Buckeyes considered game vs. Ohio after Michigan cancellation?

The Ohio State Buckeyes did look into a replacement opponent after Saturday’s scheduled game against Michigan was canceled, but it was not quite who was rumored.

Despite chatter that the Buckeyes might look into playing Texas A&M, Ohio State actually looked closer to home. According to Rob Oller of Buckeye Xtra, the Buckeyes reached out to teams with open Saturdays, particularly the University of Ohio. A game against Ohio would have been fairly easy in terms of travel, and the Buckeyes would have been heavily favored as well.

The initial concern for the Buckeyes was that they would need to find a sixth game to be eligible for the Big Ten Championship game. Once the conference ultimately tossed that rule, the urgency to find an opponent was greatly diminished, and the Buckeyes opted to take the weekend to rest and prepare for that game against Northwestern.

The Buckeyes are a perfect 5-0 and a contender for the fourth and final College Football Playoff spot. Beating up on Ohio likely would have done little to pad their resume.