Northwestern didn’t play Saturday, but it still clinched the Big Ten West and a spot in the conference championship game Dec. 19 in Indianapolis.
The Wildcats (5-1) needed three games to be played Saturday to ensure the Big Ten didn’t lower the number of games needed to be eligible for the title game. Their game at Minnesota was canceled because of coronavirus cases in the Gophers’ program.
Teams are required to play six games to qualify for the conference title game. However, Stadium reported that Big Ten athletic directors likely will change the requirements to allow Ohio State (5-0) in the title game as the East champ if its season finale against Michigan is canceled.
The Wolverines’ game Saturday against Maryland was canceled because of a COVID-19 outbreak in their program. The Buckeyes, who had two games canceled, figure to earn a spot in the College Football Playoff with a victory in the Big Ten title game.
Northwestern will make its second appearance in the game in three seasons. It lost to Ohio State 45-24 in 2018.
