Miller: Big Ten Divisional Alignment Prediction

[LSimbolo]

In my idea the pods would simply be a way to rotate the divisional members while protecting some rivalries. Each year two pods would form one division. So on a yearly basis there'd always be only two divisions - they just wouldn't be the same two divisions forever.

Or like I also mentioned the B10 could just set some rules for realligning divisions every 4 or 8 years. The way the B12 does it now it takes four years to complete a schedule rotation and play every team from the other division twice. maybe every 8 years they are realligned based on conf record over the past 12 years. To set future schedules they'd have to do the realligning before the end of the current rotation. For example they could set initial 8-year divisions based on overall record the last 12 years, then in 4 years reassess based on the last 12 years at that point and set the new divisions to begin four years from then in year 8, etc.

 

[thejumper5]

In the spirit of Jon's thread here's my "predictions" of the Pods:

OSU, PU, IU
Mich, MSU, NW
PSU, Neb, Illini
Iowa, Minn, Wisc

Damn, those Pods suck. Maybe...

Mich, OSU, MSU
PU, PSU, IU
Neb, Iowa, Minn
Wisc, NW, Illini

Not sure those are much better, maybe just scratch the whole divisions and let the computer spit out unequal 8 or 9 game schedules, like its been doing.

I really like the pod system, but I think instead of a true, even rotation, the conference could have the pod that performed the best over a two year period be paired with the pod that performed the worst over a two year period, and the two middle pods be paired as well. This way there would be more competitive balance and more variations.

 

[H8IAST8]

PSU will not be in the West. Add ND to the West and throw the other 2 "new" schools in the East. PSU only has a rivalry trophy (Land Grant) with MSU and you are gonna throw that out? Also, if Maryland is added PSU had a long rivalry with Maryland that was ended in 1993. Unfortunately for Maryland, they only won once in 37 tries!

 

[HawkeyeRecon]

I really like those divisions, they make perfect sense. What about rotating divisions in order to prevent any "us" vs "them" situations that might develop?

 

[BSpringsteen]

Let's say that we go to 14 teams and stop there... that means you have 6 games within your division, and 3 out of division games, with 3 non conference games. Those games can protect rivalries that were split up in the divisions. For instance, Michigan State and Penn State have quite a historic rivalry, and my guess is that they will continue to play every year.

Let's say for poops and laughs we add Notre Dame and Rutgers/Maryland

East:

Penn State
Rutgers/Maryland
Ohio State
Notre Dame
Michigan
Michigan State
Purdue

West:

Indiana
Illinois
Wisconsin
Iowa
Minnesota
Northwestern
Nebraska

All major rivalries are protected with exceptions of Indiana/Purdue who could play annually out of division. Notre Dame would be able to play their four annual big ten teams in division every year.

I do love the idea of rivalry weekend the Saturday after Thanksgiving:

Iowa - Neraska
Wisconsin - Minnesota
Northwestern - Illinois
Indiana - Purdue
Michigan - Ohio State
Michigan State - Notre Dame
Penn State - Rutgers/Maryland

 

[bws258]

I also like the pods idea

that way you play everyone at least 2/3 of the time instead of 1/2

My pods (if we stay at 12)

Pod A: Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska
Pod B: Illinois, Northwestern, Wisconsin
Pod C: Michigan, Mich State, Ohio State
Pod D: Indiana, Penn State, Purdue

same as LS's second iteration

However, I think we are going to 14/15/16 so ...

w/ 14 you have to throw the pod idea out
w/ 15 you could have 3/5 or 5/3 (but why stop there)
w/ 16 ... the holy grail of conference math

B16TEN West: Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Wisconsin
B16TEN South: Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio State
B16TEN North: Michigan, Mich State, Northwestern, Purdue
B16TEN East: Penn State, Maryland, Rutgers, Virginia

 

[jmarkhawk]

There is a problem here...
SPOTLIGHT RIVALRIES: I think the last weekend of the regular season, Thanksgiving Weekend, also referred to as Rivalry Weekend by ESPN, will include the following games:

Michigan-Ohio State: Traditional 11:00am start, ABC
Penn State-Nebraska: 2:30pm start, ABC
Michigan State-Illinois
Indiana-Purdue
Iowa-Wisconsin: 7pm BTN
Minnesota-Northwestern

Big Ten doesn't allow night games in November so that would change the time for this game. Also, wouldn't it be safe to say that at least 2 more teams will join the conference. What if you threw Rutgers and Notre Dame in there? How would you place Notre Dame?

DID YOU READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE?! He addresses your ?'s dude........

 

[Harpo]

This is based on the 12 teams we have now. I like Jon's original picks with on adjustment. Exchange Wisconsin and Illinois to equalize divisional strength. Here is how it looks:

Division 1
OSU
Michigan
Wisconsin
MSU
Purdue
Indiana

Division 2
PSU
Nebraska
Iowa
Northwestern
Illinois
Minnesota

This is based upon equalizing the strength of each division. I placed them in order of traditional (10 year average) strength. I do not favor geographical divisions. The big 12 went with geographical divisions and that went well didn't it.

Protected Rivalry games would be:

PSU vs MSU (trophy game)
Nebraska vs OSU (big time rivalry just waiting to happen)
Northwestern vs Indiana (NO rivalry)

Iowa vs Wisconsin (trophy game)

Illinois vs Purdue (weak rivalry granted)

Minnesota vs Michigan (trophy game)

 

[bws258]

harpo, you gotta protect Minn/Wisc

 

[Harpo]

Righto! bwsmoney

I work for UW (hawk fan 100%) and still missed that one. It would have cost me my job if I had posted it on a Badger site.

