How Possible Big Ten, SEC Scheduling Partnership Could Help The Buckeyes

A proposed scheduling partnership between the Big Ten and SEC could be really helpful for the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Brutus Buckeye stands with Ohio State fans during the first quarter of the Rose Bowl against the Washington Huskies in Pasadena, Calif. on Jan. 1, 2019. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

The future landscape of college football and the Ohio State Buckeyes could potentially change within the coming years.

ESPN college football reporter Heather Dinich recently reported that the Big Ten and SEC athletic directors will meet to discuss a possible football scheduling partnership, along with other topics regarding the College Football Playoff.

Here's how the potential developments could effect the Buckeyes moving forward.

Potential Ohio State To Play SEC Team During The Season

Obviously, if the Big Ten and SEC come to an agreement on a scheduling partnership, this means the Buckeyes' road to a National Championship would included an SEC school in the mix.

However, for this to happen, Dinich claims that the SEC would likely have to move to a nine-game conference schedule.

The future scheduling partnership could hinge on whether the SEC eventually decides to go to nine conference games -- a topic one SEC source said has not been a focus of conversations lately. Some Big Ten athletic directors could push back on any agreement if the SEC does not move to nine games, because the Big Ten already plays nine league opponents.

- Heather Dinich

There has been no indication of which teams would face off against each other or how the matchups would be selected, but having an in-season game between Big Ten and SEC schools could result in huge revenues for both conferences.

Increased Chances Of The Buckeyes Making The Playoffs

The idea of a scheduling partnership between the top two conferences in college football could look daunting at face-value. But, there is yet another hoop that SEC commissioner Greg Sankey and Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti would have to jump through in order for an agreement.

Dinich discussed how the fate of the partnership rests in the hands of the College Football Playoff's willingness to give perhaps as many as four automatic bids to each of the two conferences.

Sources in both leagues told ESPN on Monday they would prefer to have potentially four automatic bids each to the playoff when the next contract begins in 2026. CFP leaders have not determined yet what the playoff will look like beyond this season and next. Some said they need to know that before making any decisions about future scheduling partnerships.

- Heather Dinich

The increased number of automatic bids would play a major factor in the talks for a potential scheduling partnership. This would allow for the best teams in each conference to play against each other and avoid most negative repercussions. Ohio State could then strengthen the program's schedule and still have a chance to make the College Football Playoffs every year.

Better Selection For College Football Playoffs

Since the birth of the College Football Playoff selection committee, everyone within the college football world has been disgruntled with the process of how teams are selected. While many believed that expanding the playoffs to 12 teams would create more stability in the selection process, it still does not address the main issue of subjectivity within the committee.

Dinich highlighted that some people have expressed interest in limiting the committee's power, or even disbanding the committee altogether, according to sources.

"I think anything we can do to take the subjectivity of a committee off the table is really helpful;" the SEC source told Dinich. "We may not be able to completely get rid of subjectivity the more we can minimize it. And so Tony Petitti's idea of multiple automatic spots for a conference has a lot of value. I'm not sure four is the right number."

Given Ohio State's success over the last two decades, the constant crop of 4-and-5-star players that commit to playing there, an NCAA-leading NIL initiative and a global fanbase, it's hard to envision an expanded playoff ever excluding the Buckeyes. The program has as much momentum as anyone in the sport. But with the potential of four automatic bids for the Big Ten and SEC and a more objective-based way to selected teams, Ohio State's annual inclusion in the College Football Playoff feels like a foregone conclusion.