Indianapolis, IN – For decades, it’s been a staple of college football. Ohio State vs. Michigan, noon Eastern, on the last day of the regular season. In a sport where few things are sacred anymore, this matchup has been as certain as it gets in its traditional time slot.
But if Ohio State football coach Ryan Day gets his way, that might change. Day added more fuel to an already raging rivalry at Big Ten media day in Indianapolis when he suggested the Big Ten should move The Game off Thanksgiving weekend to prevent the chance of a championship rematch a week later in the Big Ten title game.
Needless to say, Day’s comments weren’t well received in Ann Arbor and weren’t necessarily popular in Columbus. Here’s why The Game should stay right where it is.
The Fans Need to Matter
It’s a naïve notion, perhaps, but tradition needs to mean more in college football. Year after year, realignment kills some rivalries and forces schools into matchups nobody cares about. For example, Michigan’s going to play Maryland home and away in 2024 and 2025, which really matters to neither school. The Wolverines won’t play Penn State, who they’ve met 26 times in 30 seasons.
The fans lose enough to the search for money. This is a game that means so much to both fan bases, and it’s one of the few things they can count on. It belongs on Rivalry Week.
Rematches Don’t Matter
If Ohio State and Michigan do have a rematch, would anyone be less interested in Game 2? If it’s a classic, people will be clamoring for a second showing. The only way it lessens interest is if one school blasts the other, but even that’s not that big an issue. In that scenario, the losing team will be more motivated than ever to even the score. And fans will want to see it happen.
Rematches Aren’t Guaranteed
There are a couple of schools in State College and Los Angeles that might have a say about who makes it to Indianapolis in 2024. Ohio State and Michigan have been dominant in the Big Ten lately, but Penn State and USC are coming on strong. In 2025, the Buckeyes visit USC and the Wolverines head to Happy Valley in addition to playing each other. If either stumbles, there’s probably not going to be a rematch in the Big Ten title game.
Could a rematch happen? Sure. But it’s far from a sure thing, and it wouldn’t damage fans’ feelings about The Game anyway. It’s simply not worth busting up one of the sport’s great traditions.