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College football fans, media react to B1G’s decision to advance Ohio State to conference title game
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The Big Ten announced it will advance Ohio State to the conference championship game on Dec. 19 despite playing just five games this season.
The conference previously announced there would be a six-game minimum for teams to be eligible to win a division championship.
But since Ohio State would have been named Big Ten East champions with a win or a loss against Michigan on Saturday, the conference decided to repeal the six-game minimum and send the Buckeyes through to play Northwestern.
While it’s a sensible financial decision for the conference as a whole, many fans are frustrated with the ruling. Particularly so for Indiana, who is 6-1 with its lone loss coming in narrow fashion to Ohio State earlier in the year.
Fans are also still baffled by the Big Ten’s missteps that led to this point. The conference could have had a 10-game schedule with multiple open dates built in to protect against cancelations, but it instead decided to (temporarily, as it turns out) cancel the season back in August.
Here’s the some of the reaction to today’s news:
The Big Ten screwed IU football today. I'm not saying Ohio State doesn't belong in the B1G championship game. I'm saying: IU was screwed by its own conference … for the second time this week: https://t.co/elNOtvtrDd
— Gregg Doyel (@GreggDoyelStar) December 9, 2020
The Big Ten’s press release about Big Ten title game said its decision was based on “competitive analysis” by the ADs and presidents.
I obtained a copy of those meeting notes. pic.twitter.com/yYc56XMjYn
— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) December 9, 2020
Wonder if Big 10 would have done this for IU or Rutgers or Maryland. But it's Ohio State. Don't want to piss off your brand-name program. Shady.
— David Shefter (@DavidShefter) December 9, 2020
Step one: establish rules of competition. Step two: whoops, the agreed rules don’t achieve the desired outcome. Step three: change the rules after the fact to achieve desired outcome.
— HoosierInChapelHill (@HoosierInCH) December 9, 2020
BS IU got robbed
— Jason (@Jason94920499) December 9, 2020
Penn State has been getting screwed by the Big Ten since 1993. You're up Indiana.
— Nat1iona1s (@CFFleague) December 9, 2020
What a joke. Just place whoever you want into the game every year. That way you don't even have to bother with changing the rules you establish.
— Travis Steele (@twsteele98) December 9, 2020
Tears of a clown…🤷🏼♂️🤡 #BigTen #OhioState pic.twitter.com/SJnfOeizFv
— Scott Maier (@samaier) December 9, 2020
The entire football season has been fumbled from the start. New leadership is needed badly. What a joke this conference has become.
— scott (@jeepnewbie24) December 9, 2020
What a joke. Just place whoever you want into the game every year. That way you don't even have to bother with changing the rules you establish.
— Travis Steele (@twsteele98) December 9, 2020
Come home Nebraska
— RedDirtSport (@RedDirtSport) December 9, 2020
Spenser is the news manager at Saturday Road and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.