Now that we know that Ohio State isn't looking to go rogue and leave the Big Ten in pursuit of playing a fall football season, let's revisit an article published by a sportswriter in The Lantern that claimed the Big Ten was nearly dead and called for Ohio State and other top teams to leave the conference, in 1972.
Citing a lack of quality teams to face Ohio State and a limitation on postseason play, the author proposed that schools like Notre Dame, West Virginia, and Penn State — who was not yet part of the Big Ten — join Michigan, Ohio State, and others to create a mega-conference in the Mideast. That's quite the bold #take.
From the December 1, 1972 issue of The Lantern:
I do hope that this author lived long enough to see Purdue and West Virginia fall from grace and to watch the Big Ten rise from the ashes to become arguably one of the strongest conferences in the nation. Though, that statement may be poorly timed.
With Woody Hayes and company tearing through the conference, it's easy to want to raise expectations for other programs. With all that being said, show me a proposal to replace Rutgers and I may be all ears.
