Ohio State AD offers thought-provoking reason why USC, UCLA will help Buckeyes

USC and UCLA moving to the Big Ten may help out Ohio State football in a big way.

USC and UCLA are headed to the Big Ten in 2024 in the latest bombshell move that will change the landscape of college football forever.

One of the major winners on the deal appears to be Ohio State, at least according to school athletic director Gene Smith.

USC, UCLA joining Big Ten helps Ohio State

Having the two LA-based schools join the Big Ten is a major boost for the Buckeyes, for a reason that sounds very interesting.

"For Ohio State, it frankly provides two other schools that can carry some weight," Smith said of the Big Ten expansion.

You can hear his full comments here.

This answer about why adding USC and UCLA makes sense for Ohio State might raise some eyebrows elsewhere in the Big Ten pic.twitter.com/ARUdrCLsZ7

— Marcus Hartman (@marcushartman) July 1, 2022

"At the end of the day, Ohio State has been the program for the Big Ten over the years that has been at the top of the pyramid and has carried a significant amount of weight and value in the Big Ten," Smith said. "Now we have two others who can contribute to that weight. I’m really excited about that."

Smith added, "That’s no disparagement to any school. It’s just reality."

Big Ten football rivals might take issue

Smith may not want to disparage any schools, but Ohio State's other rivals in the Big Ten may take some private issue with his comments.

Michigan and Penn State, in particular, which are seen as football powers in their own right, in addition to Nebraska, which still carries some weight with its long history of success despite recent struggles.

But there's no denying the huge gulf that still exists between Ohio State and the rest of the Big Ten when it comes to football.

OSU is the only program in the conference to win a College Football Playoff game — three in fact, including the first-ever CFP national championship.

Michigan and Michigan State have earned one playoff bid each, but both are 0-1 after humbling defeats to SEC powers Georgia and Alabama, respectively.

College Football Playoff boost?

Playing a quality schedule is more important now than ever before in the College Football Playoff era, as selectors place a heavy emphasis on quality of opponents.

And there's no question the selection committee has not held the Pac-12 in the highest esteem when judging where teams belong in its Top 25 rankings.

By moving to the Big Ten, both USC and UCLA should get a credible jump in their quality of schedule metrics with the committee by playing against the likes of Ohio State, Penn State, and Michigan going forward.

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