Dan Patrick Says Several Big Ten Schools Now Don't Want to Play in October

After there had been some optimism about the Big Ten possibly starting its football season in mid-October, Dan Patrick — who has some very good sources within the conference and has been as plugged in as anybody — says that at least six schools now would not be on board with a season starting that early.

Patrick said that Michigan, Michigan State, Illinois, Northwestern, Maryland and Rutgers wouldn't play in a season which began next month, leaving the conference with a maximum of eight teams. And given the fact the Big Ten hasn't exactly been chomping at the bit to play anyway, it doesn't seem like it would want to move forward without six teams and one of its biggest brands.

"I'm told that even if they go into the spring that a lot of these players are not gonna want to play," Patrick said. "There are a lot of players who don't want to practice now, because there's the uncertainty of, 'Do we even have games this year?'"

I just really feel for all the players in the Big Ten. They've been jerked around for months and every time it looks like something positive might happen, the rug gets ripped out from under them. And it looks like that may have happened yet again.