So they are giving into Ohio St and changing the rules

[ssckelley]

Because the other schools want the payday from the playoff.

I know I'm an ISU fan, so I'll take any championship possible, but the last time Iowa had an outright championship was 1985 but I don't think anybody else wants to hand back the shared titles since then.

Bryce, this would be way different. We are not talking about a shared title here, this would be a title that would come with a huge asterisks because the best team didn't even get to play in it. Those shared titles, at least, were deserved. Had they stuck to the rules the Indiana/Northwestern game would have been an after thought as everyone would have looked at the Ohio State vs Iowa/Wisconsin as the true title game. Everyone knows Ohio State is the best team in the conference, everyone being all up in arms over this because they came out with a stupid rule seems pettish. Indiana did not deserve to play in the championship game.

 

[kicker22]

My thoughts is this isn't necessarily about getting the best team in the conference into a championship game but the conference taking the measures to get it's best team into the playoffs. I think this decision goes much further than simply giving the best team in the conference an opportunity to play for a championship because they've won all their games and beat the team that is arguably the most deserving.

That said my opinion is the Big should have done away with divisions and said the schedule is what it is and rather than saying a team must play a set number of games to qualify for the championship, they could have simply said the two teams with with the most wins during the course of the season play for the conference championship and figure out a method used as a tie breaker.

Were making the mistake about making OSU the villian in this scenario because they seem to be the one that is screwing over Indiana based on the way things played out. The problem is its the Big Ten that should be the viewed as the bad guys in this scenario because they're the idiots who put this plan in place. I see it as the conference "doing the right thing" by fixing an major error before they make themselves look even worse.

 

[ohhawk]

What more do I want them to do? I want them to follow the rules that were agreed upon at the "beginning" (midseason for everyone else) of this season. I want the B10 offices to grow a spine and actually enforce the rules that were set forth at that time. Yeah, OSU may be the best team in the B10; but if we change the rules simply to appease one party (OSU), who's to say what rules we change next?

To me the move the BIG has made is applying common sense to the situation (maybe on the basis they didn't initially). Many in the FBS arena stated that flexibility is going to have to be exercised with the affects that Covid might bring as we entered the season. I'm not concerned about this unique situation within our conference causing other established rules to be abandoned in the future.

The playoffs were designed to try to send the best four teams onward . I think that direction is at least being maintained with this move. Performance wins out over the effects of Covid. Yes, a rule was broken, I get it. My vote goes with those that approved the change and obviously some others don't see it that way.

What's done is done.

 

[hawkinn3]

If we win Saturday we deserve the Rose bowl

 

[HaydenHawk56]

My food still tastes the same. Nobody is harmed here. OSU isn't adding a non-conference game. Everyone knows that OSU is the best team. Them being in the playoff means $$ for the B1G and every school in the b1G so. its ok

And I'm sure all of these points have been made already.

"Its the rules" just does not cut it. "The rules" were made on the fly anyway with out a clear idea of what might happen.

Then Indiana should have said...F it, take the week off against Ohio St in hindsight.

Big Ten set bad precedent here.

 

[Fryowa]

Big Ten set made precedent here.

Actually the opposite.

The Big Ten has basically said, “We’ll change the rules at any time to suit us however we see fit.” In essence that says they don’t give two shits about precedence.

 

[HaydenHawk56]

Actually the opposite.

The Big Ten has basically said, “We’ll change the rules at any time to suit us however we see fit.” In essence that says they don’t give two shits about precedence.

Ya clearly that don't care about following through, only what best benefits them in the moment....and that is making sure the golden child gets in the playoffs. Actually, I think they would have got there even without the Big Ten's help....if they got by Iowa of course.

 

[haydensly]

I'd be very curious to hear Iowa fan reactions if you were in the Indiana spot.

They broke the rules to benefit the marquee program in the conference. I'm old enough to remember all the Texas Ten comments on this board and find this hilarious.

They didn't break the rules, they changed the rules. Big difference. In this year with all of its craziness, warranted. IMO.

 

[SmokeTownHawk]

Moral relativism at its finest.

 

[ssckelley]

Actually the opposite.

The Big Ten has basically said, “We’ll change the rules at any time to suit us however we see fit.” In essence that says they don’t give two shits about precedence.

The purpose of the 6 game rule was to prevent a bottom feeder, like Nebraska for example, win a couple of games against other bottom feeders, have the rest of their season be canceled, and then be eligible to play in the title game over a team like Iowa who finished 6-1 and couldn't even play Nebraska. The mistake they made was not accommodating the scenario Ohio State and Indiana now find themselves in, where one team beat the other but didn't play enough games.

If the situation was reversed, say Indiana had beaten Ohio State but had too many games canceled I'm sure many on here would be saying it's not fair to Indiana. But because it's Ohio State many are all up in arms over it. What's important here is that the conference gets it right, you want the best teams playing in the conference title game and by changing the rule they are getting it right. Screw Indiana, they could have earned the right to play in the title game by beating Ohio State when they had the opportunity.

 

[NCHawker]

Speaking of rules.... Week 9 will not follow the #4 v #3 etc, Instead the league will allow teams to play their rivalry games.. Wisconsin-Minnesota Indiana-Purdue. That way Indiana gets another easy win and looks better for the bowls.

I'd like to see Iowa play Indiana. ... but now I doubt it.

 

[lazyhawkfan]

I find it somewhat comical that their reasoning is that even if Osu lost to UM they would still be the representative in the champ game. While that may be true, there were other games that were not played where they avoided potential losses (even if unlikely). Had they lost two of those they didn't play, they would not be in the champ game. Each game counts as much as the next, it's not all about missing the UM game.

 

[okeefe4prez]

I find it somewhat comical that their reasoning is that even if Osu lost to UM they would still be the representative in the champ game. While that may be true, there were other games that were not played where they avoided potential losses (even if unlikely). Had they lost two of those they didn't play, they would not be in the champ game. Each game counts as much as the next, it's not all about missing the UM game.

Correct. Penix tore up his leg in the game against Maryland. Ohio State missed three opportunities for guys to get hurt and got 3 bye weeks in an already short season.

 

[ssckelley]

I find it somewhat comical that their reasoning is that even if Osu lost to UM they would still be the representative in the champ game. While that may be true, there were other games that were not played where they avoided potential losses (even if unlikely). Had they lost two of those they didn't play, they would not be in the champ game. Each game counts as much as the next, it's not all about missing the UM game.

You can take any one of those 3 games, give Ohio State a loss, and they would still be in the championship game because they beat Indiana in the head to head. Keep in mind that Iowa is the ONLY team in the Big Ten that will have played every game on their schedule. So you can say every other team had these extra potential losses. Ohio State losing 2 of the 3 games against Illinois, Michigan, and Maryland is highly unlikely. In fact I would say the chances are MUCH higher that Indiana would have lost to Purdue, the game they got canceled, than it is for Ohio State to lose 2 of those 3. Then you have both teams with 2 losses and Ohio State STILL is in the championship game.

Bottom line is Ohio State deserves to be in that championship game over Indiana.