Divisional play makes games more interesting

[WhitUp]

I was just checking out week 1 of the big ten schedule(which we have a bye)and I just realized how much more entertaining big ten games will be to watch due to divisionsal play.
In Week 1 Michigan st plays ohio st and nebreska plays Wisconsin, in past years these are much watch games, but you really don't know who to root for. Now we are rooting hard for Wisconsin(not like we would of been rooting for nebbie anyways) and Ohio State. How huge would it be if neb and msu both start out 0-1 before we even take the field. It even makes a ho hum game like ILL/NW have a descent rooting interest, where in the past you don't really care who wins that game.
Was kind of bumed when I saw first week of big ten we got a bye, but there is plenty of rooting interest for us now. Where without divisons your just kind of rooting for who you think the underdog is.

 

[ShadasRevenge]

Very true. Nebraska/Wisconsin is the first "must see" conference game, and I'll have no problem cheering for Wisconsin.

For non-conference games, Notre Dame at Michigan will give us a good indicator of where the Wolverines are. Also, it's the first true night game in Michigan history.

 

[WinOneThisCentury]

I'm not sure that bye week could come at a better time for Iowa. Two weeks to prepare for Penn State after facing a bunch of spread teams. A young defense can seriously benefit from the extra week to get ready for a step up in physical play.

I like our chances in Happy Valley...actually more than when we played their last. That was a much better Penn State team in my opinion and there was a serious revenge factor for us ruining their pipe dream NC hopes.

Iowa could not have asked for a better schedule, other than maybe opening Big Ten play at home.

 

[ShadasRevenge]

Other than 2008, I can't remember a season in the last 10 years or so where Iowa opened up conference play at home.

Edit - Duh, last year.

 

[WhitUp]

I'm so glad Iowa is the same division as Nebreska....How bad would of it sucked if they were in the other division and we found ourselves having to root for them to beat teams to help us.

If you think about it theres probably going to be times when Ohio st/Michigan are going to be rooting for the other to beat they're division rival....i doubt they are going to like that

 

[Xerxes]

Good post. All of the sudden week 1 without Iowa even playing is going to be huge. Definitely be rooting for Wisconsin (I just threw up in my mouth), Ohio St, and ILL.

Realistically the Legend's standing could look like this after week 1. Week 2 games are in parenthesis

Michigan 1-0 (@NW)
Iowa 0-0 (@PSU)
MSU 0-1 (bye)
Minnesota 0-1 (@Purdue)
Nebraska 0-1 (OSU)
Northwestern 0-1 (Michigan)

I starting to think Iowa's bye week couldn't have come at a better time. Two weeks to prepare for such a huge game.

 

[DTF]

I was just checking out week 1 of the big ten schedule(which we have a bye)and I just realized how much more entertaining big ten games will be to watch due to divisionsal play.
In Week 1 Michigan st plays ohio st and nebreska plays Wisconsin, in past years these are much watch games, but you really don't know who to root for. Now we are rooting hard for Wisconsin(not like we would of been rooting for nebbie anyways) and Ohio State. How huge would it be if neb and msu both start out 0-1 before we even take the field. It even makes a ho hum game like ILL/NW have a descent rooting interest, where in the past you don't really care who wins that game.
Was kind of bumed when I saw first week of big ten we got a bye, but there is plenty of rooting interest for us now. Where without divisons your just kind of rooting for who you think the underdog is.

The blatant typos are a little annoying, yet you make a great point. This will be verrrrryyyy interesting...

 

[WhitUp]

Good post. All of the sudden week 1 without Iowa even playing is going to be huge. Definitely be rooting for Wisconsin (I just threw up in my mouth), Ohio St, and ILL.

Realistically the Legend's standing could look like this after week 1. Week 2 games are in parenthesis

Michigan 1-0 (@NW)
Iowa 0-0 (@PSU)
MSU 0-1 (bye)
Minnesota 0-1 (@Purdue)
Nebraska 0-1 (OSU)
Northwestern 0-1 (Michigan)

I starting to think Iowa's bye week couldn't have come at a better time. Two weeks to prepare for such a huge game.

Or in a dream world Minnesota takes out Michigan....That'd be heck of a bye week

 

[ShadasRevenge]

Nebraska could very well start out 0-2 in conference play.

 

[JHHawk]

I agree that this new setup does alter my rooting interests in various ways.

1. The obvious: will root for all Leaders teams to beat all Legends teams...period. That is simple and straight forward.
2. The subtle: non-conference rooting interest. In the past,knowing that overall record was a tie-breaker for the automatic Big Ten BCS bid (see OSU and Iowa in 2002) ,I would not necessarily root for the Big Ten team...ie (OSU vs Miami).
Now, the overall record is meaningless in determining divisional champs, with ties having the head to head outcome as the tie-break,and with a Big Ten title game,all that matters is winning the divison and then that game. Simple.
So now, with a clean conscience,I can root for all Big Ten teams to beat all non-conference opponents,altho I admit it might be tough to root for NW vs BC that first week. Still,conference pride rules in the non-conference season,so will pull for Big Ten teams to wipe the rest out.

Of course there still is the quandry of who to root for within the Legends division when an Michigan plays at MSU.....gotta go home team in those cases.

 

[ThunderHawk]

Nebraska could very well start out 0-2 in conference play.

