Should the Big Ten Leave The Final Week of the Season Empty for West Coast Rivalries?

In an ideal world, the end of UCLA's regular season should see the Bruins taking on crosstown rivals USC for the Victory Bell. The problem is that we do not live in a reasonable world. In a time that once made sense, the four schools on the West Coast in the Big Ten would play rivalry games to end their season.
Depending on whether USC would play Notre Dame in Los Angeles or in South Bend, Indiana, UCLA would play either USC or Cal in its regular-season finale. Up north in Oregon, the Ducks would play Oregon State in the Civil War and Washington would play Washington State in the Apple Cup.
This format led to incredible games, great rivalries, and unforgettable moments. It helped make college football special. In 2024, Washington and Oregon played their in-state rivals in Week 3, eliminating many of the elements that made those games special, while UCLA ended its year against Fresno State.
While USC did play in a great game against Notre Dame, it was clear to college football fans that after the mid-afternoon games wrapped up, there was a bit of a lull to end what was a great year.
The Big Ten already has their in-conference regular-season finale set with Michigan playing Ohio State, Indiana taking on Purdue, Minnesota playing Wisconsin, and Nebraska playing Iowa to name a few. However, keeping a non-conference game slot open to end the season would not just benefit the West Coast, Penn State could play either Pitt or West Virginia if the conference does not want to have the Nittany Lions play Michigan State in that slot.
USC and UCLA, along with Oregon and Washington, could end their Big Ten schedule playing against each other, establishing a permanent date for the big-time battles in South California and in the Pacific Northwest.
This way USC can continue to schedule Notre Dame, UCLA has a perfect slot for its rivalry with Cal and Oregon and Washington would be able to not only extend their in-state rivalries, but they can also restore them to the slot in which they should be played and that's at night, in the cold to end the season.
Ensure you follow on X (Twitter) @UCLAInsideronSI and @tcav30 and never miss another breaking news story again.
Please let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.