1. The B1G Story
Let’s play another round of protect Ohio State at all cost, shall we?
Since the Big Ten can’t protect the Buckeyes from Michigan anymore, the next best step is insulating them from nearly every other potential disaster — and a straight shot to the 2024 Playoff.
That’s the takeaway from last week’s Big Ten schedule release, which was only marginally less ridiculous than the SEC punting on a 9-game schedule because — and I still can’t believe this — they wanted to know from the Playoff executive committee if there would be special consideration for schools with 2 or 3 SEC losses.
I mean, how could we move forward in life if a 3-loss SEC team wasn’t selected to the new 12-team Playoff?
But enough of that nonsense, let’s turn our attention to Ohio State, which is about as SEC as SEC gets. If there’s 1 team in the Big Ten that would fit right in with the rival league down south, it’s Ohio State.
https://saturdaytradition.com/big-ten-football/the-b1g-10-new-schedule-format-for-2024-25-protects-ohio-state-at-the-expense-of-tv-viewers/?fbclid=IwAR0_Geav_I0tWzWeqiYEi23XkpyNjv55nq48Lz3bXpRFZyACb5gLGg7OpYABut at the very least, the league could eliminate the idea of favoritism by having a 3-6 model that sets 3 permanent opponents and allows all 6 elite television properties to play each other permanently.
Again, it’s not that difficult.
Ohio State: Michigan, Penn State, UCLA
Michigan: Ohio State, USC, Wisconsin
Penn State: Wisconsin, Ohio State, UCLA
Wisconsin: Penn State, Michigan, USC
USC: UCLA, Michigan, Wisconsin
UCLA: USC, Ohio State, Penn State