Nebraska won't lose to Tatto U.

 

[Dunbar]

I'm so glad Iowa is the same division as Nebreska....How bad would of it sucked if they were in the other division and we found ourselves having to root for them to beat teams to help us.

If you think about it theres probably going to be times when Ohio st/Michigan are going to be rooting for the other to beat they're division rival....i doubt they are going to like that

See, I don't understand this mentality. Let's say, unlikely I know, NU loses ALL of it's cross-divisional games (Wis., OSU, and Penn St.) but wins all it's divisional games and meets an undefeated, ranked #1 or #2 Iowa on Husker Friday (Nebraska's been playing on this day since I can remember, so it's Husker Friday). NU wins and is now in the CCG, while Iowa's on the outside looking in. Divisional records matter 1st, then conference records.

What Iowa, and every Legends division member, should be doing is rooting on all Legends division members against Leaders division, and then when it's time for the match up, to take that other team out! You want your divisional foe to have the highest ranking possible so when you smack 'em down, you look all the better!

I always rooted for IA St. to beat south division teams - while I knew it usually was unlikely - because I also knew that NU would play them, and I wanted IA St. to look as good as possible when NU beat them. Same went for Mizzou, K and KSt, and CU. I'll certainly be rooting for Iowa to beat up on Purdue and every Legends team it faces, because I want Iowa to be ranked as high as possible when Husker Friday comes around.

 

[Xerxes]

See, I don't understand this mentality. Let's say, unlikely I know, NU loses ALL of it's cross-divisional games (Wis., OSU, and Penn St.) but wins all it's divisional games and meets an undefeated, ranked #1 or #2 Iowa on Husker Friday (Nebraska's been playing on this day since I can remember, so it's Husker Friday). NU wins and is now in the CCG, while Iowa's on the outside looking in. Divisional records matter 1st, then conference records.

What Iowa, and every Legends division member, should be doing is rooting on all Legends division members against Leaders division, and then when it's time for the match up, to take that other team out! You want your divisional foe to have the highest ranking possible so when you smack 'em down, you look all the better!

I always rooted for IA St. to beat south division teams - while I knew it usually was unlikely - because I also knew that NU would play them, and I wanted IA St. to look as good as possible when NU beat them. Same went for Mizzou, K and KSt, and CU. I'll certainly be rooting for Iowa to beat up on Purdue and every Legends team it faces, because I want Iowa to be ranked as high as possible when Husker Friday comes around.

According to Adam Rittenberg, who contacted the league office regarding division tiebreakers, the tiebreaking procedure is:

1. Conference record

2. Head to head

3. Division record

4. BCS ranking

 

[Dunbar]

According to Adam Rittenberg, who contacted the league office regarding division tiebreakers, the tiebreaking procedure is:

1. Conference record

2. Head to head

3. Division record

4. BCS ranking

Then I stand corrected; my apologies. I'll still root for Iowa and Legends over Leaders - want our division to be the tougher one!

 

[JHHawk]

Then I stand corrected; my apologies. I'll still root for Iowa and Legends over Leaders - want our division to be the tougher one!

Good for you. Me? I will root for Nebraska to lose to OSU,Wis,and PSU, so that Iowa comes to that last game of the year already crowned the Legends champ at 6-1,while Nebraska is 4-3. My priority is on Iowa winning the Legends,every year,while you seem to be more concerned with style points,assuming that Nebraska will be the Legends champ...not so fast my friend.

 

[Skers4life]

Nebraska could very well start out 0-2 in conference play.

This is a very real scenario and my biggest fear. It would be very difficult to run the table in the rest of the conference games if this happens. Our schedule is murder...yikes.

 

[ShadasRevenge]

This is a very real scenario and my biggest fear. It would be very difficult to run the table in the rest of the conference games if this happens. Our schedule is murder...yikes.

I think one thing that people (in general) haven't taken into account is the venues Nebraska will be playing in. Your typical stadium in the B12N is neither that big nor that loud, while 3 of the 4 stadiums Nebraska will visit this year in conference play are exactly that. Playing at Camp Randall, Happy Valley, and Michigan is a lot different than playing at Kansas or Iowa State.

Nebraska's offense only had to deal with large rowdy crowds once a year or so, but in the B1G they'll have to deal with it (excepting Indiana and NW) every time they go on the road.

 

[Skers4life]

I think one thing that people (in general) haven't taken into account is the venues Nebraska will be playing in. Your typical stadium in the B12N is neither that big nor that loud, while 3 of the 4 stadiums Nebraska will visit this year in conference play are exactly that. Playing at Camp Randall, Happy Valley, and Michigan is a lot different than playing at Kansas or Iowa State.

Nebraska's offense only had to deal with large rowdy crowds once a year or so, but in the B1G they'll have to deal with it (excepting Indiana and NW) every time they go on the road.

Very true, and that is why all the Husker fans calling the recent teams "road warriors" has not fully digested with me. We will see things we have not seen on a week to week basis. We will either be ready or we will get handled...

 

[ShadasRevenge]

Very true, and that is why all the Husker fans calling the recent teams "road warriors" has not fully digested with me. We will see things we have not seen on a week to week basis. We will either be ready or we will get handled...

What was the 'skers rotation for the team in B12 South?