My Divisions and Scheduling

[BSpringsteen]

It is apparent that the split of OSU and Michigan is going to cause quite a PR disaster. My guess - the media response of this testing of the waters is enough to put it back at the drawing board.

I've said before and I said again, that slitting up among geography keeps all protected rivalries. It also ensures a 3/3 split between the 6 that have separated themselves.

But this is also branding and we can't have the three biggest schools in one division. But Penn State doesn't want to play in the western leaning division.

So maybe we need to center out the divisions a little bit, and really throw geography out the window (Protected rival in parenthesis)

Big Ten Black:

Nebraska (Wisconsin)
Penn State (Ohio State)
Iowa (Minnesota)
Indiana (Purdue)
Michigan State (Michigan)
Illinois (N'Western)

Big Ten Blue:

Ohio State
Michigan
Wisconsin
Minnesota
Purdue
Northwestern

Also Morehouse had a great idea today which is to make the last weekend of the season rivalry weekend over two days (Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving) with the championship game the next week. Make this the schedule EVERY year.

Ohio State vs. Michigan
Penn State vs. Michigan State
Iowa vs. Nebraska
Wisconsin vs. Minnesota
Illinois vs. N'Western
Indiana vs. Purdue

 

[Enginerd]

Why would Iowa-Minnesota & Wicsonsin-Nebraska, be preferred over Iowa-Nebraska & Wisky-Minny?

 

[billdozer15]

I dont think this would work for the simple fact that you have Ill/NW and Indy/Purd playing the last weekend. These two matchups are cross division rivals and they could potentially play the following weekend in the title game. Granted none of those teams are power houses, but it could potentially happen.

 

[tm3308]

Why would Iowa-Minnesota & Wicsonsin-Nebraska, be preferred over Iowa-Nebraska & Wisky-Minny?

I like that much better, though I would also prefer to play Wisky every year instead of Minnesota.

 

[eyekwah]

I read many forums to get the reaction to splitting tOSU and Michigan. I don't agree that the reaction to splitting them and moving the game up has been overwhelmingly against. Most of the criticism is confined to fans of the two schools. Some forums have no reaction at all.

The biggest objection is the possibility of back to back games. Yes it could happen, but in the last 17 seasons it would have happened three times. If you do research Michigan actually fares better at reaching the championship if it were in the west. This is based on inclusion of Nebraska's records during that time span.

I would say that there is no chance Nebraska and Penn State are in the same division. After all the analysis it looks more like the 2 Michigans go west and Wisconsin and Illinois go east for competitive balance and preservation of rivalries. In Iowa's case they get Nebraska for a protected rival, Michigan gets Ohio State, Northwestern gets Illinois, Minnesota gets Wisconsin. When the 9 game schedule begin Iowa will add Wisconsin as another protected rival.

 

[billdozer15]

Why would Iowa-Minnesota & Wicsonsin-Nebraska, be preferred over Iowa-Nebraska & Wisky-Minny?

In his scenario all these matchups happen, so neither are preferred over the other. UI/NU and Wisky/Minny would both play within their own divisions and UI/Minny and Wisky/NU would be protected games.

 

[keokuk1]

I dont think this would work for the simple fact that you have Ill/NW and Indy/Purd playing the last weekend. These two matchups are cross division rivals and they could potentially play the following weekend in the title game. Granted none of those teams are power houses, but it could potentially happen.

AAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAH.