With Bielema leaving divisions are an even bigger issue now
December 4th, 2012 at 4:41 PM ^
I doubt they will change the divisions based on a coaching change. But I agree that the divisions are out of whack, and this further makes them out of whack unless Wisconsin ponies up the dough and hires a big time coach.
With that said, I think the B16 will have 16 teams by 2014, making it necessary to re-do the divisions. And if you think about it, a 16 team conference would have to drop protected crossovers due to scheduling issues, thereby forcing them to put OSU and UM in the same division.
December 4th, 2012 at 4:45 PM ^
Basically its big 2 little 12 now.
Put UM and OSU in the same division and pretty much ensure that one goes to the B10 CG evey year(those two basically give the rest of their division 2 losses every year).
The loser will still porobably go to a BCS bowl too. Win win for the Big 10 as both schools are in the spot light come bowl season.
December 4th, 2012 at 4:55 PM ^
We have won one title out of the last ten. Not exactly sure we can claim Big 2 little 12.
December 4th, 2012 at 4:57 PM ^
How many Big Ten teams have gotten BCS at-large bids besides Ohio? There's us, and there's a school that has been nuked by the NCAA (PSU).
December 4th, 2012 at 5:02 PM ^
And Illinois, but ok I guess we will pretend that didn't happen. Oh and Iowa went to the Orange bowl.
December 4th, 2012 at 5:04 PM ^
I believe they got the auto-bid. Didn't they have like four losses?
Anyway, aside from 2008-10, which we all agree was an aberration, here are Michigan's conference records over the past decade:
2002 - 6-2
2003 - 7-1
2004 - 7-1
2005 - 5-3
2006 - 7-1
2007 - 6-2
2011 - 6-2
2012 - 6-2
That's pretty good. The way we are recruiting, we should easily keep that up.
December 4th, 2012 at 5:10 PM ^
They didn't get the auto bid. Ohio State was playing in the NCG so they got an at large to the Rose. Yeah those records are good, but not worthy of Big 2 little 12 status. People who use that term usually didn't actually watch the Big 2 little 10. That was true domination.
December 4th, 2012 at 8:53 PM ^
December 5th, 2012 at 9:04 AM ^
Plus at-large teams can't have more than three losses. If we had beaten OSU this year, we would've been eligible with three losses and in the top 16 of the BCS.
Also, I'm not putting '08-'10 as an aberration. Our depth and remaining talent from '07 was exposed. OSU would have still been better than us and Iowa would have at least been on par with us. Not to mention PSU was very good in 2008-09. At best, we were looking at being 6-2 in conference in those years and that's without knowing who else would've been coaching instead of RR.
December 4th, 2012 at 5:10 PM ^
You got him there, on a technicality, but his point is still pretty valid. I don't really think you believe Illinois is one of the top programs in the conference, though. Even with our 3 bad years it's regularly Michigan and Ohio, and the field, and looks to be that way for a long time.
Sparty is out of it, Nebraska is a good program, but we shold've buried them like Wisconsin and Ohio did, Wisconsin won again this year, but they backed into it at 7-5 because of ineligibility, and Bielma's gone now. Penn State normally would have a shot, but that's unrealistic for the time being.
December 4th, 2012 at 5:08 PM ^
Yeah, I'm not getting this Big 2 Little 12 stuff. UM hasn't won a Big Ten title since...what, 2003? I am a UM fan but let's get realistic people, UM is far from dominant at this point and has been for some time now.
December 4th, 2012 at 7:21 PM ^
to answer your question. And it's 2 in ten seasons to the poster above that said 1 in 10.
December 4th, 2012 at 6:02 PM ^
I fully expect Michigan to lose ~1 conf game in the division going forward which would put them in the CGG most years. At least as Hoke continues to recruit at a Top 10ish (sprinkle in a few top 3) level going forward.
UM beats Nebraska if Denard is healthy or Gardner starts that game. And that is with ZERO RBs and the weakest Oline we will have in the Hoke Era. Going forward, I'm imagining UM rolling the division.
bc I think UM will be good but also bc the Big Ten SUCKs. Seriously, if UM isn't rolling the division then we will be Ofer our next 10 bowl games.
December 4th, 2012 at 6:30 PM ^
I don't think you can conclusively say that Michigan would have beaten Nebraska with healthy Denard or Devin. If I recall, we still hadn't scored any points when Denard went out (granted were at the 6 when he got hurt). As to Devin, Nebraska had a slightly better margin of victory against Minnesota, although they almost shit the bed against Iowa. Also, Nebraska put up far more points against Ohio than we did. Nebraska beat us pretty conclusively; you can point to injuries but every team in the Big Ten can do that. And, if Lewan leaves early, our Oline could potentially be worse next year (praying that this won't happen).
Although the Big Ten is slowly eroding as a power conference, I still don't see how you can assume it will be Big 2 small 10 from now on. Given our Ohio's recent exceptional recruiting success, we might be able to win most of the years; however, Carr always had pretty good recruiting classes (not always Brady Hoke level though) and we didn't necessarily trounce the remainder of the Big Ten. There is much more parity in college football these days. All in all, I expect Nebraska to compete for the divisional championship most years with the odd challenge coming from MSU, Northwestern, and maybe even Iowa every now and then. It's still going to be a dawgfight for the conference title.
December 4th, 2012 at 11:23 PM ^
December 4th, 2012 at 4:58 PM ^
I agree with this line of thinking. I can imagine both Michigan and Ohio entering The Game 10-1 with the winner winning in the B1G 'ship for a Rose Bowl bid (and possibly a playoff appearance). The loser still being an attractive 10-2 team in the Top 10 or 15 would likely get an at-large bid to another first-tier (aka BCS) bowl game. I think this works in favor of both schools and may allow for BOTH reaching the playoff in years where the two are nationally elite.
