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Decision today on that one. I don't think they will play.

The various football scheduling models considered by the Big Ten for 2020 have been revealed.

https://andywittry.substack.com/p/here-are-the-other-football-scheduling

The stated recommendation in the deck was to begin the season as soon as it was possible for all 14 Big Ten schools to safely play at least nine games.

“Minimum of 62 games plus Championship Game needed,” read one bullet point, which was likely a reference to the Big Ten’s television deal.

The Big Ten could reach the 63-game requirement if every Big Ten team were to play nine games – eight regular-season games, plus a Champions Week matchup. That’s why the October Kickoff and Late December Kickoff models both featured nine scheduled games per school.

As of 5 p.m. ET Wednesday, Nov. 18, three Big Ten games have been canceled, meaning the conference will play 60 games if every remaining game is played as scheduled. However, Maryland did not practice Wednesday, per The Washington Post’s Emily Giambalvo, putting its Week 12 game against Michigan State in jeopardy.

Another bullet point referenced a 47-game minimum if there’s a scenario where the Big Ten plays fewer than 62 games. That means, presumably, that in order to hit a financial or contractual benchmark with its TV deal, the Big Ten needs to play at least 23 of the 35 remaining games scheduled, including the Big Ten Championship Game, in the final four weeks of the regular season, plus Champions Week.

One slide listed four stated priorities for the conference:

Ensure the health and safety of Big Ten student-athletes

Present multiple options to maximize fan interest in a reimagined 2020 season

Maintain the ability to play a full 12-game season in Fall 2021

In addition, the Conference strives to create a meaningful playing experience for its student-athletes

Neither met the qualifications by which the Big Ten requires cancelation of games. Maryland isn't even close. 

was no need for the Badgers to duck the Huskers - no need for maryland to duck Sparty, at least regarding scoreboard and a "W"

We talked a little about whether skipping a game potentially benefits a team by reducing the chance for a loss, since win percentage is less important than H2H as a tiebreaker. 

But for Wisconsin specifically to choose to skip a second to "duck" a potential loss is just terrible game theory. In order to be eligible for the CCG, they need to play 6 games. By skipping a second game, they ensured that 6 games played becomes the upper limit. 

So their CCG hopes are now out of their hands. Even if they win out every game they play from this point, all it takes is ONE team to cancel on them and they're out of the CCG. 

Ducking one game, maybe that makes sense. Ducking two is stupid.

(Less impactful for Maryland obviously as they didn't have legit CCG hopes.)

Have you seen UW play?

Do you really think they are intentionally ducking anyone? They were devastated to not be allowed to play.

The decision was made by the chancellor - one who supports lockdowns, one who hates sports, and one who matriculated at Minnesota. Strike 3.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebecca_Blank

Seriously. This talk of ducking has to stop.

Matriculated.   😂😂😂

Matriculated.  😂😂😂

I could put it another way, but not here.

(Less impactful for Maryland obviously as they didn't have legit CCG hopes.)

Sure they do. They already beat Penn State. Thus they can probably hang with Michigan and Indiana. Their only loss was a crossover game, so their best chance to get to the CCG, at least mathematically, would be to duck OSU, and then hope that someone else in the B1G East can knock them off. They would then be tied in the loss column, and they would win the tie breaker by virtue of having a better record within the East Division.

Now your theory about the second game does indeed shoot a hole in my tongue and cheek postulations. Particularly with Maryland's example where the Terps could probably defeat the Spartans with their mascots and cheerleaders. So kudos on that one.

As far as Wisconsin, King Berry would love it if they were declared ineligable for the CCG. He hates having to play any team with a pulse from the opposite division. So that example doesn't refute my theory at all.