As the College Football Playoff expands to 12 teams in 2024, the Big Ten appears ready to shirk any roadblocks to getting as many teams in the field as possible.

Action Network’s Brett McMurphy, who is tuned-in to such things, reported Wednesday that the B1G is “strongly considering” removing its requirement that every team schedule at least 1 Power 5 opponent on its nonconference schedule.

On behalf of anyone who has ever paid money to attend a college football game: Don’t do it.

Big Ten expansion to the West Coast was already a declaration of war against the wants of actual fans, and this would be another phase in that campaign. Demanding more of league members is a way in which the B1G can exercise leadership in the college football landscape.

And you know what they say about leadership. It creates legends.

Strength of schedule should matter

Of course, it’s pretty evident the policy was already rather toothless. Michigan has been shirking quality competition for the entire 2020s.

Before the pandemic took an axe to the entire 2020 nonconference schedule, the Wolverines backed out of a game with Virginia Tech and replaced it with Arkansas State. Michigan also paid UCLA $1.5 million to back out of a scheduled home-and-home series in 2022 and ’23, replacing the Bruins with home games against Hawaii and East Carolina.

A 2021 game against Washington is the only saving grace of Michigan’s schedules thus far in this decade, though through no fault of their own that turned out to be the worst Huskies team in generations.

This is the type of cowardly scheduling the rest of the Big Ten should be avoiding.

But given the results for the Wolverines the past 2 seasons, it’s probably no surprise that it is instead being embraced. With nothing to worry about in September but potential injuries, Michigan has cruised to back-to-back CFP appearances.

The irony here is that Michigan is actually moving in the opposite direction that the conference is proposing. The Wolverines have a home-and-home with Texas in 2024 and ’27 that sandwiches a 2025-26 series with Oklahoma. Michigan also makes a return trip to Washington in 2028.

That’s more like it. And it’s what everyone else in the Power 5 conferences should be emulating.

Spots in the expanded Playoff should not come cheaply. There will be multiple 10-2 or 9-3 teams making a case for the final 1 or 2 places in the field. And when it comes to determining those teams, strength of schedule should be massive factor.

Let’s say a Big Ten team goes 9-3 with all of those losses coming against Playoff teams. That team would deserve a spot over 9-3 team that lost to its only CFP opponent. Or maybe even a 10-2 team, depending on other factors.

Teams deserve credit for challenging themselves. And it would have a positive ripple effect around college football.

If 9-3 teams that tested themselves get CFP berths over 10-2 teams that took the easy way out, those teams would also start scheduling tougher nonconference games.

Taking the opposite tack has the opposite effect. Other Power 5 teams will weaken their schedules too, because it becomes a race to obtain the most wins no matter how cheaply they come.

In that scenario, the fans are the biggest losers.

If you’re paying for season tickets, would you rather see LSU or Ball State? Or would you rather have 8 home games, or 7 home games plus a chance to see a game somewhere like Washington or Texas?

The answer is obvious. But so too is the fact that decision-makers don’t really care what fans think, because they’re still banking on the fact those fans will show up by the tens of thousands.

Can we blame USC or UCLA for this?

Given that the proposed relaxation of scheduling standards coincides with UCLA and USC’s arrival in the Big Ten, one immediately grows suspicious of the Los Angeles teams for having something to do with it.

UCLA is obviously the most suspicious.

The Bruins were more than eager to take Michigan’s $1.5 million for cancelling their series and turn it into cupcake food. This will be UCLA’s second straight season without a Power 5 nonconference opponent.

But that’s not par for UCLA’s course.

The best win of Chip Kelly’s tenure was against LSU in 2021. The Bruins head to Death Valley in 2024, and face Georgia and Auburn from 2025-28. That certainly isn’t dodging the assignment.

Do we blame the Trojans?

You wouldn’t think so. After this year, USC will remain the lone FBS program to never schedule an FCS opponent. And the traditional annual matchup with Notre Dame counts as a Power 5 opponent. On top of that, the Trojans play LSU in Las Vegas in 2024 and have a home-and-home with Ole Miss the next 2 years.

Is one of the Big Ten East’s traditional bottom-dwellers — Indiana, Maryland or Rutgers — advocating for this change?

Not based on their future schedules. All have Power 5 nonconference opponents the next 3 years. And given the fact divisional play will come to an end in 2024, all 3 of those programs will soon get the break they’ve longed for.

Penn State may be the surprising culprit.

The Nittany Lions return a home-and-home with West Virginia next season, but have no Power 5 nonconference games scheduled in 2025 or 2026. (Penn State is able to tap-dance around the requirement by visiting Temple in 2026, but obviously it will be a home-like atmosphere at Lincoln Financial Field.)

Fresh off a home-and-home sweep of Auburn, it’s a pretty big letdown if James Franklin and Co. bear any responsibility for the proposed policy change. A road win at Auburn would seem highly beneficial for a team trying to make it into a 12-team Playoff.

When information like this is leaked, motive comes in to play. The intent of the leaker could be to create blowback that derails the proposed change.

I’m more than willing to take the bait.

Policies like this are not created with fans in mind. They’re created by self-serving coaches and ADs trying to protect their jobs.

If this goes through, it will help them achieve that security.

For fans, it’s a pretty powerless feeling. But it’s important to remember that you hold the ultimate power. Nothing speaks louder than a half-empty stadium in September.

And if Big Ten ADs are intent on feeding us cupcakes, that outcome should be their just dessert.