The Ohio State-Michigan game won't be played for the first time since 1917 due to COVID-19 cases within Michigan’s program, resulting in some difficult decisions for both the Big Ten and CFP.

The big picture: The Big Ten ruled ahead of the season that teams needed to play at least six of their eight-game schedule to be eligible for the conference championship, but the Buckeyes are stuck at five.

• If Ohio State can't schedule a sixth game on the fly (say, a rematch with Indiana, whose game with Purdue is in jeopardy), the Big Ten could reverse course and change its eligibility rules.
• The CFP, meanwhile, could be stuck between a rock and a hard place with the 5-0 Buckeyes blocking the path of teams like Texas A&M (7-1), Iowa State (8-2) or Cincinnati (8-0).
• What to watch: Big Ten athletic directors will meet today to discuss next steps.

Worth noting: In addition to its playoff implications, the cancellation was a huge financial blow to Fox, costing the network upwards of $18.5 million, per Sportico.

Looking back on the rivalry ...

By the numbers: The matchup dates back to 1897, when the Wolverines blanked the Buckeyes, 34-0.

• Record: Michigan leads 58-51-6
• Largest victory: 82-0 Michigan (1902)
• Current streak: Ohio State has won eight in a row, and 15 of 16.

The Snow Bowl: During a blizzard in 1950, Michigan won a battle of attrition, 9-3, as the teams combined for 45 punts and just three first downs.

"The cold only lasted a day. The defeat has lasted 40 years."

Ten-year war: The rivalry added a new layer in 1969 when Ohio State coach Woody Hayes' former assistant, Bo Schembechler, became Michigan's coach.

The "Game of the Century": On Nov. 18, 2006, they met as the nation's top two teams for the first and only time.

• Ohio State won the slugfest, 42-39, earning its first outright Big Ten championship since 1984.

Here's to the rivalry picking back up in 2021.

The playoff field looks the same as it did last week, continuing to narrow the path for teams hoping to crack the top four.

• Yes, but: Depending on what happens with the aforementioned Ohio State situation, there might be a little more wiggle room than meets the eye.

Movement: The top six are unchanged, but No. 7 Iowa State (8-2) swapped spots with No. 8 Cincinnati (8-0), claiming the mantle of highest-ranked, two-loss team.

• No. 13 Coastal Carolina (10-0) traded places with No. 18 BYU after its victory over the Cougars, and now owns the first 10-0 record in Sun Belt history.
• No. 16 Iowa (5-2) won its fifth straight after starting 0-2.
• No. 19 Louisiana (9-1) jumped six spots and hopes to take vengeance on Coastal, its lone defeat, in next week's Sun Belt championship.

What to watch: No. 1 Alabama is actually the only team in the top five playing this weekend after both No. 5 Texas A&M and No. 4 Ohio State had their games disrupted due to COVID-19.

• That leaves No. 6 Florida (8-1) vs. LSU and No. 10 Miami (8-1) vs. No. 17 UNC (7-3) as the games to keep an eye on.

Go deeper: CFP rankings winners and losers (USA Today)

Some public health experts have suggested that pro athletes should be among the first to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, believing it could engender confidence in those who are hesitant to get vaccinated.

The big picture: Though there was backlash over the summer when it looked like leagues were consuming an unfair proportion of limited testing resources, the benefits of using athletes as "vaccine-influencers" may be too great to pass up.

• Worth noting: Researchers in 2009 found that parents — regardless of political party — became more amenable to getting their child vaccinated for H1N1 after President Obama's daughters got their shots, per WSJ (subscription).

What they're saying:

• "I have fantasies that we have video of everyone from Dr. Fauci to LeBron James getting their COVID vaccine," said Sandra Quinn, the chair of the family science department at the University of Maryland's School of Public Health.

The bottom line: Former presidents Obama, Bush and Clinton already expressed a willingness to get vaccinated on TV, which is a great start.

• Yes, but: Polls show that Black adults are the most skeptical group when it comes to trusting this vaccine, making the influencer's demographic of paramount importance.

