Big 10 vs. Pac 12

Submitted by Chi-Blue on
So while recruiting is in an apparent down turn (sarcasm), something else caught my attention. While looking through the Wisconsin schedule I saw they return the favor bying going to Corvallis this season to play a powerhouse Oregon State team. If you remember it was just a few short months ago when the 2 conferences made the formal announcement that they would be putting on something of a B10, ACC challenge on the gridiron, as well as other sports starting in the year 2017. I know thats a long way away, but the commited 2013 class will be the first class to take part in this challenge (redshirts). I'm not sure if there has been any specific talk of matchups yet , but that got me thinking of recent matchups that we have seen in the last several years between the 2 conferences.
 
Just off the top of my head . . .
Wisconsin vs Oregon State H&A finishes this year.
Ohio State vs USC played a H&A 2 and 3 years ago.
We have seen some bowl matchups as well in the last several years with Wisconsin vs. Oregon, nad Ohio State vs. Oregon as well. 
Michigan has not done so well in the recent past with the lose to USC in the Rose Bowl, and then the Oregon nigthmare.
 
There will for sure be alot of changes over the next several years in both conferences. Who will emerge as the power teams by the time this challenge kicks off? . . .
 
Pac 12 questions -
Will Washington really get back to what they were when we saw them in the Rose Bowl, will the Arizona schools do anything, how will USC come out of the sanctions and depleted depth charts, can Stanford maintain the Harbaugh Hype, will UCLA ever amount to anything again, can Oregon keep it up?
 
Big 10 questions -
Will the conference return to the "Big 2/Little 10", can Nebraska find a QB, can Sparty maintain the gains they have been afforded from the RR era, can PSU rebound after they put JOPA and Sandusky behind them (No Pun), can Wisky maintain or will they sink back to inferior Spartan levels of success?
 
What matchups really get your attention? What matchups would you really love to see?  
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Schembo

April 4th, 2012 at 3:55 PM ^

Our games with USC, UCLA, Washington, Oregon and Colorado our still fresh in my memory so I'd like to see us against Stanford with the way they have been recruiting lately. 

Joined: 01/06/2011

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fattymcbutterpants

April 4th, 2012 at 3:58 PM ^

Boy we sure must be bored if we're already looking ahead to 2017.

I'm looking forward to seeing who the two supposed commits we are getting before/during the spring game.

Joined: 09/25/2011

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turtleboy

April 4th, 2012 at 4:05 PM ^

I remember Iowa vs Arizona a few years back that knocked the Hawkeyes to the bottom of the rankings. Playing a game in different weather, at midnight, away and they still almost pulled it off.

Joined: 04/22/2011

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manchild56

April 4th, 2012 at 4:06 PM ^

are here to stay, and have been for 10 plus years man. Do you not remember Barry Alverez as a good coach with many good teams? I mean they aren't Northwestern where they have 2 good season every 15 years, they are always up there with OSU, and U of M. I think it is the Big 3 little 9 more so than Big 2 little 10 IMO.

 

Joined: 10/20/2011

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justingoblue

April 4th, 2012 at 4:53 PM ^

  1. 105-24 Ohio

  2. 94-34 Wisconsin

  3. 85-41 Iowa

  4. 83-43 PSU

  5. 82-44 Michigan

  6. 76-51 Purdue

  7. 70-56 MSU

  8. 67-61 Minnesota

  9. 62-62 Northwestern

  10. 44-77 Illinois

  11. 37-82 Indiana

No Nebraska because, obviously. Ohio vacated those wins, but I counted them. If you want to subtract twelve be my guest, but I included them.

Joined: 11/16/2010

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ken725

April 4th, 2012 at 4:10 PM ^

I guess it is a wait and see thing with how Mora does at UCLA.  There is enough talent in CA for them to recruit really well.

Joined: 10/26/2008

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French West Indian

April 4th, 2012 at 4:57 PM ^

Have the Trojans ever played in Ann Arbor?  It would be sweet to have a home game against them.  Even a legitimate neutral field matchup would be a nice change of pace from allways playing in their backyard.

Incidentally, just to add to the OP's list, the Minnesota Gophers and USC just completed a home and home series.  Surprisingly, the Gophers nearly pulled off the upset last year in LA.

Joined: 12/28/2011

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beachbum69

April 4th, 2012 at 7:33 PM ^

My brief thought:  There is no reason to think we're going back to the "Big 2/Little 10".  None.  Competitors like MSU and Wisconson, even Nebraska, are going to be a thorn in peoples' sides.  They might not win their divisions every year but they will be good enough to beat a team or two that should finish ahead of them.  MSU/PSU/Wisconsin/OSU/UM/Nebraska all figure to compete for division titles fairly often, maybe even Iowa.  The conference is interesting now. 

 

Wisconsin is up in the air now because of the coaching exodus, so we have to wait and see how they rebound.  Nebraska *should* recruit will.  Penn State IS recruiting well and should be back on their feet in the next couple of seasons.  MSU, like it or not, has depth now.  Particularly on defense.  Their "gains" from the RR era have been the luxury of redshirting players and building quality depth.  Those three star players start to creep up on solid ballplaying ability when they have 2-3 years of watching and learning before they are plugged in. 

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