The Weekender: Bye Bye to the Big 12, A Few Buckeyes Are Already Olympic Finalists, and Art Schlichter Released from Prison

By 11W Staff on July 25, 2021 at 2:37 pm
Baker Mayfield
Baker Mayfield
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Own the group chat with The Weekender, highlighting the biggest stories in college sports, standout writing from Eleven Warriors, and a glance at what's next.

With the Big 12 collapsing, conference realignment is the hottest topic in college football right now

This past Thursday evening, NIL rights finally received some competition for the most controversial college football topic of the summer.

The Power 5 has been no stranger to shifting around teams over the last decade—just look at the Big Ten—but this news sent shockwaves and skepticism out across the college football landscape almost immediately.

Are the two founding members of the Big 12 and participants in one of college football's flagship rivalries about to abandon their home conference of 25+ years? Would the SEC really want two more teams west of the Mississippi River eating into their annual media money? How would Missouri and Texas A&M—both added from the Big 12 to the SEC nine years ago—feel about these additions? Is any of this even real, or are we just in an NCAA Football 14 simulation?

It is all very real, and the ramifications could spell the end of the Big 12 as we know it.

This is going to get quite interesting quite quickly given the money at stake for all schools involved. If the Big 12 folds, that would leave several other big-name programs across college football and basketball in limbo with the Fall sports season fast approaching.

Apparently, Kansas already set up a call with the Big Ten on Friday.

It is not exactly clear how Kevin Warren feels about this—or anything at all, really. However, if Gene Smith's retweets are any indication, Big Ten ADs do not appear to be to keen on the idea of sharing the wealth with newbie Big 12 expats.

Other than the Jayhawks, there are seven additional teams that would need to find a new home for their athletic departments—including Baylor, the reigning college basketball national champion. Fans across college sports are going to want to keep a close eye on how the news related to this topic unfolds in the days to come, especially as visions of mega-conferences dance in their heads.

Buckeye athletes have already qualified for two finalist spots in the Tokyo Olympics, and a third may be on the way

Last month, Colin Hass-Hill provided a full index of the 26 athletes with ties to Ohio State currently in Tokyo to compete in the 2020 Olympic Games—a school record. The list includes names of past, present, and future Buckeye athletes representing a dozen countries in various sports.

Even though the opening ceremonies were just this past Friday, a handful of Buckeyes are already positioning themselves to compete for medals. Pommel horse perfectionist Alec Yoder will compete for a gymnastics medal next weekend, and later tonight, Ruslan Gaziev will swim in the 4x100 relay finals on behalf of Canada.

Ohio State may see yet another qualifying finalist later today, as Hunter Armstrong is set to compete in the men's 100m backstroke semifinal tonight.

Given Adelaide Aquilla, Anavia Battle, Kyle Snyder, and several others are all still yet to compete in their respective events; this could end up being quite a showing for Ohio State Athletics on the global stage.

Former Ohio State all-time total offense leader Art Schlichter released from prison on parole last month

Art Schlichter is a name that many young Ohio State football admirers may not be familiar with, but he is notorious among Buckeye fans of several decades for a variety of unfortunate reasons.

Schlichter was a four-year starter at quarterback for The Ohio State University from 1978 through 1981. During that stretch, he finished top six in the Heisman Trophy voting three times on his way to setting the previous school record for all-time total offense. He posted a combined 8,850 passing and rushing yards, 85 total touchdowns, and threw 46 career interceptions—the latter of which is an Ohio State record that will likely never be broken. 

Schlichter is also one of the most cautionary tales in the history of college and professional sports, particularly during a time where student-athletes across the United States are more at risk to developing gambling problems than ever.

By his own admission, Schlichter has committed more than 20 felonies related to sports-betting and funding his gambling addiction since he left Ohio State for the NFL in 1982. He has since been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and dementia in relation to the numerous concussions he suffered during his playing career going back to junior high school.

Schlichter was set to serve an 11-year sentence beginning in May 2012 following his conviction for orchestrating a million dollar fraudulent ticket-buying scheme. However, according to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Correction website, Schlichter received a release last month on condition of a five-year parole supervision.

While it is incredible that relatively no outlets picked up on this development until PlayMichigan.com—a Michigan online gambling website—reported on it earlier this week, Schlichter already appears to be capitalizing on his newfound freedom with private memorabilia signings.

If you or a loved one in Ohio are struggling with gambling issues, please reach out to the resources on the Ohio Casino Control Commission's website or contact the Problem Gambling Network of Ohio for support.

ICYMI

UNOFFICIAL 2021 PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN FOOTBALL TEAM

Since the Big Ten does not release an official preseason all-conference squad, Dan Hope decided to do the heavy lifting for them. Check out the comprehensive breakdown of his picks, which includes eight Buckeyes across both sides of the ball.

FILM STUDY: TOM ALLEN'S MULTIPLE, MODERN DEFENSE HAS ELEVATED THE ENTIRE INDIANA PROGRAM

Even in the offseason, Kyle Jones continues to churn out quality video analysis. This week, he examined the modern blitz-heavy defensive scheme of Indiana that managed to take down Justin Fields five times in their matchup last season. 

TEN B1G QUESTIONS: THOUGHTS ON OHIO STATE’S CONFERENCE THIS SEASON AND BEYOND FROM OUR WRITERS

Prior to Big Ten Media Days, Eleven Warriors gathered the staff to answer a series of questions related to Ohio State and the conference at large. This piece includes takes from two of the site's newest additions—recruiting reporter Garrick Hodge and associate producer George Eisner.

Up Next

  • Sunday, July 25th: Carmen's Crew vs. Men of Mackey (Purdue Alumni) in The Basketball Tournament (4 p.m. ET)
    • ​If Carmen's Crew advances, their next game will be Tuesday, July 27th at 9 p.m. ET
  • Sunday, July 25th: Hunter Armstrong competes in Men's 100m Backstroke Olympic Semifinals (10:30 p.m. ET)
  • Sunday, Aug. 1st: Alec Yoder competes in Gymnastics Pommel Horse Olympic Finals (5:45 a.m. ET)
  • Thursday, Sept. 2: Ohio State football opens its 2021 season at Minnesota
  • Saturday, Sept. 11: Ohio State football hosts Oregon in its 2021 home opener
  • Saturday, Nov. 27: Ohio State plays Michigan in The Game
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