Final 20% of the divisional split

[bws258]

Delany says they are 80% done. Piecing together other things I've read, weeding out the nonsensical stuff here is where I think we are:

Division A: Iowa, Nebraska, Michigan, Michigan State, +2
Division B: Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Minnesota, +2

Assuming the remaining 4 teams will be split along the Illinois|Indiana border, that leaves just two possibilities for conference alignment:

Option #1
Division A: Iowa, Neb, Mich, MSU, Illinois, Northwestern
Division B: OSU, PSU, Wisc, Minn, Indiana, Purdue

Option #2
Division A: Iowa, Neb, Mich, MSU, Indiana, Purdue
Division B: OSU, PSU, Wisc, Minn, Illinois, Northwestern

 

[billdozer15]

Delany says they are 80% done. Piecing together other things I've read, weeding out the nonsensical stuff here is where I think we are:

Division A: Iowa, Nebraska, Michigan, Michigan State, +2
Division B: Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Minnesota, +2

Assuming the remaining 4 teams will be split along the Illinois|Indiana border, that leaves just two possibilities for conference alignment:

Option #1
Division A: Iowa, Neb, Mich, MSU, Illinois, Northwestern
Division B: OSU, PSU, Wisc, Minn, Indiana, Purdue

Option #2
Division A: Iowa, Neb, Mich, MSU, Indiana, Purdue
Division B: OSU, PSU, Wisc, Minn, Illinois, Northwestern

Assuming the first 4 teams of each division are correct. I believe they will place the remaining teams due to geography. Meaning Option 1 is more likely.

 

[cuinknk]

I went with Option #1, and hopefully we get Wisconsin as the cross-over rival.

 

[bws258]

Assuming the first 4 teams of each division are correct. I believe they will place the remaining teams due to geography. Meaning Option 1 is more likely.

explain?

Illinois borders Iowa and Wisconsin

Indiana borders Michigan and Ohio

 

[edr247]

None of the above.

Division 1: Iowa, Illinois, Northwestern, Purdue, Indiana and Minnesota
Division 2: OSU, Michigan, Penn State, Nebraska, Wisconsin and MSU

 

[83Hawk]

None of the above.

Division 1: Iowa, Illinois, Northwestern, Purdue, Indiana and Minnesota
Division 2: OSU, Michigan, Penn State, Nebraska, Wisconsin and MSU

Me likey! Won't happen, but me likey anyway.

 

[cuinknk]

None of the above.

Division 1: Iowa, Illinois, Northwestern, Purdue, Indiana and Minnesota
Division 2: OSU, Michigan, Penn State, Nebraska, Wisconsin and MSU

My first reaction was Northwestern would dominate Division 1.

 

[PeoriaHWKI]

Just do it geographically.....
Div 1. Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Illinois, Minny, NW
Div 2. OSU, PSU, Michigan, Mich State, Purdue, Indy

This way you keep the best rivals and it is split fairly, and evenly... MIch and OSU play every year, Iowa and Wisky both get Nebby every year.... you keep the rival games. It is the only one that makes sensee. Any other alignment is because people are overthinking the damn thing!

 

[HawkeyeDenis]

Both divisions look good and competitive. Going to be interesting!

 

[ShadasRevenge]

I went with Option #1, and hopefully we get Wisconsin as the cross-over rival.

Assuming that Michigan and OSU are indeed split - a move I'm on the record as being 100% against - #1 is the scenario that makes the most sense.

 

[bws258]

I think if you look at it from a non-Iowa perspective, either one makes some sense

 

[tm3308]

Just do it geographically.....
Div 1. Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Illinois, Minny, NW
Div 2. OSU, PSU, Michigan, Mich State, Purdue, Indy

This way you keep the best rivals and it is split fairly, and evenly... MIch and OSU play every year, Iowa and Wisky both get Nebby every year.... you keep the rival games. It is the only one that makes sensee. Any other alignment is because people are overthinking the damn thing!

