For all of the excitement an expanded College Football Playoff has created, there is at least one unintended consequence that seems to be revealing itself during Ohio State’s incredible postseason tear.

Rivalries no longer matter.

For all the dancing, prancing, flaunting and flag-planting we witnessed during rivalry week this season, Ohio State is proving teams can lose multiple times now — including its last game to its fiercest opponent — and suffer no consequences.

Of course, try telling Ryan Day in the moment that losing to Michigan doesn’t matter. He looked spooked by the ghost of Bo Schembechler walking off the field of Ohio Stadium. Jack Sawyer was ready to fight the entire state of Michigan. We were all still indoctrinated by the old set of rules.

There was a time when losing the last game of the season was a death sentence in college football. Those days ended long ago, but even since the inception of the four-team playoff, no team with two losses ever qualified. A second loss meant the police were showing up to the party. It was time to go home.

Not anymore.

We’ve never seen anything like what the Buckeyes are doing. As a result, it’s time for college football fans to recalibrate what matters and what doesn’t. If the Playoff indeed expands again in the coming years, rivalry games will continue depreciating faster than a used Lincoln.

I considered this while watching the Buckeyes dismantle Oregon in the first half of their quarterfinal game and then again while reading Joe Rexrode’s thoughtful piece this week on Ohio State fans still grappling with the Michigan loss. Ohio State fans have endured every stage of grief and jubilation within a span of about two months.

After the Michigan loss, I thought Ohio State would either lose to Tennessee or win the whole thing. There was really no middle ground, and I probably would’ve leaned more toward losing to Tennessee than winning it all. I was a prisoner of the old guard.

“We could quit, like we knew everyone wanted us to … or be the best team in the country, like we know we are.

We chose Option B.”@jacksawyer33 and @OhioStateFB are one win away. https://t.co/kAnmCf2sq5

— The Players’ Tribune (@PlayersTribune) January 16, 2025

For years, Michigan losses felt like funerals and John Cooper was the caterer at the repast.

“I’m sorry for your loss. Have some baked beans.”

Now Ohio State has lost to Michigan and managed to make the Playoff in two of the last three years. It is a win over Notre Dame away from claiming another national championship.

Suddenly, Michigan doesn’t really seem to be a big deal anymore.

By next November, given what the Buckeyes have already accomplished, will we view Ohio State-Michigan or the Iron Bowl the same way?

Ohio State is practically assured of making the Playoff every year it enters the Michigan game with only one loss. Ohio State fans’ visceral reaction to losing to Michigan was in part because we have been conditioned for generations to believe a two-loss team, particularly when one of those losses occurs in the final game, signals the end of the season.

Alabama lost to Auburn a few years ago and still managed to play for a national championship, but it was the Tide’s only loss.

Imagine how much different Cooper’s legacy in Columbus might look today if 12-team playoffs were a thing in the 1990s? If Cooper had a meaningful chance to right his Michigan wrongs in a postseason tournament?

The Jim Tressel era may never have occurred.

GO DEEPER

Notre Dame, Ohio State already own college football’s worst losses by national champions

A big part of what has made rivalries so romantic in college football is their impact on postseason fate. Teams eliminated from meaningful bowl games could at least wreck your enemy’s house and make them miserable, too. Only we’re starting to realize how the Playoff has stripped away all of those punitive damages.

Day said he was “very, very grateful” for this expanded format. No kidding. His house might be on Zillow without it.

“I do think the new format has allowed our team to grow and build throughout the season,” Day said. “And as much as losses hurt, they really allow us as coaches and players to take a hard look at the issues and get them addressed.”

Still writing our story… 📝 pic.twitter.com/2vg2sk6ODN

— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) January 15, 2025

As college football continues to blur deeper into the professional game, fans of Power 5 teams must also begin altering their expectations.

Does anyone care or even remember that the Green Bay Packers were a wild-card team in 2010? What about the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2005 or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020? What’s more important, the fact they didn’t win their division or that all three teams won Super Bowls?

The same is true now in college football. How long before the right three-loss SEC team makes the Playoff? Impossible? We might find out if the field ever expands to 16 teams.

Winning the conference doesn’t really matter — all four conference champs were eliminated in their first games. Losing to a rival doesn’t have to matter.

As players rightfully begin to cash in on the riches of the college game, school presidents and athletic directors are finally saying out loud what truly matters most.

Money.

Ryan Day and the Ohio State fan base are forever grateful.

(Photo of Ryan Day and Jack Sawyer celebrating at the Cotton Bowl trophy ceremony: Ron Jenkins / Getty Images)

The time had come, the Lakers decided, to make a choice.

Since trading for D’Angelo Russell and playing him with Austin Reaves, the two guards largely alternated in the spotlight surrounding LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The touches, the shots, the responsibility — they usually always were split.

But gradually over the course of this season, that changed. Russell moved to the bench, Reaves becoming the primary ballhandler. And a trade with Brooklyn in December cemented it — the Lakers had cemented it.

Reaves was going to be their guy.

“He’s in his process and he’s taking the opportunity and he’s running with it,” James said. “Literally running with it. And I love every moment that he’s given the opportunity to go out and showcase his talent with the best players in the world and he’s showing every night that he belongs. It’s a beautiful thing to see.”

Friday’s game was hardly beautiful, but it was necessary.

In Russell’s first game back in Los Angeles since being dealt to the Nets, Reaves had a career-high 38 points to help drag the Lakers across the finish line to a 102-101 win.

Russell had a chance to win the game — after a string of Reaves misses in the final two minutes — but his final three-point attempt didn’t fall.

And while Reaves and James got hot in the fourth quarter, the game was hardly as easy as it could’ve been — and they knew it early.

James backed up past midcourt and away from the Lakers’ bench after he made a three-point shot to end the first quarter. He felt that something wasn’t totally right in the building, that the rhythm was off and that the energy was flat.

So he put his hands in the air and begged for cheers. The crowd, having just witnessed 12 minutes of basketball at its most mild, eventually obliged.

Nothing came easy for the Lakers (22-17) against a team fresh off a 59-point loss to the Clippers. And the crowd eventually got into it, but only when it became clear the Lakers actually might lose.

Lakers coach JJ Redick was upset with the effort, particularly on the defensive end.

“We weren’t very good tonight,” he said.

James and Reaves, though, scored 25 of the Lakers’ 30 fourth-quarter points.

“JJ wasn’t happy on the sideline. I’m sure y’all could guess because we weren’t playing well, so it was warranted,” Reaves said. “So, me and Bron had a conversation at center court. ‘Just figure out a way to win the game.’ We know it hasn’t been pretty. We know we’ve made a lot of mistakes, but a win in the win column doesn’t matter if it’s [by] one or 60. It’s a win. And that’s all that matters.”

The Lakers again were without Dorian Finney-Smith, who remained away from the team because of the birth of his child. The team also learned shortly before game time that Davis wouldn’t play because of issues connected to an ongoing foot problem that’s kept him on the injury report for most of the last month. The Lakers listed him as “probable” with plantar fasciitis, and Davis went through his pregame workout before being downgraded to out.

It should’ve been no excuse.

Brooklyn was without its leading scorers, Cam Thomas and Cameron Johnson, with Johnson expected to be one of the most sought-after players before the Feb. 6 trade deadline.

The Lakers, in fact, have spoken with the Nets (14-28) about Johnson, according to people with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publicly. But the cost for the 6-foot-8 forward, who is averaging 19.6 points and shooting 42.8% from three, is thought to be two first-round picks — a steep price that could drop as the deadline gets closer.

The Lakers won’t need to make a trade before their next game to get some help. They should have Finney-Smith and Davis back Sunday when they play the Clippers for the first time in the Intuit Dome, the city rivalry moving to a new venue.

Chelsea Gray has made a habit of competing internationally during her WNBA offseasons. For nearly a decade, the Las Vegas Aces star would pack her bags after the W season concluded and fly to compete for teams in Israel, Spain and Turkey as a way to work on her game, travel the world and supplement her income during the winter.

