abox03

As a Big ten Guy for my while life... you cannot convince me that OSU, UM, PSU, ND, MSU in one division is not absurd. I realize your big 12 experience and I understand that...but that was a haphazzard marriage. Big ten has about 100 years of proof that while strength can change year by year...overall OSU and UM have won almost 75% of the championships. Having them and then adding tradiontal powers of PSU and ND along with occasional upstart MSU....Nebraska, Iowa, Wisky and Minnesota will NEVER match that. Never. EDIT: by Never I do NOT mean to say that those schools cannot win the conf...thats ridiculous. I say that those 4 schools will never match the overall collective power on a consistent basis of OSU, UM, PSU, ND. They never have.

The only problem is that OSU and Michigan have won 34 and 42 big ten titles respectively. The next CLOSEST is Minnesota with 18 whose last one was in 1967........yes 1967. I have always thought this was going to be a huge problem with expanding the Big Ten. OSU and UM must play each year. If it decides a division, then it is hardly fair for the other 6 teams in the east (cuse, rutgers, indiana, msu, purdue) which I don't think are ever going to compete yearly for the title. Add PSU to the mix and now you have a very very very heavy east division. While the west certainly improves with Nebraska (I cannot bring myself to say NU because thats Northwestern haha), it is just very hard to argue that the west is equal to the east. Bring in Notre Dame...and that adds another issue all together. ND has rivalaries with MSU, UM, Purdue, Syracuse that moving them to play in the "west" is illogical. Now you add ND to OSU, UM, PSU haha... So what to do?

From the Big Ten Blog write on ESPN. "Division alignment: The Big Ten also must figure out divisions in the coming months. Delany listed three main criteria for sorting them out: competitive fairness, maintenance of rivalries and geography. He stressed that competitive fairness is the No. 1 priority, which I believe to be the correct approach. Geography shouldn't determine divisions. You don't want another Big 12 South scenario. " Not saying they will split OSU/UM but what other options? Sending PSU to the "west" doesn't make sense but perhaps that is the only option. Personally I don't see why they can't be in separate divisions and still play yearly. I'm not sure that competitive fairness is actually what should be the prime criteria. If the Big 12 showed anything, it's that the power shifts from one division to another over time - and back - and that teams can rise and fall over the period of a few years. What's "competitive fairness" in 2011 could be an unbalanced conference in 2021. you are new to the big ten...so I will show you why I dont think that is right...as it stands now Big Ten titles won by the would be west team past 20 years (* shared by an east team) 2004 Iowa *Michigan 2002 Iowa *Ohio State 2001 Illinois 2000 NW, Purdue, *Michigan 1999 Wisconsin 1998 Wisconsin *Ohio State, *Michigan 1996 NW *Ohio State 1995 NW 1993 Wisconsin *Ohio State Only 9 seasons did a would be east team win the title and only 3 (15%) won it without sharing it with an east team. It get's worse the more you go back and then its pretty much only OSU and UM. The big ten is very much an east heavy conference. EDIT: And notice which two teams are usually the sharing culprit. OSU and UM.

From the Big Ten Blog write on ESPN. "Division alignment: The Big Ten also must figure out divisions in the coming months. Delany listed three main criteria for sorting them out: competitive fairness, maintenance of rivalries and geography. He stressed that competitive fairness is the No. 1 priority, which I believe to be the correct approach. Geography shouldn't determine divisions. You don't want another Big 12 South scenario. " Not saying they will split OSU/UM but what other options? Sending PSU to the "west" doesn't make sense but perhaps that is the only option. Personally I don't see why they can't be in separate divisions and still play yearly. If its 12 or 16 teams you still only play 5 or 7 division games which leaves at least 2 (as many as 5) out of division conference games where UM and OSU can still play.

Great insight!!!!!!!!!!!!! We need more minds like you!

