BTN 1, Buckeyes Fans 0

Here is the bad news: The Big Ten Network will be broadcasting the Ohio State spring game on April 19th. Here is the worse news: It will be tape delayed until 11:00 p.m. that night with an encore presentation on at 6:00p.m. on the 20th.

And, the kicker? You will only be able to watch the game live online at BTN’s site. I am sure no one will have problems with that.

The BTN is hosting Big Ten Tonight: Spring Football Showcase on April 19th at 1:00 p.m. It is a 3 ½ hour extravaganza with the crack staff of Dave Revsine, Gerry DiNardo, and Howard Griffith covering the action from the spring games at Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin (all while wolfing down Jimmy John’s, of course). The other three schools - Michigan, Minnesota and Northwestern – are holding their spring games on different dates, which will be covered accordingly. Sorry Michigan fans, because you are holding your game at Saline High School, the BTN will only be showing highlights and interviews from the game on that evening's Big Ten Tonight program.

I find this surprising. I thought only the league as a whole had an agreement with the BTN, not individual teams. I did not think Ohio State was under an obligation to cooperate with the BTN or that the league could determine how individual teams aired their spring games. After all, teams get to chose which date to hold their game.

Yet, that is the only conclusion I can reach considering the general distaste fans have for the Big Ten Network. I cannot imagine Ohio State would waste a bunch of good will by voluntarily agreeing to this idea.

Pass along any information you have on this one.

Wait, that’s not all…the Big Ten Network has already dispatched its gang to Columbus and they are talking. Gerry DiNardo provides some unrefreshingly redundant analysis of Boeckman’s late season woes and talks a little Terrelle Pryor v. Beanie Wells.

What is that you say? You have not heard of Ohio State stars Friedman and Worthy? Then you need to watch Howard Griffith and let him fill you in on the Buckeyes in 2008 (sigh).