With changes coming, this year's Ohio State-Michigan game marks the end of a glorious era
A case can be made that Saturday’s game in Ann Arbor is the biggest in the history of the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry.
Two undefeated teams. The No. 2 Buckeyes vs. the No. 3 Wolverines. A Big Ten championship game berth and probably a College Football Playoff at stake. Add in the unprecedented absence of Jim Harbaugh because of Michigan’s sign-stealing scandal, and the rivalry almost feels on the verge of boiling over.
Yep, it should be one for the ages at the Big House.
But one thing is certain: This is the last Ohio State-Michigan game of its kind.
Next year, the Big Ten abandons its divisional format with the arrival of the four programs from the disintegrated Pac-12 Conference.
In a division-less Big Ten, it won’t be shocking if Ohio State and Michigan met in back-to-back weeks – in the regular-season finale and then in the conference title game.
“That's crazy,” Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord said. “I think that's just the world of college football now with everything going on and its twists and turns. But that would be wild.”
Next year also marks the expansion of the CFP from four to 12 teams. In a 12-team playoff system, a two-loss Ohio State or Michigan team probably gets in, let alone one loss. The teams could meet again in a playoff. (They would have last year for the national title if they’d won their semifinal games.)
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Those changes make the traditional OSU-Michigan game less than a must-win game.
“I don't know if that'll be the case,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said. “I'm sure there will always be just as much on the line when these two teams play. Certainly, it'll be different. The format certainly will change next year. But I don't think the rivalry will ever be anything less than it is right now.”
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That’s a nice sentiment, and The Game will always matter more than any other to Ohio State and Michigan, but if less is riding on it, it can’t help but be less important.
That makes Saturday’s game all the more special and pressure-packed. It’s not just that the winner gets the spoils. It’s that the loser’s season is all but ruined. A third straight Ohio State loss to Michigan would be devastating to the Buckeyes. That hasn’t happened since the 1990s.
Ohio State would still go to a prestigious bowl game, but it would be no more than an unwanted consolation prize. The Buckeyes are a veteran-laden team filled with future NFL players. It’d be a surprise if most of them stuck around to play in that bowl game. If they lose, this could be the final college game for Marvin Harrison Jr., TreVeyon Henderson, J.T. Tuimoloau and many others.
For Michigan, a loss would turn the heat up even more on Harbaugh and increase questions about his future. After all, he’ll have missed half of the regular season serving a pair of three-game suspensions. The NCAA investigation continues.
This rivalry has created legends and goats. That’s what makes it special. Wins bring elation. Losses are crushing.
“The tradition that this game has had throughout the years,” McCord said, “the amount of great players that have played in this game throughout the years, the back and forth games throughout the years – there’s a reason why this is the best rivalry in sports. To be able to play in it, it's special.”
It just can’t be quite as special starting next year when not as much depends on the outcome. Saturday’s game marks the end of a long, glorious era. Raise a glass.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Saturday's Ohio State-Michigan game marks the end of a glorious era
