Ohio State AD Ross Bjork says Big Ten weighing NFL-style, results-based schedules for 2028

The Big Ten may stop drawing up football schedules years in advance. Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork said Thursday that the conference is in active talks about a results-based model, similar to the NFL's, that could take effect in 2028, CBS Sports reported.

Bjork made the comments on "The Ryan Day Show" on 97.1 The Fan. Under the idea he described, each team's conference opponents would be set after the previous season ends. Teams that finished near the top would draw tougher league slates, and teams near the bottom would get lighter ones. Protected rivalries, with Ohio State and Michigan the obvious example, would stay on the schedule every year. "That's how the NFL does it," Bjork said. He also said that nothing has been decided.

Bjork's argument is that the current rotations rest on decades of program history that no longer predicts much. He pointed to Indiana and UCLA as programs whose standing has changed since the expanded league set its model, and he said NIL and the transfer portal have created more parity across the conference. CBS Sports noted a catch: rosters turn over far more from year to year in college than in the NFL, so last season's finish can be a weak guide to next season's team. Petitti has also promised better non-conference games if the College Football Playoff grows to 24 teams. Husker Corner argued the change could help Nebraska after some heavy league schedules, and noted that the Iowa game would be the likely protected rivalry if the Huskers get one.

This season shows why the idea is getting attention. Nebraska started 5-0 and then lost by three points in back-to-back weeks, 20-17 to Indiana and 17-14 at Oregon. Ohio State is 6-1. Its four Big Ten wins include a 31-14 win at No. 14 Iowa and a 19-15 win at No. 5 Indiana last week, the same Indiana program Bjork pointed to as an example.

What it means this weekend

The proposal won't affect anything until 2028, but both teams have games on Saturday, Oct. 31. Ohio State plays at USC on NBC after a narrow win in Bloomington. Its only loss was 24-23 at Texas, and the Buckeyes have scored at least 42 points in four of their seven games. Across the 12 venues on this game's board, Ohio State is favored by 6.5. Novig has the Buckeyes at -233 on the moneyline and USC at +223. The longest USC number listed is +7.5 at theScore Bet, priced at -130. Novig's total is 51.5, while BetRivers has 51. Sportsbook hold runs from 3.3% to 7.0% across the markets, which is a wide gap between venues.

Nebraska hosts Washington on BTN and is trying to end its two-game losing streak. The Huskers have won both of their home conference games this season, beating Maryland 48-23 and losing to Indiana by three. On the board for that game, Nebraska is favored by 7.5 at Novig and is -270 on the moneyline there, with Washington at +264. BetRivers lists Nebraska at -7, priced at -115. The total is 50.5 at Novig and 49.5 at Hard Rock Bet, and sportsbook hold across the 11 venues ranges from 3.3% to 7.0%.

Under Bjork's model, the results from games like these would decide more than a season's record. They would also help set who each team plays the following year.