you're already on-record as being in favor of late season rule changes, when it benefits your team...

Article was written by David Jones, he was actually a graduate form Ohio State.

By David Jones | djones@pennlive.com
I have no doubt that Ohio State’s football team is the best in the Big Ten. Nor do I have an issue necessarily with the Buckeyes being seated as the East division champions in the Big Ten, headed for the championship game in Indianapolis having played only five games.

After all, they beat the clear second-best team, Indiana. It was about as decisive as a 7-point win can get, even if the Hoosiers did make a game of it after falling behind by four touchdowns. And otherwise, Ohio State has not been challenged.


It’s not a question of whether the Buckeyes are deserving of a berth in Indy. It’s the way they got there – the rules being rewritten on the fly to facilitate them.

They aren’t getting a shot in Indy because they deserve it. They’re getting it because of their clout and heritage and standing as a current bigshot in college football.

Because they’re Ohio State.

It was supposed to be a prerequisite that any division champion must have played a certain percentage of all league games. And in that case, the number was six.

But OSU is powerful. So, they get to play by different rules. And that sucks.

It just seems like we’ve gotten to the point where nobody takes rules seriously. We make them now almost with the implicit understanding that they can be blown up later if it turns out we don’t like them.

Coach and player contracts? They assure nothing. Somebody’s word and a signature to certify it are meaningless. All that matters is who holds the power and leverage. If one party holds it, the deal can be incinerated. A player can hold out for a renegotiation. A coach can have another school buy his way out of the agreement.

Or the most powerful school in a league can coerce it into doing whatever it wants, whether it’s going back on a mandate to postpone the season or rewrite its own prescription for how the conference championship should work. It’s not a very flattering image.


Now, all of this happened to work out nicely for the Big Ten because it turns out Indiana and its traditional scheduled Rivalry Week opponent Purdue each have a developing COVID outbreak that could easily worsen and extend into the week of the championship. Better to slide Ohio State in as rightful East representative when it has already managed its own uptick, one that included its head coach. Expediency in action.

So, no one will complain much about the result. IU has its hands full. Certainly, no one else in the division is qualified to carry the flag to Indy.

I just wonder what would have happened in some other circumstance. What if Indiana and Ohio State had played a very tight game in Columbus, say an overtime match where the Hoosiers won by the width of a goal post on a field goal attempt.

And then they were the ones who couldn’t play a sixth game due to COVID cancellation. But once-beaten Ohio State had played six.

Does anyone believe the Big Ten would be making provisions to enable an undefeated Indiana to play in the Big Ten championship at the expense of Ohio State when IU had not fulfilled the requirements of the agreement? A tradition-starved program without so much as a major bowl game appearance in more than half a century? A school without a conference title since LBJ was President?


Especially if, say, the College Football Playoff committee didn’t quite believe Indiana was the better team and had the Hoosiers and Buckeyes ranked side-by-side at, say, #5 and #6, each with a legitimate chance at making the CFP tournament but currently just off the board. Would IU be receiving this rewrite of the rules to slip it into the B1G championship?

Don’t be ridiculous. Then, the rules would be the rules. Everyone in the league office could claim Ohio State earned preference because that’s what was settled upon preseason – a minimum number of games must be played.

After all, what sort of world would it be if we lived without regard for our agreements?

As it turns out, the one we live in.

MMMMM Told ya !!! Was there ever a doubt ?

The republic is threatened due massive election fraud but God help us if some second rate ball club doesn't get their due.

We won't stand for that will we, Jimmy?

Don't you just hate it when the rules are changed in the middle of a contest to help the chosen one win?

So if a team just cancelled because they lost to a team you just boat raced and know its a thrashing they don't want you're OK with that? If a team
loses 3 games because of a worldwide pandemic they have no control over you're ok with them getting screwed? The committees job is to put the best
4 teams in the playoff, IF OSU is one of them they should have the opportunity to prove they are or aren't.

This has nothing to do with the COLLEGE FOOTBALL Championship. This is the Big 10 conference. Yes bass but how do you KNOW they are the best team? They haven't proven it. PLUS as pointed out Wisc players went home after missing 3 games because they were TOLD no chance to move forward.......

Already long ago, from when we sold our vote to no man, the People have abdicated our duties; for the People who once upon a time handed out military command, high civil office, legions — everything, now restrains itself and anxiously hopes for just two things: bread and circuses. Juvenal circa 100AD

Crybyrd63,

Right, this was voted on by the Big 10 conference. The athletic directors took a vote. OSU didn't change the rule, the AD's did. Why? As I said yesterday, ALL the Big 10 teams will benefit if OSU makes the playoffs. In this screwed up year with no fans, that money may mean a lot to some of the lesser schools in the conference. That money may keep some lesser sports afloat and they won't have to be cancelled.

We don't know who the best team is in the conference and it is unfortunate that some players went home when they felt they had no chance. But in this screwed up year with cancellations running amuck, OSU is the only undefeated team left in the conference. They played against Michigan State with 5 starters out due to Covid. Fortunately they won. Unfortunatey, they had 3 games cancelled due to Covid. They, nor any other team, should be penalized because of cancellations.

It is a shame in this screwed up year that the NCAA doesn't expand the field to 8 teams because there will probably be some deserving teams left out. OSU isn't guaranteed a spot. But, I can guarantee, if they make it you will be on here crying about it.

