The Big Ten Network is looking forward to football season.
After a few years in which the conference’s best teams were question marks, last season ended with an exclamation point as Ohio State won the first college football playoff to become national champions.
Instead of simply counting the days until kickoff, Big Ten Network — a joint venture between the conference and Fox Networks Group — is launching a new original show Wednesday night (Aug. 19) that takes advantage of its access to the Buckeyes.
Scarlet and Gray Days: Inside Ohio State Training Camp sounds a bit like HBO’s popular Hard Knocks series that brings its camera to an NFL team’s training camp each preseason. The series is narrated by actor J.K. Simmons, who won the 2015 Oscar for his supporting role in Whiplash. Simmons is an Ohio native, a Buckeye fan, and attended Ohio State.
“Over our nearly eight-year history, BTN has consistently demonstrated an ability to tell the story of our conference, schools and athletes via original programming,” BTN president Mark Silverman said. “As a testament to our track record, Ohio State is trusting us to do just that as the Buckeyes embark on yet another potentially historic season.”
The series should offer some drama. Coach Urban Meyer needs to pick a quarterback in campaign before defending its title. And the team will face a challenge from Jim Harbaugh, who left the San Francisco 49ers to coach Ohio State’s archrival, Michigan.
Read more at broadcastingcable.com.