Obviously Delaney wants the B1G title game to be a spectacle and a big matchup every year, but I think any year Michigan or Ohio is in it against a Top 25 opponent it will be a sellout and nationally relevant. In years that Michigan and Ohio enter The Game either even or separated by one game at the top of the standings it will decide the division, and I think the gravity of that will be enough to make up for no Michigan-Ohio B1G title games.
December 4th, 2012 at 5:12 PM ^
Yeah but
1) We have to keep Sparty in our division to keep that rivalry and, in the closest thing to a tip of the hat, they've managed to be competitive a while so thats three pretty good teams with us.
2) Then keeping Nebraska with the UM/OSU/MSU really makes that division the heavy. Nebraska is going to need to go over to the opposite division along with Wisconsin, PSU and maybe even a rejuvinated Northwestern to even that all up and really give us the Illinois, Indiana, Purdue, Minnesota (keep the Brown Jug). We all know the two new schools are going to be paired with PSU so they'll get two lightweights on that side.
December 4th, 2012 at 6:03 PM ^
MSU and Michigan don't have to be in the same division, they could be protected rivals.
December 4th, 2012 at 4:47 PM ^
Pod Scheduling.
NAOW
December 4th, 2012 at 4:53 PM ^
If Paul Chryst comes back to Wisconsin they will be just as good if not better.
December 4th, 2012 at 5:11 PM ^
I'm a little confused by this too. This blog has been full of Bielema=meathead posts for years, and suddenly his departure is the demise of Wisconsin football.
Both positions seem a little overblown to me.
December 4th, 2012 at 5:00 PM ^
I honestly like Michigan and Ohio in the same division. I hate the idea of playing them the last game of the season, then replaying them one week later in the Conference Championship. That'll just be stupid, and you know it'll happen soon, and regularly if we stay in opposite divisions. I'll trade you Ohio for Nebraska
December 4th, 2012 at 5:01 PM ^
What's going to suck is that if we want to play in the championship game next year there's a pretty good chance we're going to be facing them.
December 4th, 2012 at 5:10 PM ^
And pretty much every year afterward until the rest of the Leaders division can get their crap figured out.
December 4th, 2012 at 5:14 PM ^
Lets find an all new Offensive Line and a running back before we start dreaming of Indianapolis.
December 4th, 2012 at 5:28 PM ^
Indianapolis isn't exactly a pipe dream. We would've/should've been there this year were it not for a rather freak injury to Denard during the Nebraska game. If he had aggrivated that nerve even the week before or in practice we likely would've beaten Nebraska with Devin at QB.
December 4th, 2012 at 5:14 PM ^
We'd have to beat Ohio State twice in one year if we want to go to the championship. We've only beaten Ohio State twice since i enrolled at Michigan in 2002. Yikes.
December 4th, 2012 at 4:57 PM ^
People are giving Bielema too much credit.
December 4th, 2012 at 5:11 PM ^
Big Ten Championships and F'ing Wisconsin tends to do that
December 4th, 2012 at 5:43 PM ^
That's the first time they've ever done that, and they wouldn't have done it if both Penn State and Ohio were not banned.
I'm not saying he's not a solid coach... and certainly in the top half of Big Ten. But he will be replaced and Wisconsin will be fine.
December 4th, 2012 at 5:37 PM ^
Seeing how he righted the ship this year after losing their record setting QB (who's now starting in the NFL,) plus several NFL calibur OLinemen, and the bulk of their front 4 on defense, plus their OC to Pitt, I'll give him some credit. They were terrible to start the season, but they recovered and got competitive in a hurry. 3 of their losses were in OT and the 2 regulation losses were by a field goal.
December 4th, 2012 at 5:19 PM ^
when I first heard the news today, I hope they get a good to decent coach to keep ohio from dominating too much while PSU recovers from their sanctions, however long that may take.
And even though we've only had 2 B1G Championships in the last 10 years 2003 and 2004, I feel like Hoke will lead us to many more opportunities in the next few years if not longer. People have to remember that a big reason for the lack of 'Ships is the waning Lloyd years and the RR era, a good half decade of struggles, the future is bright.
December 4th, 2012 at 5:05 PM ^
If Bret Bielema leaving for Arkansas is going to cause the B1G to rethink its divisional alignment, then Jim Delany needs his head examined.
The divisions will be aligned based on some combination of geography, media exposure to the east coast, maximizing value for the Big Ten Network, etc. The departure of one coach isn't going to challenge any one of those factors at all.
Besides, we don't know his replacement, how that individual will do with the Badgers, etc.
December 4th, 2012 at 5:12 PM ^
December 4th, 2012 at 5:23 PM ^
I think that Wisconsin will be fine. Beilema is great at building a program, and Wisconsin will be an appealing coaching spot for someone with a strong running philosophy. Everything's already in place. If they find the right guy, Wisconsin will be what they normally are (8-9 win team).
December 4th, 2012 at 5:44 PM ^
Too bad James Franklin got a contract extension with Vanderbilt, he would've been a good fit at Wisconsin.
December 4th, 2012 at 7:55 PM ^
December 4th, 2012 at 9:35 PM ^
Am I the only one here that wouldn't be tremendously upset if we didn't play Sparty every year? Don't mind them sitting behind us, but they won't stop kicking the back of the seat.
December 5th, 2012 at 7:50 AM ^