Logan88

April 20th, 2013 at 7:17 AM ^

Yeah, I'm not getting the Wisco love. Nebraska is the only historic power in the West and is the team most likely to dominate that division. Wisco has been good for about 15 years under Alvarez/Bielema and could go back to being a thoroughly "meh" team quite soon.

While the East has more of the historic powers (UM, OSU and PSU to just Nebraska in the West), I still prefer this alignment to the current configuration.  I just hope that there are NO protected cross-over games and that includes Purdue-Indiana because, seriously, who outside of the Hoosier state gives a sh*t if those two play annually.

Basically, each division has two or three teams who are the realistic contenders to win their divisions each year, a team or two squarley in the middle of the pack and a couple of bottom feeders. The only real imbalance is that the winner of the East will probably be the better team in the championship game and will likely win the CG a majority of the time.

jmblue

April 20th, 2013 at 12:05 PM ^

Wisconsin won the Big Ten in 2010, 2011 and 2012.  That would explain the love for them.  

What's the real knock on Wisconsin?  That 20+ years ago, they weren't good?  Yeah, but that's ancient history now.  They've been consistently good for two decades.  They're the only program in Wisconsin, have a great homefield advantage,  and have easy access to the Chicago talent pool.  

At this point I think we can consider them a conference power.  I do think they made a strange hire with Gary Andersen - it could be another RR/Michigan type awkward fit - but in the long run I think they'll be good most of the time.

 

alum96

April 20th, 2013 at 12:14 PM ^

If Wisconsin drops someone else will rise.  Not sure how old you are but 20 years ago Iowa was Wisconsin.  There is always the "meh" program that rises to be "pretty darn good" just by the nature of someone has to fill that void.  Also Illinois I consider the great lost wasteland - impressive school, great recruiting base, but a program that does not match what it should be.  Maybe in 10 years they are the one that fills that void.  Or it could be Wisconsin.

"Yeah, I'm not getting the Wisco love."

Uhh 3 straight Big 10 championships.  Michigan's last 3 in a row were 90-92.  I don't give a flying frack what the circumstances were, they did it, and a lot of other programs have not. Only OSU and Wiscy have run 3 off in a row in the past 20 years. 

Mr. Yost

April 20th, 2013 at 6:12 PM ^

Your Burger face is "crazy stacked"...I mean, it's got eyes for goodness sake.

As for the East, you're taking names over recent success. MSU is on the decline, PSU is done for the next 10 years, and right now Maryland and Rutgers are pretty trash.

The B1G isn't a "stacked" conference to begin with, so unless they put Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin and Nebraska all in the same division...it's not unbalanced. They split those 4 and then also split the next tier of MSU/N'Western.

Alton

April 19th, 2013 at 10:19 PM ^

"...have to get beat up by MSU..."?

Really?  MSU is a middle-of-the-pack Big Ten program who happens to be coming off a couple of good years after a decade or so of mediocrity.  Nebraska and Wisconsin are much better programs, and are in the west division.

 

Lionsfan

April 20th, 2013 at 8:11 AM ^

I dunno, I think MSU is exactly the type of team nobody wants to play. Great defense, ground and pound offense, games against them are gonna be shitty. They're not gonna have Alabama success, but they're still a tough draw

Brhino

April 19th, 2013 at 9:24 PM ^

Before: "which division are we in again?" uh... "lalala leaders and best!" right.  We're in the Legends.

Now: "which division are we in again?" uh... "lalala champions of the west!" right.  We're in the East.

Section 1

April 19th, 2013 at 9:47 PM ^

I had a great idea.  Something I'd really like to see, as a season ticket holder.  A ten-team division, with Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Northwestern, Illinois, Indiana, Purdue, Iowa, Ohio State and Michigan State.  We'd play all of them every year (nine games) plus some quality out of conference teams like Stanford, Baylor and Missouri.

