“The Game” featuring Ohio State and Michigan is one of the most electrifying rivalries in college football each season.
The longtime rivalry is traditionally played in late November to end the regular season, often with significant postseason and College Football Playoff implications on the line. However, Buckeyes football coach Ryan Day told reporters Wednesday that the league should think about moving the game away from the final week of the regular season, stating that the teams could potentially play in “back-to-back weeks” when the league’s division-less format begins in the 2024 season, if both teams qualify for the Big Ten championship.
“We need to consider tradition—but I think it’s worth a conversation when it’s significant to how the season plays out,” Day said Wednesday at the league’s annual media days in Indianapolis, per MLive.com.
While Southern California and UCLA are set to join the conference in ’24, the Buckeyes will keep all of their preserved rivalry matchups, including “The Game,” when the schedule is modified. However, when the new format goes into effect, it eliminates division winners from playing in the Big Ten title game.
Instead, the two teams with the best records in the league will battle in the annual conference championship game. And for that, Day believes playing the big game earlier in the season should be discussed thoroughly.
“Could it minimize The Game? That’s my concern,” Day said. “If you play it in Week 11 or Week 10, no matter what it’s going to matter. But if you know you’re playing them in the Big Ten championship game already, it could be something that we haven’t experienced before.
“I know that they’re [the Big Ten] talking about it. I don’t think any hard decisions have been made; I don’t think they’re going to be made here real soon. I just want to be part of those conversations.”
This year’s game is slated for noon on Nov. 25 in Ann Arbor, Mich.