Go deeper: As thousands of athletes get coronavirus tests, nurses wonder, what about us? (WashPost)

Juventus beat Barcelona, 3-0, as Ronaldo scored two penalties and both sides advanced to the Champions League round of 16.

• The intrigue: This was the first meeting between Messi and Ronaldo in over two years, which begs the question — how many more will we ultimately get?

The big picture: Like tennis' big three, Messi and Ronaldo have been a constant for so long that it's natural to take them for granted.

• Yes, but: Their presence, and certainly their dominance, can't last forever; and at 33 and 35, it's fair to begin wondering just when the end may come.

What they're saying:

• "I never saw him as a rival," Ronaldo said. "He always tried the best for his team and I tried the best for mine. I always got on well with him. I am sure he will say the same if you ask him."

The bottom line: Juventus' third goal was a spectacular, flying volley by 22-year-old American star Weston McKennie. Whenever these GOATs do hang it up, the future's in good hands.

Elsewhere:

• PSG-Istanbul suspended after accusation of racism (NYT)
• Matchday 6 scoreboard (UEFA)

The Ravens 34-17 win over the Cowboys marked the end of Week 13, and with it, the end of the fantasy football regular season.

The big picture: If you made the fantasy playoffs, which kick off with tomorrow's Patriots-Rams game, these point-scoring machines (ESPN standard scoring) probably helped you get there.

• QB: Patrick Mahomes, KC (310.7 points) — 3,815 pass yds; 31 TD, 2 INT, 1 fumble; 241 rush yds; 2 TD, 1 fumble lost.
• RB: Alvin Kamara, NO (280.8) — 1,328 tot yds; 70 catches; 13 tot TD.
• WR: Tyreek Hill, KC (274.9) — 1,169 tot yds; 74 catches; 14 tot TD.
• TE: Travis Kelce, KC (239.56) — 1,114 rec yds; 8 TD, 1 fumble lost.
• K: Younghoe Koo, ATL (139) — 32-33 FG (7-7 from 50+ yds); 23-26 PAT.
• D/ST: Steelers (127) — 211 PA; 44 sacks; 16 INT; 7 fumble recoveries; 3 TD; 1 safety.

Sleeper MVPs: It's one thing to get top-notch production from the usual suspects, but seeing a sleeper pan out is where real fantasy value emerges.

• Justin Herbert, QB (LAC): Mostly undrafted, given Tyrod Taylor's role as the opening-day starter, Herbert was the eighth-highest scoring QB. If you snagged him off waivers, great job.
• James Robinson, RB (JAX): The rookie's average draft position (ADP) among running backs was just No. 58, but he exploded as the fourth-highest scoring back in the league.
• Antonio Gibson, RB (WSH): More highly-touted than Robinson (ADP No. 30), this rookie still blew away expectations as the sixth-best fantasy back.
• Justin Jefferson, WR (MIN): Invest in rookies! Despite an ADP of No. 54, he scored the seventh-most points among receivers.
• Stefon Diggs, WR (BUF): His ADP (No. 27) was low because no one knew how he'd jell with Josh Allen. Turns out, pretty well! (No. 5 WR).
• Robert Tonyan, TE (GB): When in doubt, bet on Aaron Rodgers. Tonyan has been a beast this year, scoffing at his ADP (No. 59) and turning in the fourth-best campaign among tight ends.

Good luck in the playoffs!

College hoops delivered in a big way last night, with three stellar matchups between ranked teams and a lopsided 6-1 advantage for the Big Ten after day one of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

• Kansas 73, Creighton 72: The Bluejays and Jayhawks were all knotted up in the final minute, but while Kansas' Jalen Wilson nailed a go-ahead three with 42 seconds left, Creighton's Marcus Zegarowski converted just two of three free throws with two seconds on the clock, falling short of forcing overtime.

