Big Ten expected to change rule requiring football teams to play 6 games

The Big Ten Conference has annnounced it will remove the 6-game minimum for its football teams to be eligible for the Big Ten Championship Game, according to reports.

The conference's championship game will now pit No. 4 Ohio State (5-0) to play #21Northwestern (5-1)  on Saturday, December 19 in Indianapolis.

The Big Ten's athletic directors met Wednesday morning, and while there was support to allow the Buckeyes in the conference championship with only five games, the policy change still has to be voted on by a larger group that includes the athletic directors and the senior women administrators, and it has to ultimately receive approval from the university presidents and chancellors.

Ohio State's position in the Big Ten title race - and the race for a spot in the College Football Playoff - came into question after Tuesday's cancellation of the Buckeyes' game with Michigan, due to COVID-19 issues within the Wolverines' program. It was the third game canceled for Ohio State this season due to the virus, including their previously scheduled matchups with Maryland and Illinois.

Meanwhile, Northwestern will advance to its second Big Ten title game in the past three years. Back in 2018, Pat Fitzgerald's squad lost to then-Urban Meyer-led Ohio State 45-24, despite being left out of that year's Playoff.