the short end of the stick. Rules that were agreed upon several months ago should not be changed just because it is the mighty Ohio State Buckeyes who are being affected. If Indiana or any other school not named Michigan or Penn State was sitting at 4-0 with a win over a top-10 team the rules would not change. They just wouldn’t. Do you really think the thought of changing the rules would cross anyone’s minds if Illinois was sitting at 4-0 with a win over Wisconsin and Northwestern? Absolutely not, and if you say yes, you’re a liar.
“I would think that if something would happen to Ohio State and they’d have to cancel another game, that that’s something that we’ve got to revisit,” Wisconsin AD Barry Alvarez said today in an interview with the Detroit News. “They’re sitting up there still ranked No. 4. Our league can’t keep them from having the opportunity if they have a chance in the finals.”
Sorry coach, but that’s not how rules work. The Big Ten and Ohio State knew the rules being proposed prior to the season and agreed to them. It sucks that games were cancelled in the middle of a pandemic, but it was bound to happen. Did Ohio State think they were smarter than everyone else and could avoid COVID issues? Do they think they are better than everyone else and can have the rules changed because well…they’re THE Ohio State University and it is not fair to them that they had to be victim to cancellations?
Ohio State knew the rules and knew what was at stake when they agreed to them. Any season was better than no season and now that the rules don’t favor the Buckeyes they are no good and need to be changed.
The Buckeyes are ranked fourth in the College Football Playoff polls and data points are few and far between. The Buckeyes have two games left. One against Michigan State and another against Michigan, who just cancelled their game this week with Maryland. They need to get one more in. They will do anything to do so. They want or need to make the College Football Playoff so badly they’re willing to have the conference bend, no rewrite, the rules mid-season for them.
The Big Ten has embarrassed themselves enough in 2020, why do they have to do it again to cater to the needs of Ohio State? A change would also confirm what fans of every other school in the Big Ten already thinks…Ohio State runs the show and there isn’t a damn thing you can do about it.
Just like Fat Tony and the mob, it’s all about making a profit. The Buckeyes are the goods and the Big Ten would be the dirty cops letting things slide for their slice of the pie.