nic

Man I hope you are wrong. With 16 and nine game schedule Michigan would play NU every other year...they would play every out of pod team every other year. That sounds a lot more fun to me.

I would go for this, but would prefer pods so we can play NU and OU more often. Purdue and Indiana can play an OOC game every other year, or swap MSU for Purdue. Nebraska, OU, Iowa, Kansas Wisconsin, Minnesota, Northwestern, Illinois Ohio St, MSU, Michigan, Indiana Penn St, Purdue, Maryland, Rutgers

That was interesting, but I doubt it based on the stories I heard about how the NU - Big10 deal came about. Seemed like the Big 10 was somewhat surprised NU wanted in, which would not have been the case if NU had been touted as a 5 team deal. It also didn't seem like the Big10 wanted more than 12 teams at that time. I think the went for more after the PAC10 tried to get 1/2 of the Big12 to go their way.

I agree on the scheduling. There has been talk about going to a pod system which I would think would work well. At 16 teams, you have four four-team pods. You play the other three teams in your pod, all four in another pod and probably two from a third pod for 9 conference games. You might do that for two years to play each inter-pod team home-and-home. Then you trade for the other six inter-pod teams. Home-and-home against everyone every four years. Yup. With 16 you would play each other more often. You could play each team every two years with a home and home with each team every 4 years. Basically you play your three pod members every year and play 6 of the other 12 teams every other year. You still get the CC game too. The four other teams in your 'division' change from year to year. Get to play each other a heck of a lot more than this 14 team, 7 per division crap. This does hurt hoops however.

If expansion happens in 10 years (when all the TV contracts are set to expire), I bet Kansas would jump to the Big 10 in a heart beat. I suspect the Big 10 adds two if still makes sense. One Big 12 team and 1 ACC team.

Mich. St vs. Oregon (w) Wisconsin vs. Alabama (L) OSU vs. VT (W) Michigan vs. Utah (W) Nebraska vs. Miama (W) Minnesota vs. TCU (L) NW vs. Stanford (L) Maryland vs. WVU (L) Iowa vs. Pitt. (W) Nebraska vs BYU (W)

16 -team version. Certainly like playing every team every two years. Indiana and Purdue can play a non-conference game every other year. Pod 1: NU OU NW Illini Pod 2: Minn Wiscy Iowa Purdue Pod 3: Mich Mich St. OSU Indiana Pod4: PSU Maryland UVA ND

Play 4 from your Pod every year, and 5 from another Pod that rotates every year. Pod 1: NU OU Texas Kansas Iowa Pod 2: Minn Wiscy NW Illini Mizzou Pod 3: Mich Mich St. OSU Purdue Indiana Pod4: PSU Maryland UVA ND GT Maybe swap Mizzou and Iowa. This would suck for basketball...play every team once I guess.

He will be missed.

As a Michigan fan it bugs me. Its his last year. Due to injury and ability he hasn't contibuted much, but why not let him finish. Having him free up a scholarship this year makes zero sense unless there is a potential transfer they want. If so, that is dissappointing. If his health really is an issue and there is no transfer involved, then its OK.

I didn't mean to imply that it would be a good decision to do so. I was actually surprised to see it suggested (although it was under the less likely category). But I was curious about the pulse of Husker Nation. I know the Big Ten West placement was a disappointment. We need OU and Virginia to join so we can do the 4 pod system and play each other more often.

Looks like the Big 12 might be re-thinking expansion. http://espn.go.com/blog/ncfnation/post/_/id/111803/oklahoma-president-david-boren-puts-possible-big-12-expansion-back-in-news The last option was interesting. 'If the Huskers completely soured on their Big Ten experience, maybe they would be open to reconciliation. One thing is for sure: The Big 12 would welcome them back with open arms.' I haven't spoken to my Husker friends recently, but what are the odds Big Red would go back?

Ha ha! Seems like Harbaugh is always mixing it up with someone. Now he's taking on a whole conference. He's like a Honey Badger.

Yup good get. I don't think Maryland wants to be in the Big Ten, though. we need to pick up Virginia and OU so we get rid of divisions in football. Although I heard there is some push for that anyway.

This board needs better Big10 topics....they haven't been interesting in quite awhile.

Well, I guess Harbaugh did promise that he'd bring new talent into the B1G. This is just a creative way of doing it. Here is the actual reason... This has led to a couple of assertions that Michigan is getting down and dirty. If so, let's be clear why: it's not because Michigan wants a defensive back who will be around for one year. It's because Bush was—uh—"team mom" for South Florida Express, a high-powered 7 on 7 outfit that launched the careers of Teddy Bridgewater and Geno Smith, amongst many others.

No, the Big Ten... any direction.

No Frost either. Frickin Harbaugh. He's just hirin a bunch of his buddies again. and his son...rumor has it.

Turely was under Tolbert at Stanford wasn't he?

