The storied Michigan vs Ohio State football rivalry has continued to ramp up on and off the field, with several recruiting battles this spring in advance of the season showdown. “The Game” is always played in the last week of the regular season on Thanksgiving weekend, but Buckeye head coach Ryan Day has expressed concern about future scheduling conflicts.

The Big Ten conference is eliminating their football divisions in 2024, when new members USC and UCLA join the fray. Michigan and Ohio State have always been on the same side in the Big Ten East, with the exception of a brief period where they were in Leaders vs. Legends from 2011-2014.

With the modifying of the division system, there is now a chance that the two juggernauts can meet in the Big Ten championship each year. That contest occurs just a week after the perennial rivalry matchup, which could have them playing two weeks in a row.

To make matters even more complicated, there are even obscure scenarios where they could meet three times in a row with the College Football Playoff looming after the conference title game. If the teams were to meet originally undefeated and split the two matchups, they could go head-to-head in the CFP for a three-peat. Ohio State coach Ryan Day addressed this in recent comments, according to Chris Balas of TheWolverine.com.

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“Ryan Day says there need to be discussions about when the Michigan OSU game should be played on the schedule. Notes there could be years the two teams play back to back maybe three times in a row … Could minimize the regular season game,” Balas writes.

Day has a 1-2 record against the Wolverines, dropping two straight to Jim Harbaugh. Despite leading the Buckeyes to multiple playoff appearances, fans are growing anxious about the shortcomings in the rivalry, and the pressure is on Day this year.

With the rivalry spotlighting as the most historic and intense matchup every single year, the two schools would not want to have it downplayed due to meeting repeatedly in the postseason. While it is unlikely to be changed due to the significance of the end of season matchup, Day and conference leaders will certainly look into how to best manage the changes.