A few years ago, away from the spotlight while playing in Turkey, she started wondering what was next in her career and her life. She had just turned 30, had won championships and established herself as one of the best in the game. Playing overseas every winter meant months away from some of her family and friends, and a risk that she was missing opportunities to grow her brand.

So when she was approached two years ago by executives creating a new U.S. women’s basketball league, Gray was intrigued, and she became the first non-founding player selected for the league.

“(Unrivaled) changes the game, being able to make money while still being here, being with our family,” she said. “It’s been really, really cool that it’s come to be what it is.”

Co-founded by WNBA stars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, the new modified full-court 3×3 league has attracted many of the sport’s top players, such as Gray, who have opted against overseas competition this winter in hopes of establishing a new winter home for women’s basketball. The league debuts Friday in Miami, with six teams who boast some of the most notable names in the sport such as Angel Reese, Sabrina Ionescu, Jewell Loyd and Brittney Griner.

The First 36 are Unrivaled 👑

Watch them on TNT, TruTV and Max all season long. pic.twitter.com/RNbSFwuXK4

— Unrivaled Basketball (@Unrivaledwbb) January 16, 2025

For decades, American women’s basketball players have wrestled with career decisions every winter: Stay home to recuperate, work on marketing deals and spend time with family or spend winters abroad in Russia, China, Turkey, Italy, Israel and Spain. Many of the world’s best followed Gray’s routine of overseas play.

Now, with the launch of Unrivaled, more top-tier WNBA players than ever have elected to stay in the U.S. this offseason. Unrivaled’s goal isn’t to stop international leagues from signing top American players, but it’s a trend many involved believe will continue if the league is successful.

Collier, a star for the Minnesota Lynx, and Stewart, an MVP for the New York Liberty, aim to offer comparable domestic offseason competition and compensation to their colleagues.

“I think overseas is still a great option,” Collier said. “We just think it shouldn’t be your only option, so we wanted to give players other things that they could do in their home (country). … We’re not trying to take away any other option that you had before. We’re trying to expand upon that.”

They said that keeping many of the world’s best players in the U.S. during the WNBA offseason will help grow the sport more broadly. While formulating the idea during a discussion about Collier’s year-round basketball experience, she and her husband, Alex Bazzell, who is also the league president, talked about wanting to optimize player experiences. Unrivaled executives describe that aspect as its “North Star.”

“(We were) trying to make women’s basketball continue to be relevant in the offseason from a professional standpoint,” Stewart said, “and be a way where people are able to build their brands.”

Playing internationally significantly supplements the income of WNBA players, whose seasonal salaries range from around $60,000 to nearly $250,000. Overseas contracts can sometimes double that, if not pay even more.

Unrivaled promises to pay players the highest average salary in American women’s sports league history. Players earn an average salary of more than $200,000 for the 10-week season, and participants in its inaugural campaign also receive equity.

Unrivaled, Collier said, was founded on the principle that WNBA players “deserve compensation and ownership that reflect their value.” They understood player development and high-quality amenities like a sauna, cold tub and weight room were central to piquing players’ interest and support.

“We’re not playing for anybody because we’re all owners of this,” said Unrivaled wing Rhyne Howard, who’s played three seasons for the Atlanta Dream. “The equity in this, that’s something that’s definitely different but also is very helpful in the long run.”

Despite the many benefits of Unrivaled, Connecticut Sun guard Marina Mabrey still wrestled with her options. She had largely positive, career-altering experiences overseas while competing in Latvia, Israel, Australia, Italy and Turkey. She credits her time in Latvia in 2019 for her weight loss, more dedicated work ethic and skills development. She has appreciated the cultural experiences and the work-life balance abroad.

“I learned to love myself,” she said. “I had to love myself again and my whole career changed after that.”

So while some of her peers jumped at the opportunity to play in Unrivaled, Mabrey’s decision was more difficult. She considered playing this offseason in China and Turkey, two countries that have historically compensated top WNBA players well. She weighed another seven-month season abroad against the 10-week Unrivaled calendar. Travel was another consideration: Unrivaled will occur at a single site in Miami, and Mabrey wanted a break from the long flights and bus rides that can come with international competition.

