Sources of ESPN say these are the Big ten Divisions

[ludedude]

Does Kevin Cosgrove still coach at MI? If the answer is yes, Up and up is not something they'll have to worry about during his tenure.

 

 

Good point! I had forgotten that he was there.

[Coqui]

is anyone else concerned about the lower end teams? we have Minnesota and Northwestern, two schools on the up and up, while they have Purdue, Illinois, and Indiana. Teams that have never really been that good.

 

Purdue has had more promise than Northwestern on the whole.

[Micheal]

I say that I like splitting up Ohio State and Michigan. They'll still get to play every year and the divisions look pretty even overall. Maybe the bottoms of the division are a little unequal but you are not going to get a perfect setup.

[Manhattan]

 

They say The Game will still be at the end of the season, which is a good compromise, but I cannot fathom the possibility of playing M*ch*gan twice a year. It is like the one thing that Ohio State and M*ch*gan fans wanted. Don't mess with the best rivalry in college sports. Keep it on the third Saturday of November and make sure it is once a year. That is what makes it so special. It's like a religious event in the region.

 

The divisions are good competitively, but the split is really bad.

 

Next, assuming Michigan does get back to being a top 10 team(probably will, look at us), wouldn't it be great to be able to avenge a loss if both teams were undefeated when the meet the end of November?

 

 

No. That is the worst. It is The Game, singular. Not The Game(s). It is once a year at the same time every year. It is what makes the rivalry special and part of the fabric and traditions of the region. Two games would cheapen the rivalry. This isn't a rivalry of the dress rehearsal. It is one shot that each team, each fan base prepares for every year and endures 364 days for.

 

Nebraska fans don't get this though. There is more to this rivalry than simply playing each other on a frequent basis.

[mjmartin1970]

I definitely respect your opinion because it is your rivalry. And that being said, no Nebraska fans can't really say one way or another on what should have happened to this rivalry. But to say we can't understand????? We probably are one of the few fanbases in the nation who can understand as we had our rivalry completely stripped of us (thanks Texas, and OU for agreeing to it). Outside of the loss to Miami in the Orange Bowl, it was one of the saddest days of my life as a Husker fan knowing we wouldn't be playing Oklahoma each year the day after Thanksgiving, and being stuck with Colorado instead.

[HuskerinLibertyMO]

 

They say The Game will still be at the end of the season, which is a good compromise, but I cannot fathom the possibility of playing M*ch*gan twice a year. It is like the one thing that Ohio State and M*ch*gan fans wanted. Don't mess with the best rivalry in college sports. Keep it on the third Saturday of November and make sure it is once a year. That is what makes it so special. It's like a religious event in the region.

 

The divisions are good competitively, but the split is really bad.

 

Manhattan,

 

A couple questions, I've tried to ask my friends that are tOSU fans, but all I get is smart arse answers, perhaps I can get the feel of tOSU faithful from you.

 

Assuming that tOSU and UM are in different divisions does playing the last game of the year satisfy or appease the fan base?

 

If it does, what will be the feeling if/when you have to play them in back to back weeks?

 

Will that feeling be different if you win and then lose or lose then win?

 

Also, you said playing the third saturday in Nov, you realize that it is highly likely that the last week of conference games will be the weekend after Thanksgiving (the 4th weekend) so is it the weekend that is important to the faithful or is it playing the last game of the conference season?

 

Do you think there any lessening of the game (not necessarily in the eyes of tOSU & UM fans, but what about across the nation) with the possiblity of playing twice in a row AND sharing that weekend with other marquee matchups in the Big Ten?

 

I'll be the first to admit I am not overly familiar with all the traditions in the Big Ten and out of respect of those traditions I am trying to get honest answers and not the "We'll be happy to beat UM twice a year" responses, which BTW is a similar answer I get when I've asked what tOSU fans around KC think of having Nebraska join the conference.

 

Thanks in advance.

[killer cacti]

 

They say The Game will still be at the end of the season, which is a good compromise, but I cannot fathom the possibility of playing M*ch*gan twice a year. It is like the one thing that Ohio State and M*ch*gan fans wanted. Don't mess with the best rivalry in college sports. Keep it on the third Saturday of November and make sure it is once a year. That is what makes it so special. It's like a religious event in the region.

 

The divisions are good competitively, but the split is really bad.

