Will Big Ten Change Championship game

longtimer

Well-Known Member
Sounds like the Pac 12 is going to allow teams from the same division to play in Championship game. I would guess big Ten will follow as the divisions are clearly out of balance. 8-0 in championship games and likely not to be different in future. wont help Iowa's chances of plying in the game for sure
 
There is talk about rebalancing the divisions so it would not be completely regional. If Nebraska was what it was supposed to be when we let their fleabag institution into the league, this wouldn't be as much of an issue, but right now, there is too much power in the East and that doesn't look like it will change. Swapping PSU for Illinois might do it.

The conference is also throwing around different models. Instead of divisions, there would be 3 protected games and then you would rotate 5 teams home and home, and then the other 5 teams home and home. That way, every class got to play every team home and home during a four year cycle.

Personally, I like the division method as it gives a point of pride if you win the division. It is really hard to win a conference title with 14 teams, and one of those 14 is OSU. But, winning the West is a realistic goal for Iowa most years.

If we would expand to 16, we could do 4 pods of 4. Then have a two step playoff. But, there isn't anybody out there that really moves the meter right now.
 
There is talk about rebalancing the divisions so it would not be completely regional. If Nebraska was what it was supposed to be when we let their fleabag institution into the league, this wouldn't be as much of an issue, but right now, there is too much power in the East and that doesn't look like it will change. Swapping PSU for Illinois might do it.

The conference is also throwing around different models. Instead of divisions, there would be 3 protected games and then you would rotate 5 teams home and home, and then the other 5 teams home and home. That way, every class got to play every team home and home during a four year cycle.

Personally, I like the division method as it gives a point of pride if you win the division. It is really hard to win a conference title with 14 teams, and one of those 14 is OSU. But, winning the West is a realistic goal for Iowa most years.

If we would expand to 16, we could do 4 pods of 4. Then have a two step playoff. But, there isn't anybody out there that really moves the meter right now.
Another major factor that affects this is when will the playoff field expand and to how many? 8 has always seemed about right but 12 is often the number mentioned the most. That's a matter of when not if. More more more.

Also you brought up conference expansion. I don't think that's a done deal either I think the next couple years there will be more shuffling around with that. I really hope the BIG doesn't start doing away with the divisions and doing something drastically different until they know what the landscape is going to look like the next 10 plus yrs. Right now there's a few big things still out there to get resolved so cross bridges when you get to them would be my advice

I feel this way because I don't think anything is broken atm. They'd be tinkering for tinkerings sake just to improve. I don't think OSU, Michigan or most of the league has a problem with how things are. PSU and MSU I would imagine are at the front of the line that would like changes and maybe that's a part of this I don't know. But out of 14 schools I can't imagine most of them are looking to shake things up drastically.
 
Last edited:
Asking PSU to move to the West would put a decent travel burden on them, but when you are talking 4 road games a year, and the difference is a 2 hour flight on a luxury charter or a 1 hour flight, is it really that much of a burden?

But, if you are thinking that way, then it makes it easier to tear up the divisions altogether.

I agree with Hawkfnntn that we don't know where this is all heading. The easiest fix would be to switch PSU with Purdue. Purdue fits just as easily into the East and it would then marry up with its home state cousin in Indiana. So, the only weirdness to the divisions would be PSU in the West. I suspect PSU would be giddy to get away from OSU and Michigan.

There would be decent balance there at the top:

Wisconsin, PSU, Iowa (and Nebraska if they ever stop sucking)

OSU, Michigan, Michigan State
 
Just my two cents, but when the west is 0-8 since 2014 in Championship games and OSU has won 5 of the 8 I'm not sure anything really changes if they decide to taking two teams from the same division to "balance things out". I'm also not a proponent of having "east" and "west" divisions and handpicking teams like PSU to "balance things out", IMO it's dumb to use geographical divisions if one of the furthest teams to the east is going to get bumped to the west then, again IMO you have to rebrand the divisions and move away from east and west.
 
The problem with going back to the old Legends and Leaders approach (god those names sucked) is natural rivalries. How do you reasonably protect those? Most rivalries are geographic. By using East and West, Iowa gets to play Minny, Nebbie, and Wisky. Even NW is a smidge of a rival. Likewise, in the old division system it was hard to protect the Michigan/MSU/OSU deal. Rivalries are one of the things that makes sports great. It might be the best thing. I love rooting against Nebraska almost as much as I like rooting for Iowa!

PSU is geographically isolated, has not been with the conference all that long, and was an independent during its formidable years. From what I can see, I don't think they have a legit rival. MSU/Michgan/OSU have their own thing and don't have time to hate PSU. The Turtles and Rutgers are nothing to PSU. So, why not move them to the West?

The Dallas Cowboys are in the NFC East for Christ sake. Anyone think of them as a Eastern City? The Bucs used to be in the Central. Its just a name. If it would help things, we could call them the Eastish and Westish.
 
Why should the BTen fix something that isn't broke? The current structure more often than not has resulted in the BTen being represented in the Final Four, which is obviously a conference priority. Do they really want to risk Michigan/Ohio St. playing each other on back-to-back games at the end of the season with the possibility of them knocking each other out of the national playoff picture? The BTen ain't Alabama/Georgia. Why take that chance? (I completely understand the PAC 12 supporting the change -- they've barely been represented in the Final Four and are desperate to try anything to get there.)
From a fan perspective, eliminating Divisions would be horrible for the BTen. This summer there will be literally hundreds of thousands of fans from MN, IA, WI, Purdue -- and heck, even Nebraska, NW and Illinois -- who are excited because they believe their team can win the West Division and play for a conference championship. Eliminate Divisions and none of those hopes & dreams are realistic. What's left for the fans of West Division teams to root for during the entire season, 6 wins and a bowl game?? No thanks.
 
I am ok with Grady's suggestion as well. But, I do think the PSU switch is a sufficient tweak to address the balance concern while still largely leaving an otherwise good system in place.
 
Why should the BTen fix something that isn't broke? The current structure more often than not has resulted in the BTen being represented in the Final Four, which is obviously a conference priority. Do they really want to risk Michigan/Ohio St. playing each other on back-to-back games at the end of the season with the possibility of them knocking each other out of the national playoff picture? The BTen ain't Alabama/Georgia. Why take that chance? (I completely understand the PAC 12 supporting the change -- they've barely been represented in the Final Four and are desperate to try anything to get there.)
From a fan perspective, eliminating Divisions would be horrible for the BTen. This summer there will be literally hundreds of thousands of fans from MN, IA, WI, Purdue -- and heck, even Nebraska, NW and Illinois -- who are excited because they believe their team can win the West Division and play for a conference championship. Eliminate Divisions and none of those hopes & dreams are realistic. What's left for the fans of West Division teams to root for during the entire season, 6 wins and a bowl game?? No thanks.
Biggest problem with your plan? Makes way too much common, ordinary, clear sense. But, hey. Thanks!
 

Latest posts

Top