Picture this: it’s the first Saturday of December and a future Big Ten Championship game is only moments away from kicking off. The Ohio State Buckeyes need a win to stay alive in the new 12-team College Football Playoff. Who stands in their way? The USC Trojans. Yes, you read that right.
In the midst of ongoing SEC expansion talks, the rest of college football is running rampant. The rest of the Power Five is trying to do everything it can to remain relevant before king SEC takes over. So what does that mean for the Big Ten? Expansion may be the only option and believe it or not, USC may be the best option.
Sure, the Trojans aren’t the powerhouse they once were, and there’s a number of factors as to why that is. But the reality is USC is still one of the biggest brands in college football is only the right head coach away from becoming a contender.
The USC-to-Big Ten rumors appear to be real. But the Trojans aren’t the only Pac-12 program that may be having conversations with Big Ten leaders. Oregon, UCLA, Colorado, Stanford and Washington may also be in the mix.
Expect the Big Ten to aggressively investigate expansion to keep up with the SEC.
USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington are the most attractive options to the Big Ten from the West.
— WestCoastCFB.com (@WestCoastCFB) July 26, 2021
If the Big Ten wants to expand and remain competitive with the SEC, Oregon and USC are obvious additions. Then it becomes a question of which other Pac-12 schools would be worth it. UCLA, Stanford, Colorado and Washington could be potential options.
Regardless, Big Ten expansion rumors are gaining traction. USC appears to be at the forefront of said rumors.
College football fans have had some interesting reactions to the latest Big Ten discussions. Take a look below.
USC to the Big Ten rumors (mentioned on my @TheVolumeSports podcast today) are not that crazy. The richest conferences need to grab the greatest available assets. How it all sorts out — who knows. But aggressive wins, in 2021, and the BIG has lots of 💵.
— Colin Cowherd (@ColinCowherd) July 26, 2021
The next round of positioning is multi-generational. As NCAA control wanes, leagues will grow in strength.
A Big Ten with an additional 6-7 AAU members (USC, UCLA, Cal, Stanford, Washington, Oregon, Colorado/Arizona) would balance the SEC & boast top 3 markets (13 of 21). https://t.co/cV5gJJqqZ5
— Scott Dochterman (@ScottDochterman) July 26, 2021
If we’re really going to do this whole Super Conference thing, the Big Ten might as well give USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Colorado a call. https://t.co/IU4w2oH4Dn
— Andrew Vailliencourt (@AndrewVcourt) July 26, 2021
Oregon, UCLA ,USC, and Colorado to The Big Ten???👀👀👀
— The OHIO Podcast (@TheOHIOPod) July 24, 2021
Any Pac-12 team would be dumb not to accept a Big Ten invite. Real question is whether the Big Ten should ask. Obviously they’d take USC. Probably Oregon and UW. But does the Big Ten really want UCLA/Stanford/Cal? What about Utah/Colorado/ASU? I don’t see why they would.
— Bath Guy Incognito (@StaircaseWhitt) July 26, 2021
On the other hand, if you’re the Big Ten, you best be calling Texas Tech, Baylor, and probably USC and Oregon to really compete with the SEC. Otherwise, the SEC continues to pull away as the best conference in college sports.
— Tim Kephart (@timkephart33) July 26, 2021
The Big Ten could further shake up college football and challenge the SEC if it adds teams like USC and Oregon. Right now, it’s pure speculation.
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