Skip to content

Ad Disclosure

Urban Meyer discusses B1G scheduling options for 2020 season

Dustin Schutte

By Dustin Schutte

Published:

We already know the B1G football season is going to look drastically different in 2020. Just a few weeks ago, the conference decided to eliminate all nonconference games, shifting to a league-only schedule for the fall.

It’s been rumored that the B1G will move toward a 10-game conference schedule, though a potential start date is uncertain at this time.

In a recent conversation with Big Ten Network’s Gerry DiNardo, former Ohio State head coach and current analyst Urban Meyer talked about some scheduling plans that could work for the conference. One of his ideas? A 10-game schedule in a 20-week span.

Technically, Joel Klatt was the first major sports personality to voice that opinion on Big Noon Kickoff, but Meyer agreed with the analyst’s take. He believes that it would allow time for players to quarantine or recover if they test positive for COVID-19.

“A 10-game schedule, all conference games, but a bye week between every game,” Meyer said on BTN. “Schedule it, get it going and adapt during the year. If something happens where a player or players test positive, or god forbid they get sick, you have a bye week of time — there’s a chance [that player] would only miss one game or even no games.

“So, I’m really intrigued by that. It gives you space. Right now we need space and time and I think that kind of schedule gives you that. Obviously it’s a 20-week season, you start early September and you have a bye week between every game.”

It seems like a plausible solution, but the length of the season could potentially hinder bowl games or the College Football Playoff. Still, it’s an option that the B1G may want to consider with its league-only schedule.

Below is the full clip from Meyer:

Dustin Schutte

Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB