by Brayden Laslo, Staff Writer
The following story was written by a student on the staff of The Jaguar Times as part of Hilliard Bradley High School’s Journalism Production course.
Is the Big Ten in big trouble? There is a short and sweet answer to the question and that is no. Despite the eight-game season, the Big Ten is still one of the most prestigious conferences in college football and even though they have had to battle to even have a season, it kicks off for the Big Ten on October 24. The conference's chances of making the College Football Playoff was in jeopardy, but with half a season, there is hope. The Jag Times asked Bradley what they think about the shortened season.
Sean Tracy (10) is a Michigan fan and said, “I don’t truly like the 8 game season and I think it’s unfair to teams whose best players opted out due to COVID-19" and he thinks that Michigan will be significantly worse due to that exact problem. He is also happy to have Michigan football back. Coach Loparo, Bradley's Head Varsity Football Coach, said, “I'm happy to have Big Ten football back despite the 8 game schedule", and he is thankful that the committee made the safest decision into bringing back the season. He is a huge Buckeye fan and is excited to see them in action in 2020. Coach Tackett, Bradley's Head Freshman Football Coach says, "the Big Ten will probably make more TV revenue than ever before due to the fact that fans aren’t allowed into the games and the excitement is through the roof." He is also excited about Buckeye football returning and is looking forward to the national championship.” Robby Klise (12) said, “ the Big Ten is at a huge disadvantage because of the shortened season and the committee is already SEC biased. He also said that it is better to have Michigan play Ohio State at the end of the season. Due to the impact it holds for the seniors. The shortened season affects the seniors but it’s better than nothing.”
In my opinion, the Big Ten will be right there in the mix of contenders and will be fine for the rest of the season as long as the best teams continue to win. If they perform and win the games they are expected to win. Ohio State and Penn State are the preseason favorites to win the Big Ten, and they meet in week two. The Big Ten should be in store for big television revenue due to the limit on fans and students but without a doubt it’ll be a great season for all the schools in the Big Ten.