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I always thought it was weird that OSU went to the Big Ten CCG 5 times and Iowa went 3 times but the 2 teams have never played each other in the CCG.  Then throw in the fact that the 2020 OSU-Iowa game was cancelled,  I guess it means  the universe just does not want those 2 teams to play each other.

Another weird thing is that since Iowa and OSU only played once from 2014-2021, and Iowa won that one game in 2017.  So Iowa went 8 straight years total without losing to OSU.

In 1981 all league teams except Ohio State and Iowa played a full round robin. Iowa and Ohio State tied for the league title at 6-2. They both lost to Minnesota but the Gophers otherwise sucked and ended up 4-5. Ohio State also lost a close one at Wisconsin while Iowa lost 24-7 at Illinois. The Illini and Badgers both finished 6-3.

Iowa went to the Rose Bowl based on the longest loser rule.

This season is also interesting because it broke the tOSU/M strangle-hold on the Rose Bowl.  Some history:

The BigTen agreement with the Rose Bowl went into effect for the 1946 season/1947 Rose Bowl.  In the first 22 years of that agreement (1946-1967 seasons, 1947-1968 Rose Bowls) every team in the league went to the Rose Bowl and all but Wisconsin and Indiana won Rose Bowls.  Further, no team really dominated:

• 3 appearances, Ohio State 3-0 (1950, 1955, 1958) - tOSU also was supposed to go in 1962 but turned it down to Woody's FURY!
• 3 appearances, Illinois 3-0 (1947, 1952, 1964)
• 3 appearances, Michigan 3-0 (1948, 1951, 1965)
• 3 appearances, Michigan State 2-1 (1954, 1956, 1966)
• 2 appearances, Iowa 2-0 (1957, 1959)
• 2 appearances, Minnesota 1-1 (1961, 1962)
• 2 appearances, Wisconsin 0-2 (1953, 1960)
• Purdue 1-0, 1967
• Northwestern 1-0, 1949
• Indiana 0-1, 1968

In year 23 of the Rose Bowl deal, Ohio State went and won a #1 v #2 game for the NC (1968 season, 1969 Rose Bowl).  That was the first of 13 straight Rose Bowl appearances by the Buckeyes and Wolverines (1968-1980 seasons, 1969-1981 Bowls) in which Ohio State and Michigan compiled a dismal 3-10 record (2-5 tOSU, 1-5M).  

Then the 1981 season happened.  Ohio State tied Iowa for the league title but the two didn't play and the tiebreaker was what I call the "longest loser rule" which stipulated that the team that hadn't been in the longest went.  At the time Ohio State's last prior RB was the 1980 game while Iowa's was the 1959 game.  The next year (1982 season) Michigan won the league with Ohio State 1/2 game back in second (see above) but the year after that the Illini won the league outright.  The 1983 season is interesting for two reasons:

• Illinois became the only team to ever beat each other team in the league.  The league was playing a 9-game full round-robin and Illinois went 9-0.  
• 1983 was the first time since 1967 that neither tOSU nor M won even a share of the league title.  

Updated SOR/SP+ CFP bracket

• #12 Boise State at #5 Texas A&M; winner vs. #4 BYU
• #11 Alabama at #6 PENN STATE; winner vs. #3 Miami
• #10 INDIANA at #7 Texas; winner vs. #2 OREGON
• #9 Kansas State at #8 Tennessee; winner vs. #1 Georgia

Last week in parentheses...

• PENN STATE (1) - coming from behind on the road against a solid team, with a backup quarterback?
• OREGON (3) - I think they've firmly proved the first two weeks were fluky
• OHIO STATE (2) - fair to question them
• INDIANA (4) - at this point it seems like it is more likely than not they make the playoff
• WISCONSIN (5) - seems like the fixes were more due to who they played, but who behind them proved themselves?
• ILLINOIS (6) - not nearly enough offense against better opponents
• WASHINGTON (7) - not nearly enough offense, period
• IOWA (8) - not going to overreact to a home win against Northwestern
• NEBRASKA (9) - probably their best performance of the season
• MICHIGAN (11) - lack of turnovers and penalties, and better special teams
• MICHIGAN STATE (10) - turnovers, penalties and special teams
• MINNESOTA (12) - Brosmer finally looking like who we thought he could be
• MARYLAND (13) - USC game looking more and more like a fluke
• USC (14) - I think that said more about Rutgers than USC
• UCLA (16) - bye week
• RUTGERS (15) - see USC
• NORTHWESTERN (17) - PILLOW FIGHT!
• PURDUE (18) - PILLOW FIGHT!

Also in 1961 the OSU BOT voted against going to the Rose Bowl, even though they won the Big Ten outright, and would NOT violate the no repeat rule, because they were worried OSU's academic reputation was being harmed by being a "football school", which I did not know, and is the most hilarious thing ever

I referenced this above.  Interestingly, Minnesota who went in tOSU's stead WAS a repeat.  They lost after the 1960 season and won after the 1961 season.  

More on this:
The only reason it came down to a vote was that the BigTen's contract with the Rose Bowl had lapsed.  I don't know the details of exactly why but in any case, the Rose Bowl simply invited the team that would have gone under the contract, Ohio State.  Ordinarily, Ohio State would have been contractually obligated but because the contract had lapsed they were merely an invitee which made it optional and, as you stated, the BoT turned down the invitation.  Unsurprisingly, Woody was BEYOND furious.  

There were also protests on campus.  My dad was born in 1940 and after HS Graduation in 1958 he served three years in the USMC (1958-1961).  He got out in the spring of 1961 and started Summer School at OhioU (Athens).  That fall he was at OhioU but he had always been a fan of tOSU and he had friends at Ohio State so he told stories of being there for the protests.  

The Gophers won the NC in 1960 although they lost the Rose Bowl but back then the final poll was BEFORE the bowls.  

In 1961 the Buckeyes and Gophers didn't play.  They both started the year with an OOC blemish.  Minnesota lost at home to a Mizzou team that was really good that year.  Mizzou finished unranked but first among "ORV" and this was at a time when the poll was only 10 teams so Mizzou was effectively #11.  Ohio State's blemish was a tie at home with a TCU squad that finished 3-5-2.  Ie, that was a HORRIBLE performance.  After that tie, however, the Buckeyes went on a tear.  They won eight straight to finish 8-0-1.  Minnesota won seven straight then lost at home to a Wisconsin team that tOSU had beaten in Madison.  

Interestingly, Minnesota lost the 1961 Rose Bowl as #1 to #6 Washington but they won the 1962 Rose Bowl as #6 over UCLA which was unranked but sixth among ORV so quasi-16th.  

Many of my Hawkeye buddies really don't like the huskers but....

They were rooting for the big red last Saturday

Ya well the Badgers lost