Buckeyes AD Gene Smith Reveals Potential for Back-to-Back Ohio State-Michigan Football Games in 2024 - "It is a possibility"
One of the biggest rivalries in college football involves the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Michigan Wolverines in the Big Ten Conference. It is an annual tradition that typically happens to wrap up the regular season. However, we may see it more than once before a potential College Football Playoff matchup as well.
With the addition of the UCLA Bruins and the USC Trojans to the Big Ten Conference beginning in 2024, they have decided to abolish conferences. That means there is the potential of having two consecutive games between the Buckeyes and Wolverines. Once will be to conclude the regular season and another in a potential Big Ten Championship Game.
Ohio State Athletic Director Gene Smith discussed the possibility of this happening with Mike Hall on the Big Ten Network and said that it could be on the cards.
"That is a possibility. We talked about that...we agreed to that for the betterment of the whole, the betterment of the league, relative to our overall scheduling format and television partners. At the end of the day, we needed to accept that as a possibility." h/t ClutchPoints
With 16 teams in the conference, the scheduling is going to be a bit different than what most fans are used to seeing. These teams have inhabited the East division of the Big Ten and this would be an interesting wrinkle in their longstanding rivalry.
Would this hurt the Buckeyes' chances of winning a Big Ten Championship?
The Ohio State Buckeyes have been one of the premier college football programs in the nation, but have failed to win many conference championships over the last couple of years. The Michigan Wolverines have won each of the previous two Big Ten Championships to snap the Buckeyes' streak, winning from 2017-2020.
What this means for this annual rivalry game going forward is that it could be a bit more calculated. If the Wolverines need a win to make the Big Ten Conference Championship Game, they are going to play it a bit differently.
In that scenario, Ohio State could hold back some plays so they come as a surprise in the championship game.
With the Big Ten Conference adding two incredible college football powers in the USC Trojans and the UCLA Bruins, it is a little difficult to imagine. But there will be a year in which this happens and it is a possibility down the line.
Ohio State probably decreases its chances of winning a Big Ten Conference title as they are competing with 15 other programs instead of the East division.