Ohio State will play for Big Ten title

The Big Ten Conference dropped its six- game minimum requirement for the league championship game Wednesday, clearing the way for No. 3 Ohio State to take on No. 14 Northwestern in another chance for the Buckeyes to burnish their playoff credentials. The Buckeyes ( 5- 0) will try for their f ifth straight conference title when they face the Wildcats ( 5- 1) in Indianapolis. Ohio State f inished the regular season with only five games after Michigan had to pull out of Saturday’s showdown because of COVID- 19 issues.

The rule change had to be approved by the Big Ten Conference Administrators Council, which includes athletic directors, senior women’s administrators and presidents from all 14 schools.

The Colorado State men’s basketball team returned to a full- squad practice after a 20- day program pause because of coronavirus infections. … The kickoff between Utah and No. 21 Colorado in Boulder was moved to Saturday at 9 a. m. Pacific. The game was set for Friday night but was moved when the Ohio StateMichigan game was canceled. … Indiana and Purdue canceled Saturday’s football game because of an increase in COVID- 19 cases at each school. It’s the f irst time since 1919 that the annual instate rivalry will not be played. Indiana will keep the Old Oaken Bucket for another year after winning last year’s game in overtime.

Southern Methodist ( 7- 3) accepted a bid to the Dec. 19 Frisco Bowl. Its opponent, likely from Conference USA, is to be determined.

Justify will remain the only Triple Crown champion to f inish his career undefeated. The board of stewards at Santa Anita decided that the results of the 2018 Santa Anita Derby would not be overturned as the result of a drug positive for the 13th winner of the Triple Crown. Justify tested positive for scopolamine, a drug found in jimson weed. It was discovered that the horse ingested the substance through feed contamination.

— John Cherwa

Dodgers right f ielder Mookie Betts and Angels center f ielder Mike Trout were named to the All- MLB First Team. Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager and lefthander Clayton Kershaw were second- team picks.

— Jorge Castillo

Ray Perkins, who replaced Hall of Famer Bear

Bryant as Alabama’s football coach and started the transition with the New York Giants that led to two Super Bowl titles, died in Tuscaloosa. He was 79. ... Jack

Scarbath, a star quarterback for Maryland in the early 1950s and a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, died. He was 90.