Eye Cue DA COLI GAWD
The new #12 is bold and black. Browns are back š
We have to look no further than The Game, Ohio State vs Michigan. It's time to understand the conference showcase is in the playoffs and not the regular season.
Let's look at Michigan's 2026 opponents:
Western Michigan
Oklahoma
UTEP
Indiana
Iowa
Michigan State
Penn State
UCLA
@ Minnesota
@Ohio State
@Rutgers
@Oregon
As you can see, that schedule is insane. With the ascension of Indiana, the depth of the Big Ten has never been better.
So while teams like USC pulled out of the Notre Dame rivalry, other teams like Alabama's natural rival (Auburn) just can't compare with what Michigan has to deal with playing Ohio State every year.
This also applies to Ohio State. As we can see this year, the Buckeyes played on the road in Michigan the week before playing Indiana in the conference championship game when Indiana played Purdue.
So when you have 4-to-6 teams at the end of the year vying for the last 2-to-3 playoff slots, scheduling is bigger issue than people realize. Texas A&M finished 11-1 and still got a playoff home game, and really didn't play anyone.
It's time to end Rivalry Week
Let's look at Michigan's 2026 opponents:
Western Michigan
Oklahoma
UTEP
Indiana
Iowa
Michigan State
Penn State
UCLA
@ Minnesota
@Ohio State
@Rutgers
@Oregon
As you can see, that schedule is insane. With the ascension of Indiana, the depth of the Big Ten has never been better.
So while teams like USC pulled out of the Notre Dame rivalry, other teams like Alabama's natural rival (Auburn) just can't compare with what Michigan has to deal with playing Ohio State every year.
This also applies to Ohio State. As we can see this year, the Buckeyes played on the road in Michigan the week before playing Indiana in the conference championship game when Indiana played Purdue.
So when you have 4-to-6 teams at the end of the year vying for the last 2-to-3 playoff slots, scheduling is bigger issue than people realize. Texas A&M finished 11-1 and still got a playoff home game, and really didn't play anyone.
It's time to end Rivalry Week
