Note: Since the publication of this article, Indiana has also paused its team activities following an increase in positive COVID-19 cases and could potentially be unable to play this weekend as well, decreasing the chances an Ohio State vs. Indiana rematch could be scheduled.
The Game has been officially canceled, leaving Ohio State in a scramble to find another opponent for this weekend. As a result, there's a chance a top-10 rematch with Indiana could be a possibility.
Under the current rules, Big Ten teams may schedule a replacement game against another conference team if both of their games are canceled by their opponent due to COVID-19 issues in the same week, provided that those two teams aren't dealing with COVID-19 outbreaks themselves.
Indiana is the team most likely to fit that description after Purdue, the Hoosiers' scheduled opponent this weekend, canceled its Tuesday practice with reports of pessimism about the Boilermakers' ability to play a game this weekend.
According to ESPN's Adam Rittenberg, the Big Ten would like to avoid rematches but would be open to them if necessary.
Sources have told me Big Ten would be open to rematches but ideally would like to avoid them. Problem here is all the issues are in the East Division. You could have Ohio State play Maryland this week, but then Indiana-Rutgers would be a rematch.
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) December 8, 2020
Outside of a rematch with Indiana, the other potential options to allow Ohio State to play this weekend would be a non-conference game – an option which the Big Ten already nixed for Nebraska earlier this year – or the Big Ten altering other teams' schedules, which Yahoo! Sports' Pete Thamel reports is unlikely.
Multiple sources told Yahoo Sports that no Big Ten programs have been asked to move games. Thered be a resistance to switch games mid-week after 3 full days of prep and practice. I cant see any team agreeing to change an opponent with 2 days left to prep, said a B10 source.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 8, 2020
If an Ohio State vs. Indiana rematch was to take place, it would effectively be a Big Ten East championship game, with the winner representing the division in the Big Ten championship game with the highest win percentage.
If Ohio State is not able to schedule another opponent this weekend, the Buckeyes will be unable to qualify for the Big Ten Championship game under the league's current rules, which require six games in order for a team to be eligible.
However, Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez said the league's athletic directors would likely reconsider the current rules if it kept Ohio State from qualifying.
"I think if something were to happen to Ohio State and they'd have to cancel another game, that's something that we've got to revisit," Alvarez told The Detroit News last week. "They're sitting up there still ranked No. 4. Our league can't keep them from having the opportunity if they have a chance to be in the finals."
If Ohio State does play Indiana, it will mark the first time the Buckeyes have played a conference opponent twice in the regular season.
Last season was the only other time Ohio State has ever played a Big Ten team twice in a season, defeating Wisconsin once during the regular season and once in the Big Ten Championship game. Before that, the last time Ohio State had played an opponent twice in one season was 1975, playing UCLA during the regular season and in the Rose Bowl.
Ohio State has played an opponent multiple times during the regular season four times in its history with all games taking place before 1900.
