Big Ten Daily (Oct. 15): Big Ten, SEC Reportedly Working Towards Scheduling Agreement
For years, fans have been calling for an "SEC-Big Ten Challenge" during the football season. To quote Egon Spangler from the film Ghostbusters, "Now, it looks like it may actually happen."
USA Today is reporting that college football's two juggernaut conferences are working together on a scheduling model that could help generate even more revenue. The Big Ten and SEC could potentially schedule 12 games — or more — against each other in the coming years.
Last week, Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti and SEC commissioner Greg Sankey met in Nashville to discuss a potential partnership moving forward. There are still a lot of hurdles to clear, but the two sides are clearly interested in more matchups between the two leagues, which would likely draw in massive dollars from television networks.
Per USA Today, one of the current issues is a consistent scheduling model. Would the SEC be willing to play nine conference games like the Big Ten? Or would Petitti consider chopping his league's schedule down to just eight games?
This season, there have been four games between the two leagues (USC vs. LSU; Texas vs. Michigan; Alabama vs. Wisconsin; and UCLA vs. LSU). If the two sides reach an agreement, we could see a lot more of these matchups in the near future.
Right now, there's still a lot of work to be done on both sides before anything comes to fruition. But it sounds like that "SEC-Big Ten Challenge" might just become a thing, after all.
Ohio State-Oregon draws massive ratings
It should come as no surprise that all eyes were on Saturday night's primetime showdown between No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Oregon in Eugene. Everyone watching got quite the treat, too.
Saturday night's clash between the Buckeyes and Ducks on NBC marked the most-watched Big Ten Conference game since 2008. It drew in an average audience of 10.2 millions viewers across NBC, Peacock and NBC Sports Digital, per a release from the network.
The game peaked at 13.4 million viewers.
Oregon pulled off a thrilling 32-31 victory to beat Ohio State at Autzen Stadium. The game came down to the final two drives, with Oregon's Atticus Sappington converting on a 19-yard field goal to give the Ducks a lead with 1:47 to play.
The Buckeyes had an opportunity to win the game with one final possession, but penalties moved Ryan Day's team out of field goal range. Then, on the last play of the game, quarterback Will Howard slid as time expired, eliminating the Buckeyes' hopes of a late win.
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