The Big Ten continues to commit financial suicide in 2020.

The correct solution this week was to ask Rutgers, who had the sheer luck that none of the 7 opponents they’ve faced this year had COVID issues at the time they were on their schedule, to respectfully take a bye week this week for the good of the conference. All of the work they have put into their game plan for Maryland would not be wasted, as they could play next weekend instead. That 6th game is every bit as important to OSU in the CFP race as it is for the B1G title race.

The easy solution, of course, the Big Ten did not take. They’d apparently rather take the controversial route and change their terrible 6 game minimum requirement. Yes, that needed to be done, and they could have done it weeks ago when they saw that this scenario was growing more and more likely. Instead they wait to do it a day after OSU’s 6th game is canceled. Contingency plan? What is that? The SEC and ACC continue to run circles around this conference.

OSU needs every game it can get. No game is guaranteed, especially this year, including the B1G title game. What happens if Northwestern has to pause? No it does not send Iowa to play OSU instead. 

If the championship game cannot be played (due to any reason beyond the control of the Big Ten Conference), the two division champions (using divisional tie-breakers as set forth above) shall be declared co-champions

https://bigten.org/news/2011/8/10/Big_Ten_Conference_Football_Divisional_Tiebreaker.aspx

Yes, you read that right. No game. Co-champions. 

At this point OSU needed a game, any game, this weekend, and the Big Ten failed its flagship program. Yet again.