You are right several threads on this. But since you are started another here is another take.
Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delaney outlined three principles regarding football divisions; competitive balance, traditions, and geography. It is possible to honor those principles and have the protected rival games during and at the end of the season. A fear expressed is that the conference could see back to back games between Ohio State and Michigan if they are in different divisions. While probable it is not as likely as some fear.
Two divisions were developed with the three principles involved; balance, tradition and geography.
In the Yost division are:
Michigan
Nebraska
Iowa
Northwestern
Minnesota
Michigan State
The Stagg division:
Ohio St
Penn St
Indiana
Purdue
Illinois
Wisconsin
In terms of geography four of the six teams in each division remain in there time zone. The four teams that are moved geographically are for purposes of creating balance between and among members within the division. In this setup each team is given at least one protected rival even if it is in a different division and one static common opponent from the other division. Teams play 9 games, five within the division and 4 across division.
The critical balance principle is that Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio State and Penn State play each other each season (3 games). The remaining eight teams must play three games against these four teams each year, two within their division and one game versus one of the two in the other division. Every two years teams rotate between the two members of that pair. For illustration Iowa would always play MI and NE and rotate between PSU and OSU every 2 years. This means all teams have the same difficulty factor among historic winning programs and all historic winning programs have three challenges.
A second factor to competitive balance is that Wisconsin and Purdue balance Iowa and Michigan State. These are four teams with historic winning records. A division with too many historic powers lumped with those that do not have a winning history is unfair to those not in that division and unfair to the teams within the division that do not have an overall football history.
To maintain traditions and create new ones six season ending games are identified:
Michigan vs Ohio State
Penn State vs Nebraska
Purdue vs Indiana (Old Oaken Bucket)
Illinois vs Northwestern (Land of Lincoln)
Minnesota vs Wisconsin (Paul Bunyan Axe)
Iowa vs Michigan State
Iowa versus Michigan State nor Penn State versus Nebraska are traditional, but four of others are trophy games or historic. The Penn State versus Nebraska would provide a great double header for the conference on the last weekend of regular season play. The outcome of division play on the final weekend could create a lot of suspense.
To retain traditions cross division protected rival games would continue. Already mentioned are Ohio State/Michigan, Illinois/Northwestern, and Minnesota/Wisconsin.
Two protected cross division rivals games not played on the final weekend are:
Iowa vs Wisconsin (Heartland Trophy)
MSU vs Indiana (Brass Spitoon)
The layout of the two divisions supports almost or all trophy games:
Iowa vs Minnesota (Floyd of Rosedale)
Ohio State vs Illinois (IlliBuck)
Michigan vs Michigan State (Paul Bunyon Trophy)
Minnesota vs Michigan (Brown Jug)
Illinois vs Purdue (Purdue Cannon)
There are only two annual trophy games lost Michigan State/Penn State (Land Grant) and Minnesota/Penn State (Governors). It was stated that all trophy games are not the same and these two probably qualify.
Another nuance for balance is the introduction of one static common opponent from the other division. The four aforementioned historic winning programs have two across division static games making it necessary for other teams. The static opponents for the remaining eight teams are:
Iowa vs Indiana
Illinois vs Minnesota
Purdue vs Michigan State
Wisconsin vs Northwestern
These games are meant to add competitive balance by leveling the out the schedule difficulty.
There are two teams left off each teams schedule each year. Every two years those two teams left off would rotate on and two would rotate off. See below:
IA - OSU/PSU and Ill/PU
MN - OSU/PSU and IU/PU
PU - MI/NE and IA/MN
IL - MI/NE and IA/MSU
IU - MI/NE and NW/MN
WI - MI/NE and NW/MSU
MSU - OSU/PSU and ILL/WI
NW - OSU/PSU and IU/PU
MI - WI/PU and IL/IU
NE - WI/PU and IL/IU
OSU - IA/MSU and MN/NW
PSU - IA/MSU and MN/NW
Under this scheduling system it is possible to get a championship game with two teams that played a week earlier, but how likely given the competitive balance features? It is a risk regardless of the assignment of historic winning programs. There is the possibility of a tie within the division. Selecting a team from the tied division for the championship requires tie breaker criteria. One of the criteria could be that a losing team during the final week that ties for the division title moves behind the team they tied with.
To make this work the football schedule requires a minimum ten weeks of conference play and eliminates one out of conference game. It means the possibility that some conference games could occur in the second and third week of the season because of rivalry games with opponents like Notre Dame; Purdue, Michigan and Michigan State all have games with Notre Dame.
