Ohio State-Michigan? The Big Ten had a different Big 2 until rivalry turncoats changed everything

Evenwithfirst-yearmemberOregonwinningtheactualBigTenchampionshiplastseason,withPennStatelookinglikeitmightbethebestteamthisseasonandwithUSCinthefoldastheresident“sleepinggiant,”theBigTen’s“BigTwo”isathingagain. OhioStateisthedefendingnationalchampion.Michiganwonittheyearbeforethat.AndanAprilstudybyTheAthletic’sMattBakerandAustinMeektellsusthoseoutcomesmadethemostpossiblecollegefootballfanshappy.Michiganisdecisivelythemostpopularteaminthesport,basedonninecategoriesofmeasure.OhioStateissecond. MichiganmaintainingthatfollowingandtheOhioState-MichiganrivalryremainingatopthesportthroughalongperiodoffutilityinAnnArbor—noBigTentitlesfrom2005-20andastretchof15lossesin16gamesagainsttheBuckeyes—isatestamenttoatimewhentheBigTenwastruly“TheBigTwoandtheLittleEight.”Yes,theleaguethatnowcounts18membershadanamethatmatchedthemath. Andthe1970scementeditsclasssystem.Fiftyyearsagothissummer,anNCAA