Big Ten Championship 2012: Ohio State's Undefeated Season Overshadows Title Game

In case you haven’t heard, the Big Ten is still planning to go on with their championship game despite Ohio State’s undefeated season.

While the Buckeyes' 12-0 finish would certainly warrant a spot in the Big 12 title match, their ridiculous bowl ban bars their entry to any postseason contest and is the main reason why they aren’t a top-ranked team with a legit shot at making the national championship.

Instead, we’ll see the Nebraska Cornhuskers take on the Wisconsin Badgers in a weak contest between two mediocre teams. The winner will get the right to go to the Rose Bowl, which loses its luster when a 10-2 Huskers squad or a ridiculous 7-5 Badgers program is representing the conference.

In reality, the Buckeyes were the best of the Big 12 and should be taking the Badgers' place as leaders of the Leaders Division. OSU Head coach Urban Meyer should be prepping his boys for a rematch with a team they already stomped out 63-38 back on Oct. 6th.

OSU possesses an elite signal-caller in Braxton Miller, a top coach in Meyer and a solid defense that makes critical stops when called upon and gives the offense a chance to win the game. They are the class of the conference, and a 12-0 season proves that they can hang with anyone in the nation.

While the undefeated Notre Dame Fighting Irish are likely to meet up with the one-loss Alabama Crimson Tide to determine the 2013 BCS champion, the Irish really should be facing off against Ohio State.

It’s a shame that these NCAA infractions are taking place this year and robbing the Buckeyes of a chance for a championship.

Instead, we’ll have a second-rate Big Ten Championship matchup and a BCS Championship game featuring at least one one team that doesn’t deserve to be there as much as the kids from OSU do.

Fortunately, the NCAA is lifting Ohio State’s sanctions next season, and the best program in the expanding Big Ten will have a chance to show the nation just how good it is.

We’ll have to settle for a ridiculous Wisconsin vs. Nebraska showdown in 2012, but expect Meyer’s Buckeyes to change that all around this time next year.