That's the way I see it, too. They are making it far too complicated. Penn State is no guarantee to stay up when JoePa calls it quits (though I think it's likely since the hire will likely come from within and he doesn't do that much actual coaching anymore, more of a delegator), nor that Michigan returns to prominence (at least not at the same level they used to be). But I think that they will stay up and rise again, respectively. Iowa, Wisconsin, and Nebraska are all more than capable of giving the East all they can handle and more. If Iowa can capitalize on the opportunity they have this year, we really could get to where we truly reload, where 8-9 wins is a down year.

The West may have some down years, but the top 3 East teams are not immune to such years, either (Michigan and PSU have both proven that just this decade).

 

[bws258]

Just do it geographically.....
Div 1. Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Illinois, Minny, NW
Div 2. OSU, PSU, Michigan, Mich State, Purdue, Indy

This way you keep the best rivals and it is split fairly, and evenly... MIch and OSU play every year, Iowa and Wisky both get Nebby every year.... you keep the rival games. It is the only one that makes sensee. Any other alignment is because people are overthinking the damn thing!

of course this makes sense, however, Delany has been increasingly clear that this is not going to happen ... unless it is all a smokescreen (one so good that even Barry Alvarez is in the dark), we are left to come up with different alignments ... the point of this thread is to illustrate reality not perpetuate fantasy

 

[NewMexHawk]

One thing I do not want to see is Iowa go to the East Division and be with OSU. That would be the worst case scenario...and the absolute worst thing that could happen to the history of Iowa football. With the history Iowa has against OSU plus the dominance that OSU simply has at this point in their program talk about being someone's b!tc%.

 

[Kinnick81]

Why would anyone want Indy and Purdue? NW and Illinois seem pretty logical, am I missing something?

 

[iHawk]

Why would anyone want Indy and Purdue? NW and Illinois seem pretty logical, am I missing something?

I clicked the Indy Purdue button.

Not because that's what I want, but because that's what I think they'll do. I have a hard time seeing them putting Indiana AND Minnesota in the same division, if they want competitive balance based on history.

Believe me I want Northwestern and Illinois in Iowa's division. We'd have all our potential border rivals locked in annually after they go to a 9 game schedule.

 

[bws258]

Why would anyone want Indy and Purdue? NW and Illinois seem pretty logical, am I missing something?

Illinois borders Iowa and Wisconsin

Indiana borders Michigan and Ohio

 

[hawkdrummer1]

So instead of North/South or East/West... we get the "+" or "quadrant" spllit. NEast & SWest / NWest & SEast with the "+" roughly intersecting in lower Lake Michigan.

It does provide natural traveling partners. For the most part they're balanced pairs (assuming Purdue and Indiana are split between Penn St and Ohio St). The exception would be Iowa/Nebraska...clearly the strongest football pairing in the bunch.

So playing a 9 game conf schedule, you just rotate which pair of teams in the other division you miss. Any "rivalry" game compromised by the alignment would still take place 2 out of 3 years (or 4 out of 6 with a two year cycle)

For Ex: Iowa & Nebraska would miss Minn/Wisc in 2011, Ohio St/Purdue in 2012, Penn St/Indiana in 2013. (or 2011-12, 2013-14, 2015-16 if the rotations are every two years, like now)

Actually makes sense. Basketball has long used the concept of "traveling partners" when scheduling.

 

[bws258]

For Ex: Iowa & Nebraska would miss Minn/Wisc in 2011, Ohio St/Purdue in 2012, Penn St/Indiana in 2013. (or 2011-12, 2013-14, 2015-16 if the rotations are every two years, like now)

there will be protected rivals, you know ... otherwise Michigan would skip OSU

we will never skip/miss Minnesota

 

[CAARHawk]

I can't go with either option.

I want the Illinois and Indiana schools split up.

Indy with Illinois, and NU with Purdue

Or Indy with NU, and Illinois with Purdue.

either way.