COLUMBUS, OH – NOVEMBER 21: Michael Geiger #4 of the Michigan State Spartans celebrates after kicking a 41-yard field goal as time expired against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium on November 21, 2015 in Columbus, Ohio. Michigan State defeated Ohio State 17-14. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)

The highly anticipated Top 10 showdown between undefeated, defending national champion Ohio State and burgeoning rival Michigan State was an old fashioned Big Ten slobberknocker.  This was a game that would have made Woody Hayes and Jim Tressel proud with inclement weather (and maybe some questionable play-calling too) turning the game into three yards and a cloud of dust football.  In a game that went all the way down to the wire, it was Sparty that turned more of that dust into points as they emerged with a 17-14 victory on a last second field goal.

While the game wasn’t the prototypical shootout we’ve come to expect from college football recently, and let’s be honest, Ohio State’s offense sorta kinda forgot to show up to the party altogether, it was still a ratings monster for ABC and ESPN.  The contest was the highest rated game of the year in college football, scoring a 7.0 overnight rating according to ESPN.  That’s better than the Buckeyes’ Labor Day evening trip to Blacksburg (6.6) and the perennial powerhouse that is LSU-Alabama (6.3).

As you might expect, Ohio and Michigan topped the local ratings with Columbus (42.0), Dayton (30.7), Cleveland (28.5), Detroit (26.0), and Cincinnati (17.9) making up the Top 5.

Additionally, it was the highest rated late afternoon game (3:30 PM ET window) on ABC in almost 10 years, since #2 Michigan at #1 Ohio State in November 2006.

It’s almost fitting that those games would be connected because it’s been that long since the Big Ten has reached these kind of heights nationally.  These big numbers show why there’s so much intrigue in what’s going to happen with the upcoming Big Ten television contracts and why Big Ten revenue continues to skyrocket.  These are all traditional midwestern powers that bring a sizable audience with them and the increased competition in the B1G can only be a good thing.  Ohio State seeing their record conference winning streak coming to an end may be best for the Big Ten in the long haul.  Michigan State is now established as a Top 10 national power, Michigan is rejuvenated under Jim Harbaugh, and by the grace of God somehow Iowa controls their own playoff destiny and is undefeated.

They say it’s all cyclical, but after being down for what seemed like eternity, is it possible that the Big Ten is now the best and most compelling conference in college football???