One of the most charged allegations in our society today is charge someone with being a "conspiracy theorist," and this seems to be the common outcry of ESPN in the face of criticism from Buckeye fans who think the network has it out for them. 

No doubt, some people can make outlandish and unfounded accusations, but then, sometimes, the wackiest or most deceptive thing to do is dismiss people for alleging a conspiracy when there are good reasons to believe that one exists. 

In the case of alleging that ESPN has it out for Ohio State and the Big Ten, ​nobody need to be "conspiratorial" in order to believe that a "group think" tends to develop in business organizations, as well as within fan bases, not to mention around certain political agendas.

In the case of the Zach and Courtney Smith scandal, we have the confluence of ESPN's billion-dollar fiscal motive to optimize the perception, fortunes and viewership of the SEC, for which the Big Ten, Ohio State, and Fox Sports are all its biggest business competitors (note that this is not a mere conspiratorial conjecture but a FACT), on top of which, we have the nascent metoo movement, which has proven to be a convenient weapon for ESPN to use for pummeling its primary business competitor.

IMHO, anybody who thinks these dynamics aren't playing out right now at least to some degree is naive. 

On that note, it's interesting here to consider the roots of the word "conspiracy," which comes from Latin and means, "to breathe together."

To that end, while in some cases we have "classic conspiracies" where people plot against others from behind closed doors (BTW, one synonym for these actions is "crime"), but far more often, people don't need to meet behind closed doors because they already openly share, as well as live-and-breathe the same mindset. 

IMHO, the latter type of conspiracy is what we're seeing at play with this scandal, not that ESPN doesn't also hold meetings at their headquarters where they discuss the importance of beating the competition and protecting their financial interests, which includes supporting their talking heads whenever they attack the competition. 

Now, in fairness, Urban Meyer personally put a weapon of conspiracy in ESPN's hands on Big Ten Media Day. Without his miscommunication, no "conspiracy" would exist, at least not the opportunity for such an aggressive attack. 

Nonetheless, is it really silly or foolish to think that a legion of SEC lovers aren't happy to dance on the graves of competing conferences and programs whenever they can, and that ESPN not only is likewise happy to play to this audience orientation but inflame them whenever the opportunity arises for the sake of ratings? 

Or is this nothing but empty, conspiratorial blather devoid of any substance?