 

Next, assuming Michigan does get back to being a top 10 team(probably will, look at us), wouldn't it be great to be able to avenge a loss if both teams were undefeated when the meet the end of November?

 

 

No. That is the worst. It is The Game, singular. Not The Game(s). It is once a year at the same time every year. It is what makes the rivalry special and part of the fabric and traditions of the region. Two games would cheapen the rivalry. This isn't a rivalry of the dress rehearsal. It is one shot that each team, each fan base prepares for every year and endures 364 days for.

 

Nebraska fans don't get this though. There is more to this rivalry than simply playing each other on a frequent basis.

So you would have been pissed if there was a Ohio State - Michigan rematch for the National Title the other year when Florida just barely beat out Michigan in BCS points???

[Hercules]

 

They say The Game will still be at the end of the season, which is a good compromise, but I cannot fathom the possibility of playing M*ch*gan twice a year. It is like the one thing that Ohio State and M*ch*gan fans wanted. Don't mess with the best rivalry in college sports. Keep it on the third Saturday of November and make sure it is once a year. That is what makes it so special. It's like a religious event in the region.

 

The divisions are good competitively, but the split is really bad.

 

Next, assuming Michigan does get back to being a top 10 team(probably will, look at us), wouldn't it be great to be able to avenge a loss if both teams were undefeated when the meet the end of November?

 

 

No. That is the worst. It is The Game, singular. Not The Game(s). It is once a year at the same time every year. It is what makes the rivalry special and part of the fabric and traditions of the region. Two games would cheapen the rivalry. This isn't a rivalry of the dress rehearsal. It is one shot that each team, each fan base prepares for every year and endures 364 days for.

 

Nebraska fans don't get this though. There is more to this rivalry than simply playing each other on a frequent basis.

 

Cry me a river. Nebraska's great rivalry was completely destroyed. So stop with the teenage girl "you'll just never understand us" crap.

[knapplc]

No. That is the worst. It is The Game, singular. Not The Game(s). It is once a year at the same time every year. It is what makes the rivalry special and part of the fabric and traditions of the region. Two games would cheapen the rivalry. This isn't a rivalry of the dress rehearsal. It is one shot that each team, each fan base prepares for every year and endures 364 days for.

 

Nebraska fans don't get this though. There is more to this rivalry than simply playing each other on a frequent basis.

 

You didn't even care about this rivalry until you got accepted to OSU within the past year, so don't bother lecturing us on what we do or don't "get." I think about half the people you're currently talking to were watching the Michigan/OSU game before you were born. It's great that you're immersing yourself in the culture of your school, but let's not go crazy here. You have less knowledge of the importance of this rivalry than a lot of folks.

[BeltwayHusker]

Does anyone think it's possible that Nebraska won't have a "protected" cross-division rival? It's already been reported by ESPN that Michigan-OSU will be "protected" rivals, of course, and also Minnesota-Wisconsin and Illinois-Northwestern.

 

If we were to have a protected rival not including the above teams, it would presumably be Penn State. But then you have to do something with Iowa and Michigan State in one division and Indiana and Purdue in the other. "Protecting" any of those matchups makes no sense, other than just to even out the schedule.

 

Why couldn't they protect only the three floated above, and let the rest of our schedules float freely with the out of division games? We'd play at least one of OSU and PSU every year, and we'd rotate through the opposite division teams more quickly. With annual games against Michigan and Iowa, we'd have enough annual rivalry games.

 

It's completely feasible to do this within either a 8-game or 9-game schedule. I have no idea whether they'd consider it or not.

[Manhattan]

So you would have been pissed if there was a Ohio State - Michigan rematch for the National Title the other year when Florida just barely beat out Michigan in BCS points???

 

It wouldn't be right. Some fans would have liked it, but I think that you put it all out on the field once, and whoever wins that game is the superior team. After that, let the pollsters sort it out.

 

 

Assuming that tOSU and UM are in different divisions does playing the last game of the year satisfy or appease the fan base?

 

If it does, what will be the feeling if/when you have to play them in back to back weeks?

 

Will that feeling be different if you win and then lose or lose then win?

 

Also, you said playing the third saturday in Nov, you realize that it is highly likely that the last week of conference games will be the weekend after Thanksgiving (the 4th weekend) so is it the weekend that is important to the faithful or is it playing the last game of the conference season?

