Stat Dump - Hypothetical Big Ten division championships and title games, 1969-2011

One thing I was thinking about... how many times have we lost to Ohio State and still won the B1G and went on to the rose bowl?  I ask because it's going to be less likely we can do this in the future, especially as Nebraska is now in our division.  It irks me that we're guaranteed to play MSU, Nebraska every year (and probably now Illinois), yet Ohio State's toughest test is Wisconsin.  They should be forced at least to play Nebraska or MSU every year.

Because I see this as a reason to separate Michigan and Ohio. If you trim down to when PSU joined, then PSU and Wisconsin are the next most frequent winners of the title. I have never understood why people don't think these conference divisions are balanced. Nebraska clearly brings a challenge equal to what PSU bring. In fact look at the top two teams in each division. Ohio and PSU, and Michigan and Nebraska. And let's not forget that MSU and Wisconsin were in the first championship game.

Yes, The Game is weakened by splitting Michigan and Ohio, but the championship game would have stayed weak unless you put Nebraska and PSU together, which is geographically weirder than what is happening to Wisconsin now.

I didn't want to rely on too many sanctions, because my off-hand knowledge is incomplete.  If a team won on the field, I put them in the title game.

Again though, putting Michigan and OSU in the same division would avoid a lot of rematches, but it would also lock out their divisional opponents from pretty much any division titles.

Splitting up the teams allows for potentially lucrative rematches, and opens up the field for the rest of the Big Ten.

- It was like midnight, and I was tired.

- Aargh, I thought I checked everything aaaargh

EDITED:  1993 got fixed.  Good news guys, Michigan wins another division title!

Rutgers and Maryland were largely irrelevant (and still are!), so I didn't bother to include them.

Adding Nebraska officially would have added more logistical hoops to jump through (how can you predict a conference finish with a completely different schedule?).

You bet. Both teams were excellent in 1987, and both deservedly beat Michigan that year. It seems strange to us now, but Indiana had some good years in the late 80s and early 90s.

Thanks!  Glad you enjoyed it.

Honestly, I like things the way they are now.

Michigan should play Ohio State every year, and The Game always does affect the final standings.

The only time I'd radically switch things around would be if the conference went to 20 teams.  Then, have the Big Ten against the Big East Ten or something.

We're not conflicted. Brian and others have long argued that Michigan should be in the same division as OSU, which preserves the place and significance of the rivalry while ensuring better cross-divisional fairness and removing the distasteful possibility of a rematch a week later. 

Most of us hope that any significant divisional realignment will match us with OSU so that we can compete for the same divisional spot. The days of the Game determining the B1G title are over anyway with the championship game; at least let it determine the division champ. 

There's good precedent for this in the SEC, where rivalries like the Iron Bowl are in the same division and frequently have SEC championship implications. 

Thanks!

I shall use this.

Went back and edited it, along with all of the other data sets.  Thanks!

It's quite amazing that Minnesota has been highly irrelevant for so long.  There's a lot of random stats to use just for that (like Michigan going undefeated in the Metrodome, for example).