Rumors of OSU v. Michigan, Not Cool People

Scouring the interwebs, there has been a sharp uptick in rumors about on the shape of things to come for the Big 10s bellweather hate fest known as OSU v. Michigan. As being reported in the Plain Dealer, MGoBlog (the #1 Michigan sports blog), and others there is a growing consensus that the Big 10 will not only place Michigan and OSU is separate divisions but that the Game will be moved to October. Now playing a game early in the season (i.e., it removes the build up to the spoiler, elimination, winner take all format that's existed for the past 75 odd years) is by design with the hopes that somehow OSU and Michigan will play each other in the Big 10 championship game. In other words it's hurting the sure thing, for the promise of some super payoff of a Michigan v. OSU Big 1o Championship game.

Frankly, I think that is stupid. If the divisions had been the way they are expected to be OSU and Michigan would have played for the conference championship 4 times in the past 16 years. The changing demographics of the Midwest and College Football should only exacerbate things. The Big 10 has the chance to keep the OSU-Michigan rivalry like Auburn-Alabama , hell even Oklahoma-Texas by either keeping the game at the end of the year or keeping the teams in the same division. Instead it's sounding more and more likely that the dumbest of potential outcomes is coming to pass. Perhaps hate can survive this lamer version, perhaps OSU and Michigan will re-enact the 1970s and dominate everyone else, but it's not something that I'd bet on....