Why is this news?: Both Ohio State and Michigan State could make the next College Football Playoff

"Mark Dantonio has some holes to plug at Michigan State, particularly with right-hand man Pat Narduzzi taking the head coaching job at Pitt. But this team comes in at No. 7 in the preseason rankings for a reason and could easily slip into the Playoff despite a potential road loss to Ohio State."

- Brandon Gall, Athlon Sports

Football season isn't here yet, but that hasn't stopped people from taking notice of the Big Ten conference and how powerful these teams could be next season. Ohio State is already garnering national attention as having a good chance of repeating their championship run, but Michigan State is already ranked #7 in the preseason polls.

Having been a source of motivation and revenge since the defeat by the Spartans in the Big Ten Championship game from the 2013-2014 season, this year could add another dimension to the budding rivalry if both teams make it into the College Football Playoffs.

We've only been privy to one year of CFP committee decisions, so how they would handle the possibility of two teams from the same conference, is anyone's guess. Despite a strong correlation between conference champions and the four finalist teams, should the Spartans keep up with the Buckeyes in late November, they could sneak their way in to the top four.

"Not knowing how much he has left in the tank is the scary thing, knowing how much he brings to the game. But I'm really looking forward to him taking me under his wing if possible and really just feeding me the most knowledge he can and just letting me use that as fire against my opponents."

- D'Angelo Russell via Los Angeles Times

Ohio State's very own D'Angelo Russell had his childhood dream realized as he was drafted to the Lakers at number two. While this may have been a surprise to draft analysts and predictors, the organization was blown away by his pre-draft workout and decided to invest in the franchise's future. Russell couldn't hold back his excitement in joining the legacy that follows some of the worlds best players.

Russell may be following in Kobe Bryant's shoes, but he's also hoping to get ample time with the all-star before Bryan'ts contract runs out and he chooses to retire. Both of them on the same squad could mean big trouble for opposing teams in the upcoming season, and as Russell has said, he's ready to make an impact immediately.

"The Council voted to extend by one year a pilot program that paid for family travel expenses for the 2015 championship. The extension was recommended by both the Division I Men's Basketball Oversight Committee and the Division I Women's Basketball Oversight Committee."

- Michelle Brutlag Hosick, NCAA

During the Buckeyes football championship run, several of the players parents and family members expressed their concerns about additional games meaning additional monies needed for travel. Ohio State has an incredibly supportive family of families, as it were, and their ability to support their kids is important. Committee members hearing the case for extended family benefits noted the positive impact family support at these events had on the players.

One step at a time, the NCAA Division I Council has agreed to pay the travel expenses for the semifinal and final rounds of the men's and women's basketball championships for an additional year. The Division I Football Oversight Committee also proposed that the program be extended for the College Football Playoff. A subcommittee will review the proposal and report back to the committee in September.

"Ohio State earned 100 points from national championships in football, wrestling and rowing, 75 points from a fifth-place finish and fencing and 60 points after grabbing fifth in men's lacrosse."

- Ohio State Buckeyes

Six years ago, the Learfield Sports Directors' Cup was created as a way to evaluate athletic success as a whole for institutions. Each institution earns points based on their finish in up to 20 sports, 10 men's and 10 women's.

Ohio State earned a combined 1,087 points earning them seventh place overall, making it the fifth time in seven years that the Buckeyes have cracked the Top 10. They were the highest ranked Big Ten institution, only falling behind Stanford, UCLA, USC, Florida and North Carolina.

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