Big Ten Network (BTN)

[Buckeyeskickbuttocks]

FWIW, re: which OSU games may still end up on the BTN, I heard (1460, maybe?) that the only options that remain (that is, which have not been picked up by ABC, ESPN or ESPN2) are Wisky, Illinois and Michigan. I will bet it's Illinois. My understanding of that was that these are the only games .... meaning even KSU will be a non BTN game.

[jlb1705]

That's interesting. If KSU is not gonna be on BTN, it'll probably be on ESPNU. At least I have that channel.

M*ch*g*n better not suck so bad that ABC/ESPN doesn't pick up the game and it ends up on BTN.

[DaddyBigBucks]

Originally Posted by jlb1705

...M*ch*g*n better not suck so bad that ABC/ESPN doesn't pick up the game and it ends up on BTN.

If this does happen, there will be no excuse for any Buckeye fan to not find a way to see that game. It doesn't matter what you have to do. It doesn't matter if you're in the hospital, in jail or in the morgue. You do what you have to do to see The Game.

[CleveBucks]

Dispatch says:

That leaves just three OSU league games unspoken for televisionwise: Nov. 3 vs. Wisconsin, Nov. 10 vs. Illinois and Nov. 17 at Michigan. The other five already are slated for ABC, ESPN or ESPN2. That means one of those final three games will be shown by the Big Ten Network, per the conference's preseason commitment to feature each team at least once in a league telecast.

Most likely Illinois will be on BTN. Also would imagine Kent ends up there.

[bucknutz]

Bye bye TWC, hello dish network. Dish Network will be installed monday w00t.

[Zurp]

Originally Posted by CleveBucks

Most likely Illinois will be on BTN. Also would imagine Kent ends up there.

I can't imagine The Game not being picked up by ESPN. I don't care if both teams are 0-11 at that point, it has to be one of the biggest Big Ten games, based solely on tradition.

And with Ohio State-Wisconsin being a potential battle for the Big Ten championship, ESPN better pick that up when they get the chance. (I would guess that they need to pick games several weeks in advance.)

That leaves Illinois. If one of those three games has to be on BTN, this one wins (or loses) by default.

And I would be surprised if Kent State DOESN'T end up on BTN. There'll be at least four Big Ten games (probably five) going on that weekend. ESPN ought to pick those games up before Ohio State - Kent State.

[cincibuck]

Originally Posted by Zurp

I can't imagine The Game not being picked up by ESPN. I don't care if both teams are 0-11 at that point, it has to be one of the biggest Big Ten games, based solely on tradition.

Tell that to the folks who are pulling for Notre Dame this week. Without Michigan's record there is no "tradition" or "The Game." You could end up with the "Old Oaken Bucket," and I've no doubt as to how hard that game is contested, but few outside of Hoosierland know anything about it.

It does take TWO good dancers to tango.

[scooter1369]

Originally Posted by bucknutz

Bye bye TWC, hello dish network. Dish Network will be installed monday w00t.

[Zurp]

Originally Posted by cincibuck

Tell that to the folks who are pulling for Notre Dame this week. Without Michigan's record there is no "tradition" or "The Game." You could end up with the "Old Oaken Bucket," and I've no doubt as to how hard that game is contested, but few outside of Hoosierland know anything about it.

It does take TWO good dancers to tango.

I agree that it isn't AS big of a game. Maybe not the biggest game of the season, but I would guess that it's still one of the biggest Big Ten game that week.

And if Michigan strings together 5-7 terrible years (never winning more than 5 games in those years), The Game may become another "Old Oaken Bucket", or whatever. But THIS year, it will still be big. Not nearly as big as last year, of course. It probably never will be that big, again. Perhaps the only way to make that game bigger is if both teams had won their bowl games. But my point is that this year, Ohio State-Michigan has to be an attractive game for ESPN to pick up. I don't see them NOT picking it up.

[matcar]

Originally Posted by Zurp

I can't imagine The Game not being picked up by ESPN. I don't care if both teams are 0-11 at that point, it has to be one of the biggest Big Ten games, based solely on tradition.

And with Ohio State-Wisconsin being a potential battle for the Big Ten championship, ESPN better pick that up when they get the chance. (I would guess that they need to pick games several weeks in advance.)

That leaves Illinois. If one of those three games has to be on BTN, this one wins (or loses) by default.

And I would be surprised if Kent State DOESN'T end up on BTN. There'll be at least four Big Ten games (probably five) going on that weekend. ESPN ought to pick those games up before Ohio State - Kent State.

Wiscy game will be on ABC when the time comes unless one of us falters. If either of us does, then yeah, it'll still be on ESPN.

[MileHighBuckGuy]

Per the BTN website:
"In the selection process for football, the Big Ten Network will be able to choose 2nd three times and 3rd three times during the 12-week season, so half the time the network will have either the second or third pick of games."

BTN has shown to be very shrewd in their planning, ie, announcing the hoops tv schedule 2 weeks before football started to get IU and ILL cable subscribers all riled up. You can bet they will keep those #2 selections in their back pocket until the end of the season to nab the best games possible to really stick it to TW and Comcast.

As of now all signs point to OSU/ILL being the Bucks BTN "in conference" appearance, but if OSU and/or Wisky trip up a couple of games, I wouldn't be surprised if that game ends up on BTN.

[Zurp]

Originally Posted by MileHighBuckGuy

Per the BTN website:
"In the selection process for football, the Big Ten Network will be able to choose 2nd three times and 3rd three times during the 12-week season, so half the time the network will have either the second or third pick of games."

It doesn't say when they have to choose the games? I would have thought that they have to choose by a certain deadly - maybe 3 weeks before each game, or so. I'm sure that there's a lot of work that has to be done AFTER the decision has been made. Waiting for the last minute to make the decision doesn't sound feasible to me.

[MileHighBuckGuy]

I'm sure it's the same as the past, once ABC makes their choice then the rest scramble to pick up the leftovers. ABC normally decides about 2 to 3 weeks out so I'm sure we'll know with a little advance what channel the game is on. The only potential hiccup with my theory is if there are set weeks when BTN gets 2nd pick. I doubt there are and haven't seen it mentioned anywhere.

[jenkinswoody]

Originally Posted by Zurp

I agree that it isn't AS big of a game. Maybe not the biggest game of the season, but I would guess that it's still one of the biggest Big Ten game that week.

And if Michigan strings together 5-7 terrible years (never winning more than 5 games in those years), The Game may become another "Old Oaken Bucket", or whatever. But THIS year, it will still be big. Not nearly as big as last year, of course. It probably never will be that big, again. Perhaps the only way to make that game bigger is if both teams had won their bowl games. But my point is that this year, Ohio State-Michigan has to be an attractive game for ESPN to pick up. I don't see them NOT picking it up.

IMO Zurps right. Ohio State and TSUN will be picked up (ABC/ESPN) regardless. Too much tradition and veiwership. Even if TSUN is pathetic and we have a couple loses.

[jwinslow]

0-2 UM vs 02 ND is on network TV. OSU-UM is bigger. It will not be on the BTN, imo.