Possibly....but look at what MOST LIKELY would have been the result of this format this year.. 1. Alabama (SEC Champ) 2. Texas (Going to give them the nod over Oregon in the "New" Pac 10) 3. Boise State (the new Mtn West Champs over TCU) 4. Ohio State (Big Ten Champ) 5. Georgia Tech (the new ACC champ over Cincinnati) 6. Cincinnati 7. TCU 8. Florida So on Saturday in NOLA you would have: Alabama v Florida remach Boise State v Cincinnati On Sunday you would have: Texas v TCU Ohio State v GA Tech ...hard to imagine because the teams would ahve different conf affiliations than last season, but that might draw some good crowds. At Tempe, you would have two games: Alabama v Ohio State Boise State v Texas and in Pasadena, Bama v Texas.... I think the TV ratings would be huge...my opinion.

Or move OSU to the west division....but putting PSU and OSU and UM in the same division doesn't help the conference IMO.

In regards to splitting OSU and UM... I think the B10's problems is that as it stands the weight of the conference is the east. If we add ND...it more so puts pressure on the east....you cant have PSU, OSU, UM, ND, MSU in one division...ouch...i think if you split OSU and UM and still have them play each year (you have to play at least 2 teams in the other division) it would be ok.

Ah and the rest.... 5 major conferences.... There would be a National tournament of 8 teams that would be decided as follows: 1. Each of the 5 league champions automatically get a bid. 2. A formula like or similar to the BCS will be used for seeding those teams 1-5 in order of their ranking in the formula. 3. The next three highest teams in the formula that are not champions of their conference are then invited and seeded 6-8. First round. A two day event at the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, LA 1 vs 8 Game 1 2 vs 7 Game 3 3 vs 6 Game 2 4 vs 5 Game 4 Final Four. Next weekend in Tempe, Arizona @ Fiesta Bowl. 1/8 vs 4/5 Game 1 2/7 vs 3/6 Game 2 Championship. Rose Bowl Game, Pasadena, California.

Just some idle thoughts here...but when all is said and done...I think this is most likely how the dominoes will fall. I feel there are some shaky pics and I have bolded those. Give me yours thoughts! Big Ten East Syracuse Rutgers Penn State Ohio State Michigan State Notre Dame Purdue Northwestern West Michigan Indiana Iowa Wisconsin Minnesota Nebraska Illinois Missouri Pac Ten West Washington Wash St Oregon Oregon St USC UCLA Stanford California East Arizona Arizona State Colorado Oklahoma Texas Texas Tech Oklahoma St Baylor SEC East Florida Georgia Tennessee Kentucky South Carolina Vanderbilt West Virginia Louisville West Alabama LSU Mississippi Arkansas Auburn Mississippi St Texas A &M Pittsburgh ACC Atlantic Clemson Boston College Florida St Wake Forest NC State Maryland Cincinnati East Carolina Coastal Georgia Tech Virginia Tech Miami North Carolina Duke Virginia South Florida Connecticut Mountain West North Air Force Wyoming Boise State Colorado St Iowa State Kansas St Nevada Kansas South TCU UNLV BYU Utah SD State New Mexico Hawaii Fresno State

Welcome in 2011 Nebraska!

Basically...no one from the general public made comments...so they are now in a closed session "upstairs" to talk about it.

The shiny helmets are part of the plan. The bright shine in the sun, along with the flash of Pryor's speed, leaves you in your dust! (One design flaw, they don't work as well in the night lights) haha With one exception...2006 @ Texas

Everyone dreams about playing Ohio State

Notre Dame hasn't been relevant for a while. They would just fit with the Big Ten since they play so many Big Ten teams. Texas doesn't fit with the Big Ten at all. I doubt Texas would last long in the Big Ten. I tend to agree...but think about this conference sked with the divisions i put up.... Texas @ Texas A & M Nebraska @ Texas Texas @ Wisconsin Minnesota @ Texas Purdue @ Texas Texas @ Iowa Texas @ Illinois Michigan @ Texas Texas @ Penn State/Ohio State I would argue that beats their conf sked now.