Salary was important, too, but it wasn’t everything to her. She wanted to compete against top competition, have access to the amenities and training resources Unrivaled offered, receive equity in the league and also support Unrivaled as a new venture created by her colleagues.

“Having Unrivaled give that opportunity to play 3×3 and … only be 10 weeks, and obviously the financial part of it is great,” Mabrey said. “It’s about what do I need right now? And this is exactly what I needed.”

For other veteran players, the overseas calendar, which caused them to miss winter holidays, became a breaking point.

“Stay with our families for the holidays but still be able to hoop with some of the best in the world: It was kinda a no-brainer for this point in my career,” said 11-year WNBA veteran Kayla McBride, who had played abroad since her rookie season. She carved out one of the most prolific EuroLeague careers in recent seasons with the Turkish powerhouse Fenerbahçe but will compete for Unrivaled this winter.

Brand-building was another appeal of the new league. Unrivaled has partnered with high-profile companies (Under Armour, Samsung Galaxy, State Farm, Wilson and Sephora), and games will air on TNT and stream on Max. Players recognized the opportunity to form new relationships with some of the sponsors.

“Different brands and partnerships (came) in that are different from the WNBA, and hopefully (they will) continue to expand their reach to other players,” Stewart said.

Plus, by remaining in the U.S., players can still make endorsement appearances and maintain broader relevance. Guard Natasha Cloud said players typically leave and go overseas and it’s “blackout season.” But now?

“I can be here and fulfill marketing deals and compete against other women who are the best in the league,” said Unrivaled big Satou Sabally, who has spent her first five WNBA seasons with the Dallas Wings.

Stewart traveled to Istanbul for a partial season with Fenerbahçe in 2022. (She did not compete last season largely for family reasons.) She said that was likely her last time playing professionally abroad.

“I think that overseas door is kinda closed (for me),” said Stewart, who has played more than a half-decade at top clubs in China, Turkey and Russia. “Especially with the way that we’ve set things up. What we’re doing here is really, really special. I think there’s so many things that I love about it, but the fact that we have the top people here, that was the missing thing when we played overseas.”

GO DEEPER

Can Unrivaled’s 3×3 style benefit WNBA players?

Not all of the WNBA’s best players are in Unrivaled. Three-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson and rookie sensation Caitlin Clark are among the league’s notable absences, opting to take time away from formal competition while also training privately.

International leagues still drew some top WNBA players who likely would have been offered spots on Unrivaled teams. Kamilla Cardoso and Kelsey Mitchell, for instance, are playing in China, while Tina Charles, Ariel Atkins and Natasha Howard are in Turkey. But of last year’s 24 WNBA All-Stars, only three are scheduled to play abroad this winter. (Jonquel Jones said in October she planned to play in China this offseason, but she has yet to debut. Mitchell is in China while Brionna Jones is playing in Prague.)

Considering Unrivaled’s calendar, it’s possible that in future seasons the league’s players could still compete internationally in the fall (or even in the waning weeks of EuroLeague competition at the end of March and into April before WNBA training camps begin). But even if some of the original Unrivaled 36 play abroad again, the number of WNBA stars choosing to do so seems likely to diminish if the league thrives.

Collier had two stints with Fenerbahçe last season, and though she doesn’t officially rule out a return to an international club, she said it would be “really hard” for her to do so for family reasons. (Collier’s daughter turns 3 in May.) Aliyah Boston, who will be in her third season with the Fever this spring, said that as a self-described homebody, she recognized years ago that she wanted to spend her offseason in the U.S., not playing time zones apart from those she’s closest with. Not surprisingly, she is excited for Unrivaled’s present and future — one that she expects to feature a next generation of women’s basketball stars.

“People not only dream of being in the W, but they’re like now I want to be one of the top players to get in Unrivaled (too),” Boston said.

Of course, players have yet to record any Unrivaled statistics, and the first game, let alone the first season, has yet to be completed. Still, those involved are optimistic about how Unrivaled could change offseason routines for the better.

“Five years from now,” Reese said, “this thing is going to be bigger than ever.”

(Illustration: Will Tullos / The Athletic; Photos: Courtesy of Unrivaled)