I now see why Jon aligned the divisions as he did, with UW and Minnesota in the same division and the "Axe" protected.

All of this is fun but I think there is more teams to be added and your 16 team pod system does make since to me.

Too late to figure it out tonight.

 

[JHHawk]

I just do not agree that PSU would be in the west. Or that PSU-Neb becomes some kind of immediate ''bigger'' game than Iowa-Neb. As it stands right now :

West: Wis,Minny,Iowa,Neb,Ill,NW.
East: Mich,MSU,OSU,PU,IU,PSU

Then when ND and Rutgers/Md come on board you add ND to the West, and the other to the east. Simple.
Football powers: East: PSU,OSU,MICH
West: Neb,Iowa,ND,Wisc.

ND tilts it to the west as having a little more depth, while the East has OSU,the big kahuna.

This protects all the big games. PSU and OSU is a showcase game every year.
ND- Neb, Mich-OSU,PSU-Mich,and Iowa -Neb are all showcase games.
Last weekend:
Iowa-Neb
OSU-Mich
PSU-MSU
Wis-Minny
PU-IU
NW-Ill.
ND-MD..or USC-ND

Big Ten fans still want tradition to be part of rivalry week. The above matchups have significance.
Iowa-Neb will always be a bigger ''rivalry'' game than PSU-Neb...you cannot ''create'' instant tradition or ersatz rivalry by just saying it...Iowa has played Neb 41 times. PSU has hardly even played Neb,and are not a border rival...far from it. It would be too fake.

 

[bws258]

if ND joins, they will mandate that they play Mich, MSU, and PU each year

 

[troy]

if ND joins, they will mandate that they play Mich, MSU, and PU each year

I know they are traditional rivals, but I think they might like the Big Ten West with a better chance to go to the Rose Bowl.

 

[JHHawk]

If you put ND in with OSU,MIch,MSU...then I suppose you have to put PSU in the West...still would be pretty unbalanced to me. PSU,Neb,Iowa,Wisky,Minny,Ill.NW...vs Mich,MSU,OSU,ND,PU,IU,MD?....wouldnt PSU and MD be rivals?

 

[Couppee]

Div A is WEAK!

 

[eyekwah]

Jon, I believe you have it right on the nose. Here is an objective analysis. A website I found has tracked the won-loss records and percentage for each D1 team since 1945 or the last 69 years. The average winning percentage of your A division is .568 and for the B division is .556 rounded to the hundreds or a difference of .012. OSU and Michigan are numbers 1 and 3 respectively in highest per cent win total. PSU and Nebraska are 2 and 4 respectively. Each division has four teams with overall winning records during that 65 year span: Michigan State(.574) Purdue(.510) in division A versus Wisconsin(.526) Iowa(.514) in division B. Among teams with losing records Minnesota comes the closest to a winning record at .474 followed by Illinois at .453. Indiana and Northwestern are at .381 and .367 respectively.

For football this arrangement is hard to argue with. I do not know how the Penn State fans would like it because of geography and you alluded to that. But if it is any consolation they would only have to make two or three trips west yearly until further expansion occurs and that could be eliminated. They would still play at least three other games in the eastern time zone.

 

[JoeHawki]

There won't be divisions in other sports with just 12 teams.

As for not being fair on the divisions, Ohio State is working on its 6th straight Big Ten title without any divisions. Should we break em up and split em into two teams?

If that were possible, i say do it! LOL!

 

[JoeHawki]

Jon, I believe you have it right on the nose. Here is an objective analysis. A website I found has tracked the won-loss records and percentage for each D1 team since 1945 or the last 69 years. The average winning percentage of your A division is .568 and for the B division is .556 rounded to the hundreds or a difference of .012. OSU and Michigan are numbers 1 and 3 respectively in highest per cent win total. PSU and Nebraska are 2 and 4 respectively. Each division has four teams with overall winning records during that 65 year span: Michigan State(.574) Purdue(.510) in division A versus Wisconsin(.526) Iowa(.514) in division B. Among teams with losing records Minnesota comes the closest to a winning record at .474 followed by Illinois at .453. Indiana and Northwestern are at .381 and .367 respectively.

For football this arrangement is hard to argue with. I do not know how the Penn State fans would like it because of geography and you alluded to that. But if it is any consolation they would only have to make two or three trips west yearly until further expansion occurs and that could be eliminated. They would still play at least three other games in the eastern time zone.

Wow those non winning years of teh 60's and 70's? And we still have a winning percentage. i wonder what our overall win % would be had we actaully had a few winning season during that stretch.

 

[TwinTownHawk]

The trouble with PSU in the West is travel for their fan base. I predict their fans won't be happy with a trip to Lincoln every other year

 

[mthawk00]

I agree on these divisions if this was divided fairly based on HISTORY but when I look at this CURRENTLY, Division A is a joke!! Ohio State wins hands down, easily. Division A would be comparable to Big 12 North. Division B has 4 teams that could win 10 games next season in football. CURRENTLY (football wise) this wouldn't be fair.

BTW, if this was to be divided fairly based on ALL athletics Division B would be ridicolous in volleyball as well. Nebraska, Penn State have won numerous titles and Minnesota and Wisconsin have been in title game and won Big Ten titles. This wouldn't be fair to sports outside of football...

Jon, not a bad breakdown, but I agree with Ryno. Over the last 20-30 division b is much tougher. Besides Michigan and OSU there is nobody any good in Division A. B has many more teams that have had success in Iowa, Wisky, Nebby, PSU and even Northwestern over the likes of Purdue and Indy. OSU will have a division record just like Nebby did in the B12 north.