There have been questions floating around about conference championship games that sound like they belong on one of our message boards, but it’s a legitimate question.
Does playing in the conference championship game actually mean anything?
The quick answer is: No, not really or it does, but it really doesn’t.
The longer and deeper answer is that it just means more (don’t sue me SEC) to certain programs.
While others ponder whether or not teams should go all out in this made for money game, Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti made it clear what he thinks.
“You’re playing this game for a reason. The Big 10 Championship means an awful lot. And I think the way you play should mean something, you know, because it’s a game, it’ll be the last thing you put on the field.” Cignetti said on a Zoom call Sunday afternoon.
Cignetti’s Hoosiers earned their spot in the Big Ten Championship Game by going 12-0 as did Ryan Day’s Ohio State Buckeyes. These two teams are ranked 1-2 in the nation and it does mean something.
But should it mean IU or Ohio State dropping in the Playoff rankings with a loss?
This is where things get tricky and puts the powers that be in a bind.
All of these conferences and TV partners love money and these games generate boat loads of cash. They want to play them, however you have to balance it between meaning too much and not being meaningful enough. The Hoosiers and Buckeyes should get a bye in the first round no matter what happens Saturday night in Indianapolis.
If the committee punishes a team for losing an extra game then they run the risk of teams just refusing to play. Why bother playing a conference title game if the participants are going to get dinged heavily for losing. That’s especially true in this year’s Big Ten game while not so much in conferences like the Big XII and ACC along with the Group of 6.
So yes, it is a “meaningless” game when it comes to the College Football Playoff (which apparently is all that anyone cares about these days). However, to the fan bases a conference title still means something even though the ultimate goal is to win it all.
To the fans of each team, especially IU fans, winning a Big Ten title still means something. The Hoosiers have not defeated the Buckeyes since 1988 and have not won a Big Ten title since 1967. To them, it’s not about resting up for a national title. The Hoosiers will have 3.5 weeks between Saturday’s game and the CFP Quarterfinal on either December 31st of January 1st.
“I’m sure it means a lot to them, and they’re excited because I believe it’s Indiana’s first appearance in the Big 10 championship game.” Cignetti said. “I think the fan base has really jumped on board once we started our early success my first year. You know, we’ve been selling the stadium out. It’s been over the top. We have the largest alumni base in America, over 800,000 and you know, the support for the football program has really been coming in strong. So I’m sure it’ll be a great environment.”
Currently, there is a lot to dislike about the sport and where it is headed. There’s too many greedy people who are willing to sacrifice what is great about this sport to make more money you can shake a stick at, but on Saturday night in Indianapolis won’t be meaningless for the Hoosiers.