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Barry Alvarez implies B1G will be ‘flexible’ in final week to ensure Ohio State plays 6 games

Spenser Davis

By Spenser Davis

Published:

Wisconsin athletic director and Big Ten power broker Barry Alvarez thinks the conference shouldn’t stand in Ohio State’s way of making the College Football Playoff.

The Buckeyes are in danger of not qualifying for the the Big Ten Championship Game due to a lack of games played. They are on track to be able to play this weekend, but their opponent in the last week — Michigan — is dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak.

If one of their next two games isn’t played, the Buckeyes would be ineligible to win the Big Ten East per conference rules.

However, Alvarez said Wednesday that the final week of scheduling is “flexible.”

“We may make some adjustments on that last week,” Alvarez told the Detroit News. “That’s sort of a flexible week of scheduling. But those are things we talk about and certainly you’ve got to consider, or re-consider.”

Alvarez also commented on the potential of the Big Ten adjusting its minimum game requirement to win a division title. As it stands right now, the minimum is six games.

“I would think that if something would happen to Ohio State and they’d have to cancel another game, that that’s something we’ve got to re-visit,” Alvarez said. “They’re sitting up there still ranked No. 4. Our league can’t keep them from having the opportunity if they have a chance to be in the finals.”

The College Football Playoff committee has not clarified what it would do with a Buckeyes team that only wins five or six games and doesn’t have a Big Ten Championship. But in the past, the committee has claimed to put a large valuation on conference titles.

As of now, Ohio State is slated to play Michigan State on Saturday at 12 p.m. ET.

Spenser Davis

Spenser is the news manager at Saturday Road and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.