 

Do you think there any lessening of the game (not necessarily in the eyes of tOSU & UM fans, but what about across the nation) with the possiblity of playing twice in a row AND sharing that weekend with other marquee matchups in the Big Ten?

 

1) It is better than nothing that they decided to keep it (allegedly) at the end of the season.

 

2) It will suck if there are two games. It isn't the culture of this rivalry. Some rivalries if may have worked, like Nebraska and Oklahoma. I am not totally familiar with the traditions of that Rivalry, but UM-OSU is a strictly once a year tradition, like a religious holiday almost.

 

3) Not really. It is obviously better if you win the Big Ten, so that means the previous game is probably going to be of diminished importance, which is disheartening.

 

4) Sometimes, because of how Thanksgiving falls, it is on the fourth Saturday (like this year), but the majority are on the third Saturday. The specific weekend isn't as important, but it should be the last regular season game in late November, where it is the weekend before or after isn't as important (it is the third Saturday when possible).

 

5)I don't really understand this question. The match up is considered by most to be the best rivalry in sports on this continent. I don't think that matters much to fans of other teams though.

[Manhattan]

No. That is the worst. It is The Game, singular. Not The Game(s). It is once a year at the same time every year. It is what makes the rivalry special and part of the fabric and traditions of the region. Two games would cheapen the rivalry. This isn't a rivalry of the dress rehearsal. It is one shot that each team, each fan base prepares for every year and endures 364 days for.

 

Nebraska fans don't get this though. There is more to this rivalry than simply playing each other on a frequent basis.

 

You didn't even care about this rivalry until you got accepted to OSU within the past year, so don't bother lecturing us on what we do or don't "get." I think about half the people you're currently talking to were watching the Michigan/OSU game before you were born. It's great that you're immersing yourself in the culture of your school, but let's not go crazy here. You have less knowledge of the importance of this rivalry than a lot of folks.

 

Also not true. I am very familiar with the culture of the rivalry through my grandfather who was crazy about the Buckeyes. I wasn't previously a fanatic myself, but I followed the Buckeyes as they are considered my family's team and understand how people feel about it and what it means to Buckeye fans.

[HuskerinLibertyMO]

So you would have been pissed if there was a Ohio State - Michigan rematch for the National Title the other year when Florida just barely beat out Michigan in BCS points???

 

It wouldn't be right. Some fans would have liked it, but I think that you put it all out on the field once, and whoever wins that game is the superior team. After that, let the pollsters sort it out.

 

 

Assuming that tOSU and UM are in different divisions does playing the last game of the year satisfy or appease the fan base?

 

If it does, what will be the feeling if/when you have to play them in back to back weeks?

 

Will that feeling be different if you win and then lose or lose then win?

 

Also, you said playing the third saturday in Nov, you realize that it is highly likely that the last week of conference games will be the weekend after Thanksgiving (the 4th weekend) so is it the weekend that is important to the faithful or is it playing the last game of the conference season?

 

Do you think there any lessening of the game (not necessarily in the eyes of tOSU & UM fans, but what about across the nation) with the possiblity of playing twice in a row AND sharing that weekend with other marquee matchups in the Big Ten?

 

1) It is better than nothing that they decided to keep it (allegedly) at the end of the season.

 

2) It will suck if there are two games. It isn't the culture of this rivalry. Some rivalries if may have worked, like Nebraska and Oklahoma. I am not totally familiar with the traditions of that Rivalry, but UM-OSU is a strictly once a year tradition, like a religious holiday almost.

 

3) Not really. It is obviously better if you win the Big Ten, so that means the previous game is probably going to be of diminished importance, which is disheartening.

 

4) Sometimes, because of how Thanksgiving falls, it is on the fourth Saturday (like this year), but the majority are on the third Saturday. The specific weekend isn't as important, but it should be the last regular season game in late November, where it is the weekend before or after isn't as important (it is the third Saturday when possible).

 

5)I don't really understand this question. The match up is considered by most to be the best rivalry in sports on this continent. I don't think that matters much to fans of other teams though.

 

On #5, I meant that the day it was on it was THE game pretty much in the country now it will be moved back a week to the weekend of Thanksgiving (Joe Pa has been complaining that the Big Ten became irrelevant after the 3rd weekend in Nov) where there are other rivalries on a national stage. Maybe I'm wrong, but I thought part of the allure of that game was it was such a big game on the national level too. