CFP Expansion Should Make Ohio State and Michigan Rethink "The Game"

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As the saying goes, adapt or die. 

Just as college football is on an ever-changing and evolving landscape, the fallout for programs continues to change. What we have learned is that absolutely nothing is sacred and nothing is untouchable, not even The Game.

This idea came from The Athletic's Michigan writer Austin Meek. Meek proposed the idea of a change in the Ohio State vs. Michigan game from the end of November to sometime in the middle of October. While he acknowledges that the idea would have a very negative approval rating, his rationale is sound.

The biggest argument is that for rivalry games, they should be played when their value is maximized. Every year is not going to have the highest stakes, but when that is the underlying approach, it creates that opportunity on a yearly basis. 

In the seemingly likely event that the College Football Playoff expands from 12 teams to 24, the reality that surfaces is that the regular season will become way less significant and impactful, especially in late-season games.

A 24-team playoff moves the criteria from needing fewer than 2 losses to make it into the playoffs to maybe getting in with four regular-season losses. For Ohio State, they have had just four seasons with four losses or more since 2000. Only four.

All of that is to say that playing rivalry week in the final week of November basically removes all relative value from it unless both teams come into the game with three losses.

Because of that, if The Game were to be moved up to maybe week four or five, that value becomes maximized.

The intrigue will always be there, no matter what, but the play on the field simply cannot be watered down. If you get to week 13 and then one or each team is already clinched to make the playoffs, the play on the field will inherently become watered down.

College Football is putting itself into a very weird spot. They continue to make really poor decisions as it comes to the College Football postseason, and the ramifications will be significant. 

One of those logical ramifications is to move rivalry week, specifically The Game, to a new time of the year to keep its value and intrigue. 

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