Separating Ohio State and Michigan into Different Divisions to Derail 'The Game'

   There has been a lot of fuss going on recently by fans, the media, and even former coaches and players of the respective schools regarding the separation of Ohio State and Michigan into different Big Ten divisions and the possible move of  'The Game' from late November to early October.('The Game', obviously, refers to the Ohio State-Michigan football game, currently played the third Saturday of November each year) Popular opinion on the matter is that under no circumstances should the game be moved, and a laundry list of reasons have been given as to why, depending upon whom you ask.  For now, the majority get their way, as it appears the game will not be moved.  However, does that mean the controversy surrounding 'The Game' has ended? I believe it does not, and I actually think that by placing the two schools into separate divisions, the Big Ten is gradually destroying one of the oldest and biggest rivalries in college sports today.

 Historically, 'The Game' has decided the Big Ten winner in one way or another for at least the last half century.  Even if both schools have not gone into 'The Game' with an unblemished conference record in any given season, at least one school has played for the right to be called Big Ten Champ, as has been the case for Ohio State the last few years.  Playing for the honor of being called Big Ten Champ and a trip to the Rose Bowl, while not the sole motivating factor among the players of the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry, definitely is an extra sweet bonus. The new Big Ten realignment threatens to destroy this uniqueness of 'The Game', potentially allowing the loser of each season's rivalry game to exact a bit of revenge by beating their rival the following week in the Big Ten Championship, and thereby earn a trip to the Rose Bowl.  I don't know about you, but that would be a bitter pill for me to swallow if I were on the winning team of 'The game.'

  Even former players of the game, such as OSU alums Kirk Herbstreit and Robert Smith, have weighed in on the matter and emphatically state not only should 'The Game' be played in November, but that both schools should remain in the same Big Ten division. Their reasoning is that 'The Game' was not only the one chance their school had to earn a trip to the Rose Bowl, but also the one chance their school had to beat their rival.  How would Ohio State or Michigan players respond to the game, knowing that, even if they lost, in a week or two they would get a chance to exact a bit of revenge, possibly on a neutral field?  Former Michigan quarterback Brian Griese has gone on record by saying he is fine with the proposed realignment, but I have a feeling, that he, too would not relish the idea of having to play Ohio State for a second consecutive week after having already beat them.  Bragging rights are at the core of the matter for anyone who is associated with 'The Game'; how does one truly determine who takes home the bragging rights that season if each team wins one of the potential two games OSU and UM could play?

  While I know Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany will probably not read this article, he would be wise to do so.  Because I don't think a more compelling argument for keeping Ohio State and Michigan in the same division in the Big Ten can be made.  What Delany and the other AD's have proposed threaten to reduce one of the nation's biggest rivalries into a mere footnote. Ohio State and Michigan should have only ONE chance to beat their rival each season, ONE chance to play each other for the opportunity to be called Big Ten Champion.  Anything else is just madness.