North-South Divisional Alignment For Big Ten?
Thinking Outside the Vertical Split
So I'm sitting here reading how the Big Ten is going to split up the conferences and I'm noticing something. The way that most people have it set up is for a east-west alignment. Which makes sense. Its a lot easier to split up. I personally like the 4 division set ups better. But that does get complicated and if the Big Ten will not use a 4 division set up. Why not go North-South? This way, you get to keep the Michigan-OSU rivalry and have a chance at having a UM-OSU Big Ten Championship Game. We all know that would bring in the most money and definitely the most T.V. air time. The way i look at it, we could split the divisions up like this.
| North | South |
|---|---|
| Michigan | Ohio State |
| Michigan State | Purdue |
| Wisconsin | Penn State |
| Minnesota | Nebraska |
| Northwestern | Indiana |
| Iowa | Illinois |
Now with this setup, the first thing you will notice is that this is not at all even. North has Arguably 1 mediocre team while the south has 2-3. The only way i can think of to make sure that this evens out is to make each division play the other division. This is very different but could completely even things out. ALL the teams in the North would play ALL the teams in the south, and vice versa.
How Will This Work?
Whoever has the Best record against the other division, is the winner of the division, and will get to play in the Big Ten Championship Game. This way. OSU and Nebraska (the presumable winners of the South) have to play the exact same teams, and you can compare the records equally and will have no dispute over who had a weaker schedule. Now this only leaves 6 games, which means we have 3 left. 3 divisional games, 3 random teams within the division. (Assuming that we move to 9 conference games for this setup)
What If They Both Go 5-1?
If two or more teams have the exact same record against the other division, then we look at record within the division. If that is the same, then we look at if the two teams played each other. If they did, then the winner of that game goes to the Big Ten Championship Game. If they didn't, then we see what the average points that the teams won by was(against the other division). Whoever won by more points is that divisions winner.
In addition this also ensures that UM and OSU play EVERY year, and that UM-OSU Big Ten Championship Game is possible every year..
Pros
- The UM-OSU rivalry will take place every year, no matter what
- There is a chance at a UM-OSU Big Ten Championship Game every year
- There will be no reasonable argument for someone winning there division with an easier schedule
- Not too complicated
Cons
- The South will more than likely be an easier division every year (if people really want to argue about that)
- Some rivalry's may not take place every year
- People will still argue someone having an easier road to the Big Ten Championship Game
- It is out-of-the-norm for divisional splits
is number one on Delaney's list. Preserving UM-OSU is another. Michigan-OSU-MSU will be together. Penn State will have to be in the other division to avoid a Big 12 South power scenario, and we'll stay tuned about the rest. Location will play a minor role in Delany's thought process.
Who gave you the inside info that UofM/MSU/OSU will be in the same conference?
This is just one guy's thoughts. Unless the deal has already been struck, there is no way you can say M/MSU/OSU will 100% be in the same conference.
Is it likely? Probably (I have a feeling that Brian's post, along with the self serving Michigan viewpoint has swayed the % likelihood in the MGoBlog readers' minds a bit).
Is it certainty? Not yet.
Neg all you want but as of this moment were are the second mediocre team in that setup. At least until this year starts.
then its all evened out and my setup works perfectly :)
I am good with the stated North/South split. There are probably about 5 decent options, this being one. I can't wait to face off against Nebraska for payback, call me captain obvious. Am I still allowed to hate Phillip Fulmer?
Yes and yes again.
It's now whether you are allowed to hate his, it is whether you are allowed NOT to hate him - and the answer is that you are not allowed not to hate him.
I dont like it. I think OSU, Nebraska, Michigan, and PSU have to be broken up into 2 groups. Then you take Iowa and Wisconsin and split them. Then you can throw everyone else into divisions without totally destroying competitive balance most years.
I'm also not a fan of OSU and Michigan in seperate divisions. I'd rather Michigan play OSU for the right to play in the CC game than have a chance to play them in the CC a week or 2 after playing them in the last game of the season.
UM-OSU Championship game could only serve to increase the rivalry, not detract from it. Plus, from a selfish standpoint, imagine getting to replay 2006 with a shot on a neutral field. Losing to OSU by 3 at the 'Shoe translates into a win on a neutral field IMO. Then that's a chance for Michigan to neuter Florida in January 2007 for the MNC rather than in January 2008 for the Capital One Bowl.
would you have wanted to play OSU a second time after we beat them in '03? I know there is always meaning to a Michigan-OSU game, but whats the point to play them the last game of the season to just play them in the CC game a week or 2 later? I think it would be alot more dramatic to play a one and done, live or die game with OSU for the right to go to the CC game. Just IMO.
to go along with that, with the people that are in michigans divisions, a loss to OSU could ruin the chance for a cc game
the beauty/agony of how it is usually?
Michigan playing OSU on the last day of the season. One team wins, the other gets B10, MNC, bowl dreams busted. Take last year for example. How sweet would it have been to knock OSU out of the Rose Bowl?
I don't like the idea of playing osu, then playing them again in the Big Ten championship the next game. I don't care how the split goes down, but Michigan and osu need to be in the same division.
why is this a board post and a diary?
While I agree on the not wanting to play OSU twice scenario, another major problem with not having OSU in the same division is that we would have to play them every year as a non-divisional opponent, making our schedule that much tougher compared to our division mates'.
with M / o$u in one and Neb / Psu in another division. I think he had a Bo and Woody division set up. Football is the only sport where divisions really are needed, baseball, basketball and softball do not have to set in divisions. The sec and big XII don't /didnt have divisions for these other sports, so they would only play 4 teams once a year in basketball and the rest home / away. And baseball and softball could rotate 2 on off each season, currently i dont think believe Wisc has a baseball program.
You are determining the winner of each division primarily by how they play outside the division. This means that, under your system, the winner of a division could have a worse record in its own division and in fact have head to head losses against teams it finishes ahead of. This system will just about guarantee some level of controversy every year.
Also, if you throw out geography and look at performance over a period longer than just the past two years, most learned men of college football would tell you that competitive balance requires you split UofM, OSU, PSU and Nebraska evenly between the two divisions (i.e. two in each). Your system has OSU, PSU and NE in one division. This is the same objection many have with the East-West idea (i.e. UofM, OSU and PSU in one division). I would further suggest that over the past 20 years, Wisconsin and Iowa probably have been the next best pair of teams. I would try to get one of these two in each division. This would result in each division having an equal number of the most dominant teams and be the least likely structure to evolve into a B12-like imbalance where one division is clearly and consistently better than the other.
If you follow the above rules, the divisions actually fall into place quite easily (see below). It is not perfect because it eliminates some minor rivalries and has little geographic appeal (esp for PSU). I still think it is better than anything else I have seen to date.
Bo-Woody Division
UofM
OSU
IA
MSU
IL
NW
Paterno-Osborne Division
PSU
NE
WI
MN
PU
IN
Note: You can also swap IL-NW for PU-IN without materially impacting the competitive balance if that works better for some people.
Not bad