COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Big Ten Conference called its new schedule model “Flex Protect Plus,” but for Ohio State football, there was no flex or plus. The Buckeyes’ historic rivalry with Michigan is one of the 11 protected rivalries in the new no-division scheduling format revealed Thursday. That is OSU’s only protected rivalry. Nebraska has three, and some other teams have two. Penn State, though, has none. Ohio State had played the Nittany Lions — one of their toughest East Division foes — every season since they joined the league in 1993. The Buckeyes play in State College in 2024, but the rivalry will take the year off in 2025. Recommended Buckeyes stories Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith told cleveland.com last fall that the conference was considering a model that would protect both historic and competitive rivals. However, he also was in favor of a model that facilitated all…
Continue Reading: Why Ohio State football’s Penn State rivalry is not protected in new Big Ten schedule model
