Ohio State vs Michigan Game Transitioning to October Would Be 24-Team CFP Disaster

"The Game" between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Michigan Wolverines is a sacred tradition played annually on Thanksgiving weekend. With the ever-changing nature of college football each year, including the possibility of a playoff expansion from 12 to 24 teams in short order, it raises the question of whether "Rivalry Week" even matters.

For those who play in it every year, players from both sides likely beg to differ. If anything, omitting the records (in the minds of both fan bases) makes the game that much bigger as the winner holds the bragging rights for a year straight.

The Athletic's Austin Meek argues that the annual rivalry clash should move to October rather than remain during the final weekend of November. While his argument matches up with the way the NFL operates as the regular-season winds down, it just doesn't sit right.

When the Buckeyes beat the Wolverines in Ann Arbor last November, it meant something. It meant something to quarterback Julian Sayin, who some still suggested was under Will Howard's shadow after he had led the Buckeyes to a national title win one year earlier. It certainly meant something to Jeremiah Smith, the star wideout who kept betting on himself to be elite and assured Buckeye fans everywhere that he'd never lose to Michigan for the remainder of his college career.

Of course, it meant much more to coach Ryan Day as he had been criticized for his inconsistent effort vs. the Wolverines in subsequent seasons.

Assuming Smith declares for the NFL Draft next April, he'll have one more guaranteed shot to beat the Wolverines and finish 2-1. Those chances could increase to two or three should both teams meet in the Big Ten title game or College Football Playoff. Should either happen (or both), the stakes would be astronomical for Smith's Buckeyes. And, better yet, potentially securing two program-defining wins that may be talked about for years to come is the icing on the metaphorical cake.

By moving the game to October, the importance of "The Game" is still there. But it isn't the same. The rest of the season would be judged based on that sole performance, not the entire body of work. The Super Bowl doesn't get played before its scheduled date. And, at last glance, college football isn't the NFL.

Fans wait all year for their rivalry matchups to commence, especially Ohio State-Michigan. Taking the November drama out of it feels sacreligious. There is still the second-half of the season to reach its rightful conclusion, while the climax has already commenced before the inevitable falling action.

If rivalries continue to dwindle, including the late-season importance of Ohio State-Michigan, college football as a whole may suffer irreversible damage that could be discovered when it's too late.

CFP aside, that's a shame. Twenty-four teams could still get in, but the game's pageantry should still be accounted for.

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