For six months, the Big Ten Conference was the biggest winner in college football. On June 30, the league shook up the sport with the acquisition of USC and UCLA, pirating the Los Angeles market away from the Pac-12 come 2024. In August, the Big Ten announced a new record-setting media rights deal that will shower its members with cash. And on Selection Sunday for the College Football Playoff in early December, two conference members made the four-team field for the first time.
Then came New Year’s Eve, when the Big Ten’s big year ended with a big bust. The league dropped the ball before the ball dropped in Times Square. The off-field summer gains will resonate in the future, but the present brings another dose of humility.
Michigan was upset by TCU in one playoff semifinal. Ohio State couldn’t hold a two-touchdown lead against Georgia in the fourth quarter in the other. The Big Ten went 0-2 in the games that matter most, dropping its all-time playoff record to 3-7 and extending its championship drought to eight years.
