Ohio State vs. Michigan football game canceled, making Buckeyes ineligible for Big Ten championship
Editor's Note: The Big Ten on Wednesday voted to eliminate the six-game requirement, allowing Ohio State to advance to the championship game. Read the full story here.
Saturday's scheduled football game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Michigan Wolverines has been canceled. The University of Michigan said it made the decision to cancel the game due to "an increasing number of positive COVID-19 cases and student-athletes in quarantine over the past week."
"We have not been cleared to participate in practice at this time," Michigan's athletic director, Warde Manuel, said in a Tuesday statement. "Unfortunately, we will not be able to field a team due to COVID-19 positives and the associated quarantining required of close-contact individuals. This decision is disappointing for our team and coaches but their health and safety is paramount, and it will always come first in our decision-making."
Michigan had returned to practice Monday after a COVID-19 related shutdown last week. Head coach Jim Harbaugh's scheduled Tuesday press conference was abruptly canceled without explanation, CBS Sports reports.
The cancellation means Ohio State will not reach the necessary six games required to be eligible for the Big Ten Championship Game. Earlier on Tuesday, Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day called on the conference to take a "hard look" at the six-game requirement.
The conference released a statement following the announced cancellation saying it will "continue to collaborate with its member institution stakeholders to determine Big Ten Football Championship Game participation requirements as well as tiebreakers."
"We are in unprecedented times," the statement added. "The health, safety and wellness of our student-athletes, coaches, administrators, fans, campuses and the surrounding communities remains the number one priority of the conference and its member institutions."
The Big Ten has dealt with numerous cancelations this season, which was initially postponed until at least 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic. Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields was one of the most vocal advocates for playing this season, starting a petition in August demanding the Big Ten reverse the postponement. Eventually, the Big Ten elected to play a shortened season with only intra-conference games.
Ohio State is currently undefeated and ranked 4th in the country. But with only five games played and the possibility of being denied the chance to play for a conference title, their chance to earn a spot in the four-team College Football Playoff may be in jeopardy.
If The Big Ten sticks with the six-game requirement, Indiana would currently be in line to represent the Big Ten East in the conference title game. The Hoosiers are currently 6-1, with the sole loss coming at the hands of Ohio State.
