The Big Ten’s new scheduling model should help Ohio State, but it might make for a less entertaining regular season.

Following last week’s announcement that the Big Ten will go divisionless and that Michigan will be Ohio State’s only protected annual opponent beginning in 2024, we spend the majority of this week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays discussing what we like and what we don’t like about the Big Ten’s new scheduling model and why it should give Ohio State an easier path to both the Big Ten Championship Game and the College Football Playoff going forward.

Later in the show, we talk about the latest developments in Ohio State football recruiting after two weekends of official visits and the first two high school football camps of the month. We wrap up the show by discussing the latest developments surrounding Ohio State men’s basketball, including what Griffin learned from attending last week’s high school team camp, what former NBA assistant Brandon Bailey will add to Ohio State’s coaching staff and the likely nail in the coffin for Ohio State ever playing another game in St. John Arena.

The rundown:

• 1:18: We think Ohio State vs. Penn State should be a protected rivalry, but OSU seems happy that it isn’t
• 11:05: Ohio State will be expected to make every CFP, Big Ten Championship Game going forward
• 15:15: Ohio State will have only one marquee Big Ten home game in both 2024 and 2025
• 17:13: Big Ten prioritizes getting more teams into CFP over more big regular-season matchups
• 20:18: Everybody playing everybody at least once every two years will be a welcome change
• 25:25: All of this could change with further expansion, which is why it’s only a two-year model for now
• 28:19: Ohio State playing Michigan twice (or even three times) in one season is only a matter of time
• 37:51: Like it or not, college football is about to become even more of a playoff-driven sport
• 39:51: Chris Henry Jr., Mylan Graham, Dorian Brew among early standouts of camp season
• 46:39: Ohio State hoping Jaylen McClain will start a run of defensive commitments in 2024 class
• 50:48: Ohio State trending up with several defensive linemen including five-star DE Eddrick Houston
• 53:20: Colin White, Nikola Bundalo and King Kendrick among notable prospects at basketball team camp
• 57:09: Brandon Bailey can help Chris Holtmann with in-game coaching, basketball schematics
• 1:00:50: The dream of more Ohio State basketball games in St. John Arena is dead