Ohio State Football: Is it time to change the traditional start time of The Game?

For as long as I can remember, the final game of the regular season has been known as The Game, the yearly traditional regular-season finale between the Ohio State football team and That Team Up North. The traditional start time for The Game has always been a noon kick.

That was until 2006 in the #1 vs #2 showdown coined the Game of the Century, which actually began at 3:30 and ended under the lights. I remember thinking at that time that it looked so cool seeing these two iconic teams battle to the final whistle under the lights as the cool November evening went from dusk to dark and the Ohio State football team was once again victorious and on their way to another National Championship game.

Now that the Big Ten has a somewhat working contract with CBS and NBC, along with their still very lucrative deal with FOX, there are more opportunities for The Game to have a different start time. I’m sure as long as Fox is the top dog in the scheduling pecking order, they will continue to place the start time to the most lucrative game in the Big Ten at their noon time slot.

However, as the Big Ten continues to expand, and those contracts morph over time, there is a chance that down the road The Game could fall into the hands of another network, which means the start time could be a 3:30 or even in a primetime slot.

Most traditionalists, which I consider myself one, despise the idea of seeing The Game begin at any other time other than noon. I mean, for heaven’s sake, if a noon kick was good enough for Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler, who are we to question tradition?

But what if it were to change? Would it change the overall experience of the game? Do we look back at the 2006 game in disgust because Troy Smith sealed his Heisman moment in the season finale that started at 3:30 instead of noon?

Face it, not one single person would trade that W in or give back Troy Smith’s Heisman because The Game started at 3:30. For goodness’ sake, some of you reading this might not recall or have even forgotten that that game in 2006 was played at 3:30.

I know it has been a long-standing tradition that the Big Ten does not play night games in November, but the reason behind that thinking is bunk. High school kids who are in the playoffs do it every single week all over the Midwest up and through the month of December, so spare me the “it’s too cold excuse.” And every single stadium in the Big 10 now has permanent lights in order to play night games, so that’s not an excuse either.

Although the Ohio State verse TTUN game always has great television numbers, just think about how good they could be if the game was played at 7:30 and not noon. Remember, the west coast numbers are always low for noon games because it is 9 a.m. there. And now that the L.A. market is officially considered Big Ten country, not just alums will have a watching interest.

Although I am a traditionalist, it’s time we consider allowing The Game to be moved from its noon start time. I understand that currently, FOX has a death grip on the control time of that game, but when that grip loosens, maybe we can all embrace a little change and allow the rest of the country to see the greatest rivalry in sports be highlighted on primetime.