What if the Big Ten had retained the Leaders and Legends divisions instead of transitioning to geographical east and west divisions? Let’s reflect on how the Big Ten Championships might have unfolded. We’ve established a few rules for this experiment. First, none of the schedules change, as it is too challenging to coordinate how the games would have evolved and then hypothetically predict winners and losers. Second, Rutgers and Maryland were never part of the Big Ten when it had the Leaders and Legends, so they will be split up. Rutgers and Maryland also never had a good enough record to be considered for the Big Ten championship, making them non-factors. Let’s also remind everyone who was in each division. The Leaders consisted of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin (and Rutgers). The Legends division had Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern (and Maryland).

2014: Ohio State vs Michigan State (Instead of Ohio State vs Wisconsin) – One of the most iconic Big Ten Championships would never have happened if the Big Ten had kept its original divisions. Ohio State and Michigan State faced off in November, with Ohio State winning in East Lansing. Ohio State defeated Michigan State 49-37 on a cold November night. A victory for Ohio State might not have been enough to secure them a spot in the inaugural College Football Playoffs, as the decisive 59-0 win over Wisconsin helped them surpass Baylor and TCU. Michigan State already had two losses and would have been out of the College Football Playoffs even with a win.

2015: Iowa vs Ohio State (Instead of Michigan State vs Iowa) – Michigan State suffered a loss in the regular season to Nebraska, while Iowa went 12-0 in the regular season. Ohio State lost to Michigan State while attempting to defend their National Championship. Ohio State would finish 7-1 in the conference, while Wisconsin would finish 6-2, one game behind the Buckeyes. The winner of this game would have certainly been in the College Football Playoffs, leaving Michigan State out. This was the only appearance in the College Football Playoffs for Michigan State.

2016: Penn State vs Michigan (Instead of Penn State vs Wisconsin) – Another game that would have changed completely by sticking with the original divisions. Penn State and Wisconsin played in the same division, and Penn State had the better conference record, eliminating the Badgers. Michigan would have made the trip to Indianapolis for the first time under Jim Harbaugh, with a rematch in store. Michigan defeated Penn State 49-10 earlier in the year, but Penn State was vastly improved by the end of the season. It would have been interesting to see if Penn State could avenge their early-season beatdown.

2017: Wisconsin vs Northwestern (Instead of Ohio State vs Wisconsin) – Wisconsin and Ohio State are in the same division, and Wisconsin went undefeated in the regular season. Ohio State lost a memorable blowout to Iowa, eliminating them from the Big Ten Championship. Northwestern earns a chance to win the Big Ten after going 7-2 in the conference. The Wildcats were tied with Michigan State but defeated the Spartans in a late October game. A win for Wisconsin, and they would find their way into the College Football Playoffs.

2018: Ohio State vs Michigan (Instead of Ohio State vs Northwestern) – Michigan and Northwestern had the same record of 8-1 in the conference, but Michigan defeated the Wildcats earlier in the season, giving Michigan the nod. Ohio State had just beaten Michigan 62-39 one week prior, setting up an epic rematch. Ohio State scored the most points on Michigan in the history of the rivalry in 2018, so you know Michigan would be ready for payback. Dwayne Haskins and company would have an outside chance to make the College Football Playoffs with another decisive victory. They would still need some help with multiple undefeated teams ahead of them, but the opportunity would be there.

2019: Ohio State vs Minnesota (Instead of Ohio State vs Wisconsin) – Minnesota would get the nod here, having the best record in the Legends division. Penn State and Wisconsin had the same record but would have been in the same division as Ohio State. Justin Fields and company were a wrecking crew during the year, dominating everyone in their path. Minnesota was a Cinderella team led by Tanner Morgan, Rashod Bateman, and Tyler Johnson. The Golden Gophers upset Penn State in November and would have made the Big Ten championship themselves if not for a narrow loss to Iowa.

2020: Ohio State vs Northwestern (Stays the same as Ohio State vs Northwestern) – This game remains unchanged. The Covid year was strange all around, with the Big Ten not starting games until later in October. Ohio State played just five conference games, while Northwestern played seven. The Big Ten initially made a rule stating teams needed to play at least six conference games before eliminating the rule, allowing Ohio State to make the conference championship game. Trey Sermon rushed for over 300 yards on Northwestern’s defense, setting a school record.

2021: Ohio State vs Michigan (Instead of Michigan vs Iowa) – Here starts a run of rematches between Ohio State and Michigan. The Wolverines dominated Ohio State the last week of the season, with Hassan Haskins registering five rushing touchdowns. Ohio State struggled in the elements and tried to keep it close but was not enough. Would putting the game indoors change the outcome? They say it’s hard to beat a team twice in a season, and back-to-back weeks can make it even tougher. Michigan was in the playoffs with a win, while Ohio State would have been a controversial topic, having two losses after losing to Oregon earlier in the year.

2022: Ohio State vs Michigan (Instead of Michigan vs Purdue) – Another matchup between Ohio State and Michigan. Michigan went into Columbus and beat Ohio State and now would face off in Indianapolis once again. The 2022 game was closer than the 2021 game, with Ohio State trailing by eight points with less than seven minutes left in the game. Donovan Edwards broke a long run to put Michigan up two scores before another late score gave the appearance of a blowout. The biggest fallout from this game would be the potential for Ohio State to not make the College Football Playoffs. Michigan was nearly a lock, but a second loss for Ohio State would have eliminated them from contention. CJ Stroud is one of the best passers in Ohio State history, and it would have been fun to watch him play against the Wolverine’s defense if he played like he did against Georgia.

2023: Ohio State vs Michigan (Instead of Michigan vs Iowa) – The closest game of the three came this past year when Ohio State lost by just six points in Ann Arbor. Michigan felt like a team of destiny with everything going against them and still winning week after week. Michigan’s offense dominated in the second half, while Ryan Day made conservative play calls throughout the game. Ohio State had the ball late with a chance to take the lead before a Kyle McCord interception. This would have been an intriguing game because of how close the first matchup was between the two. Michigan could have blown out Ohio State, or we could have seen a defensive battle with a total of 24 points.