I haven't been following closely, who have they landed? So far.... DC/LB Durkin (Florida DC) OC/OL Drevno (USC OL/RB) DL Mattison (DC under Hoke) DB Greg Jackson (49ers DB) RB Ty Wheatley (Bills RB) WR Jed Fisch (Jaguars OC) ST John Baxter (USC ST) S&C Kevin Tobert (49ers S&C)

To me it's pretty clear the Pac 12 is the better conference this year. The SEC didn't hardly beat anyone with a pulse in the OOC. They then spent the rest of the year with the media drooling all over them while they beat up on each other. They then laid a big egg (relative to what the media thought they would do) in the bowl games. Meanwhile, the Pac 12 actually played some good teams in the OOC with their best team beating a top ten team (possibly top 5) and they have a team in the championship game after winning a playoff game. I think it's laughable that someone would say "well, the Pac 12 is getting closer". Dude, they passed them up. Was talking to my roommate this weekend about where we would rank the various conferences for this year top to bottom. IMO it goes: 1)PAC-12 - Clear frontrunner 2-3)B1G/SEC - Both seemed to be pretty evenly matched this year, all teams considered. 4)Big 12 - Yes, TCU and Baylor are both elite teams but aside from that, Big 12 is a conference with a whole lot of offense and no defense. No other real standout teams, aside from maybe KSU. I would agree the the Pac-12 is looking a little better than the SEC, but I don't know that they are the clear front runner. I would also say that SEC would be #2 and I would put B1G #3. I think this bowl season has said a lot about how the SEC is down a little bit from what they have been in the past couple of years. I know that some people want to argue that bowl games don't really matter as much and they don't measure that much, but they measure quite a bit IMO. PAC-12 has a team in the national championship game and went 6-2 in bowl games this year and 8-4 against P5 non conference opponents. I would say that makes them #1 without a doubt. I am agreeing that they are #1, but some people are making it sound like they are a long ways in front of the SEC and I just don't agree with that. I think they are slightly better than the SEC at this point. I would unfortunately have to put the SEC at the clear #2 ahead of the B1G though. SEC: No team in the national championship. 7-5 in bowl games and 6-6 against P5 non conference opponents in regular season B1G: Team in the national championship. 5-5 in bowl games. 6-11 against P5 non conference opponents in regular season. I hate the SEC and how they are over-hyped by the media. However, I love seeing most people on the board state how the B1G is really down all season long and then they have a good bowl season and everyone is instantly wanting to say they are better than the SEC. I hate the SEC, but I still wouldn't put the B1G ahead of them as a whole conference right now. All of this is just my honest opinion however and I do respect your opinion as well. I would love to see some good non-conference match-ups next season to help determine where all of the conferences really sit in respect to each other. Maybe it's not that they are wrong about the SEC, but that they were wrong about the B1G That's a very real possibility. I'm not an Ohio State fan, but I really hope they beat Oregon. That would really be a boost to the conference for Ohio State to beat the mighty SEC Crimson Tide and then take down Oregon! I hope they beat Oregon too! I am a Michigan fan. Big Ten fan second. I like NU and PSU. I dislike OSU, as I should. I hope they kick Oregons butt however, because the Big Ten is second and its good for the Big Ten. Go Bucks...now I feel dirty...as I should. :-)

Correction 2-5

The big bad SEC West is currently 2-4 in their bowl games. Yee Ha.

2018? No. Not a chance. The espn insider Clayton fella already said 2-3 years max before hes back in the NFL. Michigan won't venture back to the friendly confines of Memorial Stadium until after 2019. Between now and then, the Huskers and the Wolverines will face each other at least one time, 2018 in Ann Arbor. Maybe wishful thinking.... Harbaugh Seeks Permanent Home In Ann Arbor6 hours ago One of the common arguments made by detractors of the hiring of Jim Harbaugh to Michigan is that he'll bide his time in Ann Arbor until he finds a better NFL job. During his first press conference as Wolverines head coach, he did what he could to put those ideas to rest. ""I'm at that point, where even though you've done well and built some pretty nice homes, you have to do it again. You have to prove it again," Harbaugh said. "And I'd really like to live in one permanently. That's what I'm very hopeful for here." Harbaugh also discussed what brought him home after tons of speculation that included potential NFL stops at Oakland, Chicago and New York among others. "I can honestly say it's gone through my mind since I was a youngster of nine or 10 years old. I went and sat behind Bo's desk and had my feet up on his desk, and he walked in and said, 'How you doing, Jimmy?' I said, 'Doing good, Bo. How are you doing?' He said, 'Whatcha doin'?' I said, 'Sittin' at your desk, Coach, seeing what it's like to be you.' Only I didn't actually say that last part. But I always thought about coaching here like my dad. I dreamed about being the coach at Michigan, and now it's time to live that dream. It's a dream I've had since I was little. I didn't really take a pros-and-cons approach. I just went with my heart. I never had a list. I kept coming back to coming back here." Now, Harbaugh has the opportunity to lead his alma mater to the promised land, somewhere the Wolverines haven't been since Lloyd Carr led the 1997 team to its first national championship since 1948. Harbaugh took a conference call with his new players this morning, and the immediate expectation is excellence. "We'll see them after they get back from break," Harbaugh said. "The expectations will be high the first day. The first practice."

Sigh....I wish UofM and NU played more frequently. When is the next game....2017?