One last question for you hater. What about the team OSU knocked out of playing for a Big 10 title? Bet they aren't too happy about that !! Don't know who it was but like to hear that teams opinion. Played the season , followed the guidelines, Won enough games , but it didn't matter in the end !!!
What would you tell those players ?

Simple answer. The team is Indiana. Ohio State beat Indiana. I would tell them that they played a heck of a game but they lost to OSU and it isn't anyone's fault that OSU had 3 games cancelled.

As much as I dislike Michigan, if the situation was OSU was 5-1 and they had got beaten by Michigan and Michigan was 5-0 but couldn't play their 6th game due to no fault of their own, I would stand behind the decision to let Michigan play in the conference championship game.

I don't know what the vote tally was but Ohio State didn't decide this. The athletic directors of each school made the decision to waive the rule that they enacted in short sightedness at the beginning of this screwed up season.

There are truly many in our midst who applaud, "Whatever it takes."
Maybe we should cancel all of it until everyone's feeling better or do this,
If there's a spike in Covid after the game, let's not say Trump didn't do enough.
He's prolly not even a Buckeye fan.

I don't have a dog in this fight because they are 2 and 5. I posted a newspaper article on this thread and I must say I think the writer is spot on. In a nutshell here is what he said.

And I quote

"I just wonder what would have happened in some other circumstance. What if Indiana and Ohio State had played a very tight game in Columbus, say an overtime match where the Hoosiers won by the width of a goal post on a field goal attempt.

And then they were the ones who couldn’t play a sixth game due to COVID cancellation. But once-beaten Ohio State had played six.

Does anyone believe the Big Ten would be making provisions to enable an undefeated Indiana to play in the Big Ten championship at the expense of Ohio State when IU had not fulfilled the requirements of the agreement? A tradition-starved program without so much as a major bowl game appearance in more than half a century? A school without a conference title since LBJ was President?


Especially if, say, the College Football Playoff committee didn’t quite believe Indiana was the better team and had the Hoosiers and Buckeyes ranked side-by-side at, say, #5 and #6, each with a legitimate chance at making the CFP tournament but currently just off the board. Would IU be receiving this rewrite of the rules to slip it into the B1G championship?

Don’t be ridiculous. Then, the rules would be the rules. Everyone in the league office could claim Ohio State earned preference because that’s what was settled upon preseason – a minimum number of games must be played."

Non relevant no matter what the author thinks. If Indiana had beaten OSU there is no way OSU would be in the running for a playoff spot, ESPECIALLY IN THIS SHORTENED SEASON!!!!!

I only joined this conversation and the other thread because of the constant crying by Crybyrd63. Any chance he gets, he runs OSU down and people from Ohio down because someone hurt his feelings at his favorite fishing hole.

I am just glad there is college football this year. I'm glad the Big 10 decided to play some games although they screwed up big time by starting the season so late and not allowing a week or two at the end of the season for make up games in case there were cancellations. I just hope the kids stay safe and healthy and that they can play the bowl games without incident.

Crybyrd63,

I don't care if you won a bet. Not my money.

You cry about everything except when you are cooking a good meal or showing off your fish.

Ok hater I think you need to be refreshed
1 JAMES was the OP of this and he was CRYING that OHST got ripped off because they couldn't play in Big 10 champ (that's an OHST fan crying)
2. The only hatred that anyone has revealed on here is you and other OHST fans because I told him to calm down the rules would be changed !!. Then when they were WHOA NELLY !! The hatred started to spew !!
I never cried only made a prediction !

But when it came true and I pointed it out then you went to wailing like a girl ...LOL< LOL LOL

Just read it from the beginning, hater . I'm not the OP !!!!

Hater read EVERY one of my comments on this post and repost ANY of them that I was running anyone down !!!! Please show me so I can grow as a human being !!!!
An Oh st fan went to crying! I tried to comfort him by telling him it would be ok
Just made a prediction. in 36 hours it came true! You showed up and starting the name calling.

You went and hurt my feelings now .
You left out my deer I've killed , and all this time I thought I was a decent deer hunter .

Quoting myself here:


Doesn't anyone understand sarcasm?
James complaining about OSU being ripped-off, then celebrating when the Big Ten changed the rule so they are in, is precious!!
My quote referred to rules being changed in the middle of the contest (election) so the chosen one (Biden) wins.
Not near as good when you have to explain sarcasm.

You started the other thread. That is the one I joined yesterday. I hadn't responded on this thread because James started it. Nittany Lion decided to keep stirring this thread up and you gladly jumped on it so I responded.

Bottom line is you try to cut on anything or anyone associated with Ohio because your feelings got hurt at your favorite fishing hole.

If OSU gets selected to the big dance you will cry. If they get beat, you will gloat. If they win it all, you will cry that it wasn't fair and they shouldn't have been invited. It never ends.

Hurt your feelings on your deer???? I thought you were just showing pics of those little ones because you didn't want any Ohioans coming down and shooting your big deer. Sorry, I didn't know those were your trophys. Nice deer!!!!

But you didn't point out anywhere here I cried? You keep saying I will . Where did I show hatred ? I can point it out in almost every one of your comments . Proving my points as you speak.
I am just happy to be alive !!!!