DONE DEAL: The deal between Ohio State Buckeyes and Michigan wolverines is done…
(Joseph Maiorana/USA Today Network)
The Big Ten just got bigger. But did it get better? While four former Pac-12 teams have made the jump, a former coach did, too, going from Oregon State to Michigan State.
Jonathan Smith has some work to do with the Spartans, who had just one winning season in the past four years. Fortunately, Smith is no stranger to success, coaching winning seasons for the past three years. The Big Ten is a different breed, though, especially when you have to face juggernauts like Ohio State.
Michigan State hosts the Buckeyes in Week 5 of the college football season. It gets home field advantage, sure, but that doesn’t really matter with Ohio State who’s handily won the last eight matchups.
The landscape of college football is different this time around with the 12-team playoff format taking effect, but teams like Ohio State don’t just want to make it to the playoffs but dominate their way in. That could likely happen this year. The Buckeyes look like the team to beat this year with the help of transfers Caleb Downs, Quinshon Judkins and Will Howard.