Will Big Ten Conference Realignment Damage the Ohio State Buckeyes and Michigan Wolverines Football Rivalry?

Has conference realignment diminished some of the prestige from the Michigan Wolverines and Ohio State Buckeyes rivalry?

With the addition of the Nebraska Cornhuskers, the Big Ten agreed to a conference realignment that features two six-team conferences. The champions of both conferences will compete in a conference championship to secure rights for a Rose Bowl nomination.

To the dismay of many Michigan Wolverine and Ohio State Buckeye fans, both teams will be placed in separate divisions. A conference championship between two of college football's most prestigious football programs and biggest rivals is intriguing. However, many die-hard fans would prefer the teams compete in their own subdivision.

Separating the teams into different subdivisions won't jeopardize the rivalry, however. Known as "The Game," the Michigan and Ohio State rivalry will remain as the regular season finale. This creates the scenario that "The Game" and a potential conference championship could be played in consecutive weeks.

The conference realignment and decision to maintain "The Game" as the regular season finale instead of rescheduling it during October does raise some concerns for the Wolverines, Buckeyes, and the entire Big Ten conference.

Regular Season Intensity

Being separated in subdivisions eliminates the head-to-head competition from the Michigan Wolverines and Ohio State Buckeyes. They're not fighting each other to win the division as they had before conference realignment. Now, they're playing for the rights to potentially play each other.

Not only does this eliminate the fans' desire to root against one another, but it almost encourages them to cheer each other so they can meet up in the conference championship.

National Championship Game

2006 featured "The Game of the Century." The regular season finale pitted the11-0 #1 Ohio State Buckeyes and the 11-0 #2 Michigan Wolverines for a spot in the national championship. The Buckeyes won 42-39 in what some argue the most anticipated and greatest game between the two teams. Despite the loss, Michigan almost secured a rematch in the national championship before being overruled by the eventual champion Florida Gators.

A Big Ten championship between the two teams might be more possible, but it eliminates the possibility of a national championship game during "The Game" or in the conference championship. It limits the potential impact that the Ohio State and Michigan game could have when played in consecutive weeks.

"The Game"

Before conference alignment, college football fans knew that "The Game" would feature each team's most spirited efforts. The combination of realignment, a conference championship, and coaching conservatism could interfere with this.

The worst scenario would be for one team to have clinched their subdivision entering "The Game." This would create a match-up where that team would play vanilla in order to prevent injuries and not show their main arsenal before the conference championship. A conference championship "rematch" would feature a better rested team who's seen the opponent's arsenal first-hand.

If the Wolverines and Buckeyes both clinched their subdivisions before "The Game," then expect the rivalry home game to be laidback. Both teams would likely play vanilla and rest players before a conference championship match-up.

Coaches didn't have to worry about this because it was the final game and Big Ten teams had 4-6 weeks to rest themselves after the game. Now, they have a conference championship game to consider. Teams will play and coach the game with the weeks after at the front of their mind.

Late Season Losses

College football teams must avoid losses toward the season's conclusion. In the BCS format, undefeated teams have been denied opportunities to play for a national championship. Late season losses are most devastating in the BCS.

Imagine Michigan and Ohio State splitting victories during these two weeks. Adios to a national championship bid for the Big Ten. It'd be like the Big Ten trading the National Championship bid for a Big Ten championship game. Someone will still get a Rose Bowl nomination, but they would have received that before realignment.

Michigan and Ohio State Should Play in the Same Subdivision

Having Michigan and Ohio State in separate subdivisions enhances the regular season rivalry, prevents games from being impacted by coaching conservatism, and maximize the potential impact that "The Game" can have, i.e. 2006.

This could be short term if the Big Ten expands into the Big Sixteen and conference realignment is redone in the next few years.

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REFERENCE:

Mark Snyder, "Michigan and Ohio State to remain Big Ten Final." Detroit Free Press. September 2, 2010. September 2, 2010.

2006 "Game of the Century" recap. ESPN. September 2, 2010.