• Iowa 93, UNC 80: Luka Garza had his first poor shooting night of the season (6-20 FG; 4-8 FT), but still managed to make his mark with 16 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks. Plus, three Hawkeyes guards — Joe Wieskamp, C.J. Fredrick and Jordan Bohannon — combined to go 17-30 from deep.
• Illinois 83, Duke 68: Illinois took control early and never looked back, led as they so often are by star guard Ayo Dosunmu (18 pts, 12 reb, 5 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk), one of six Illini in double figures.

Scoreboard: Tennessee 56, Colorado 47; Penn State 75, Virginia Tech 55; Rutgers 79, Syracuse 69; Ohio State 90, Notre Dame 85

P.S. ... D-II Fort Hays State stunned Kansas State, 81-68, even as its head coach and primary assistant were absent due to COVID-19 protocols.

Thanks for choosing Axios Airlines. We'll be traveling to a new destination each morning this month. Sit back and enjoy the flight.

• Location: Inter Miami CF Stadium
• Coordinates: 26.1931°N, 80.1610°W

Welcome to Fort Lauderdale, where tonight the USMNT hosts El Salvador in a friendly with a maximum capacity of 2,500 fans (7:30pm ET, ESPNews).

• The stadium: Inter Miami was one of two MLS expansion teams in 2020, playing its home games up the road in Fort Lauderdale until its new stadium — Miami Freedom Park — is ready.
• Fun fact: The stadium will soon open its doors to the Global Institute of Sport as a new campus location, joining Wembley (London) and Etihad Stadium (Manchester) as soccer-based hubs for the sports business school.

Match preview: USMNT is 17-1-5 all time against El Salvador and hasn't lost since 1992, but Los cuzcatlecos, as they're called, won't be an easy out with a far more experienced roster making the trip than the U.S. side.

• Youth movement: The big names aren't on tonight's roster, as coach Gregg Berhalter is more interested in auditioning lesser-known, younger national team hopefuls in this final match of 2020. Full 24-man roster.
• Player to watch: 20-year-old Brenden Aaronson (above) helped lead the Philadelphia Union to the MLS' best record this year, but will join the Bundesliga (RB Salzburg) in January.

Go deeper: MLS players earn the chance to impress on USMNT (USA Today)

42 years ago today, the Chicago Hustle beat the Milwaukee Does, 92-87, in the inaugural game of the Women's Pro Basketball League.

• Walter Cronkite covered the debut for just over four minutes on CBS Evening News that night, and the league was off to the races.

The backdrop: Sports entrepreneur Bill Byrne felt that with the increasing popularity of women's college basketball, the time was right for a pro league.

• Teams: Eight original franchises were awarded for $50,000 each (Iowa Cornets, New Jersey Gems, Milwaukee Does, Chicago Hustle, Minnesota Fillies, Dayton Rockettes, New York Stars, Houston Angels).
• Draft: 80 players were selected during July's draft in NYC, with salaries ranging from $3,600 to $12,000.

The downfall: Spirits were high as league play began, with Byrne telling reporters, "There are three things that will fold a league — players' pay, travel and arenas, and we're on top of all three."

• Yes, but: Turns out he was very much not on top of that crucial first item as the league lost $14 million during its three-season existence, ultimately folding in 1981 amid player protests over unpaid salaries.

Go deeper: 1979 midseason coverage of the WBL (WashPost)

Eleven teams have comprised the 24 playoff spots in the six years of the CFP, including four teams with multiple appearances: Alabama (5x), Clemson (5x), Oklahoma (4x) and Ohio State (3x).

• Question: Who are the seven teams with a single appearance?
• Hint: Four mascots are animals; three are people

Answer at the bottom.

Giphy

Goals are really hard to score, and thus their celebrations are worth, well, celebrating.

In that vein, The Athletic's Adam Hurrey analyzed every goal scored in the Premier League this season — along with its subsequent celebration — to look for a pattern.

"Nearly 10 per cent of Premier League goals this season have been celebrated with a knee-slide, with 20 goalscorers knee-sliding a total distance of 95 yards (or 0.00002 per cent of the way to the Moon) at a respectable average of 3.95 yards per slide."

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