Rich Rodriguez likes Michigan-Ohio State football game at end of season; Jim Tressel mum on potential changes

Rich Rodriguez thinks it'd be great if the Michigan football team and Ohio State continued playing their annual rivalry game on the final weekend of the regular season, but he's not banking on that happening.

Rodriguez acknowledged Tuesday an alternate plan may emerge as Big Ten officials hammer out details of future conference divisions and scheduling scenarios.

Ohio State coach Jim Tressel on moving the traditional end-of-season Michigan-Ohio State football game: "I'm not silly enough to think my feelings are the only ones important."

Associated Press

"I think it's a great thing having it at the end of the year, but inevitably, change occurs," Rodriguez said. "If you had to move it earlier, I think fans will still get into it. It will still be the greatest rivalry in sports. Whenever you play it, the intensity will still be there."

Asked about the future of the rivalry Tuesday during a conference call with reporters, Rodriguez's response walked a line of endorsing the current tradition while acknowledging conference officials will likely move the game.

Ohio State coach Jim Tressel, on the other hand, had no position on the potential changes to a game played the final week of the regular season every year since 1935.

"We've tried as hard as we can to not join that dialogue and discussion, with the fact in mind we've got a ballgame coming quickly," he said. "... In my lifetime, I've enjoyed being part of the game and observing them playing at the end of the season, but I'm not silly enough to think my feelings are the only ones important."

Pete Bigelow can be reached at (734) 623-2556 or emailed at petebigelow@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter @PeterCBigelow.