What a great idea that would be.  Wait.  I think we did that.  Like, in 1975 (less Iowa):

 

Opponent Rank Date Site Result Attend.
Preseason  3          
Wisconsin  2/- 09/13 A W 23-6 79,022
Stanford  2/- 09/20 H T 19-19 92,304
Baylor  9/- 09/27 H T 14-14 104,248
Missouri 12/5 10/04 H W 31-7 104,578
Michigan State  8/15 10/11 A W 16-6 79,776
Northwestern  7/- 10/18 H W 69-0 86,201
Indiana (HC)  7/- 10/25 H W 55-7 93,857
Minnesota  7/- 11/01 A W 28-21 33,191
Purdue  6/- 11/08 H W 28-0 102,415
Illinois  4/- 11/15 A W 21-15 45,077
Ohio State  4/1 11/22 H L 14-21 105,543  

 

Jehu the Damaja

April 19th, 2013 at 9:26 PM ^

That East division is STACKED for basketball. BTW, how are the basketball divisions going to work? Do they have a championship game between East/West divisions also? Or does this apply to football only?

bronxblue

April 19th, 2013 at 9:27 PM ^

Nice naming, but conference balance seems a bit lopsided.  I mean, unless you think Wiscy and Nebraska will defy recruiting rankings and be able to keep pace with UM/OSU/PSU (post sanctions).  I have my doubts, espeically given how Wisconsin is apparently unwilling to put down good money for coaches and assistants.

And the ultimate loser in all of this is, as always, Indiana.  Have fun playing MSU/UM/OSU/PSU every year. 

MGoBender

April 19th, 2013 at 9:36 PM ^

I don't think it is crazy lopsided.  West has more balance within its division, East is more top-heavy.

Plus, think of it this way: Between Wisconsin, NU, Iowa one of those will be in the B10 championship just about every year. That's a lot of exposure and opportunity to build a program to the next level.  I wouldn't be surprised to see those schools have some major success over the next 5 years.

I Like Burgers

April 19th, 2013 at 9:47 PM ^

You'll only have one of Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State (when they get their shit back together) in your championship game every year.  That's going to hurt whoever's left on the outside's shot of getting into a playoff.  Like it or not, the Big Ten ain't getting the same love that the SEC gets in that regard.

Mr. Yost

April 20th, 2013 at 9:01 AM ^

Wow, this whole time I thought you were referring to Michigan St. as the team that makes the east so unfair.

PENN ST?!

They're 10 years away from being relevant again...you really want to worry about something 10 years from now when the world of college football changes every month an a half?

 

MinWhisky

April 20th, 2013 at 9:51 AM ^

Get real.  You (and a lot of the other posters on this site) are wrong about Penn State not being relevant for the next 10 years.  Have you ever been to their campus or spoken with any of their students or graduates?  Do you realize their 2013 recruiting class (which will probably be their worst in the next 10 years) was ranked 46th? (just behind Wisconsin at 37, Illinois at 42, Michigan State at 45, and ahead of Northwestern, Maryland, Indiana, Iowa, Purdue, and Minnesota).   Most of those teams have been very relevant, at times, during the past 10 years. 

 

alum96

April 20th, 2013 at 12:21 PM ^

"  Like it or not, the Big Ten ain't getting the same love that the SEC gets in that regard."

 

The Big Ten does not DESERVE the same love that the SEC gets in football.  It needs to be earned.  It's been a ho hum conference for over a decade.  Go win some national championships and respect will come.  Sick of hearing the respect card.  The SEC love annoys me as much as anyone but they do it on the field even if its "dirty" off the field.  Until the NCAA cracks down / cares thats the way it is. 

gwkrlghl

April 19th, 2013 at 9:28 PM ^

Only took two years to come up with "East" and "West". I might have been less surprised with the "Rotel" and "Autoowners Insurance" divisions

KBLOW

April 19th, 2013 at 9:29 PM ^

Now The Game will still be The Game and most often the de facto B1G championship. Also, I'd much rather have to play MSU in division than as a protected cross-over.  

MGoBender

April 19th, 2013 at 9:30 PM ^

Thank you!  Finally common sense emerges.  "Competitive balance" is not something that can easily be controlled, so do what's right, which are these divisions.

Also, lolSparty.  Go back to your hole and never come out.

In reply to by DirkMcGurk

snarling wolverine

April 19th, 2013 at 9:59 PM ^

Are you counting Sparty as a top-5 program?  Please.  

The five best programs are Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Nebraska and PSU.  That works out to three in one division and two in the other, which is the best you can do - and PSU is headed for a fall with the sanctions, so it'll basically be 2-2 for the next several years, which is fine.

 

gwkrlghl

April 19th, 2013 at 10:40 PM ^

Michigan is close enough to Illinois that I doubt missing 1 or 2 games in Illinois will matter to them or their families too much since we'll have a bunch of games in A2 and games in EL, Bloomington, and Columbus every year. All plenty close enough to Illinois...in my opinion