So the Big Ten officially announced its conference only schedule and there is one big important change this season that will rattle the college football world.
As you can see, Ohio State will be traveling to Illinois Week One for the historic battle for the Illibuck trophy. But there is another detail.
“The Game” between Ohio State and Michigan will be played on October 24th, instead of the last Saturday in November. This will be the first time since 1942 that these rivals will not play at the end of the regular season.
Now I woke up to this news and I can already hear the 50+-year-old fans kicking and screaming about tradition. “It’s tradition to play the game in November at noon!” they exclaim.
But let’s be honest, “The Game” has gone against tradition for the past 20 years.
Traditionally, this is a close game between two of the best teams in the nation with a chance to go to the Rose Bowl/Big Ten Championship/National Championship.
If you listen to anyone who was alive before you, they will tell you this game belongs at noon with the two teams wearing their traditional uniforms. However, those damn Buckeyes have been breaking tradition for years.
Instead of allowing this game to mean something, Ohio State has kicked Michigan’s ass for 20 years. If you can believe it, they have not always been wearing their scarlet and gray uniforms to do it.
So let’s be honest, who cares about tradition. There is nothing traditional about the year 2020. So let’s get really weird about this.
Make the game a 7:30 kickoff. You cannot deny that night games just hit differently. It’s likely that we won’t be able to see the game in-person which stinks. But just watching sports that start at sunset and end with it being night is a feeling I can’t describe.
I have been screaming into a void for years that we need a night game, hell, I’ll even take a 3:30 kick. This is the perfect time to try this out. Let’s get really weird this season.