Can your connecting flight be on another airline while maintaining the price advantage?
I've used throw-away ticketing to get from BOS to LHR in the last minute. One way BOS-LHR/LGW-DUB can often be $300 when BOS-LHR is $1800. My connection was always either the next day or from Gatwick in order to get my luggage back at LHR.
Airline can't force me to make my connection anymore than they can make me eat their food.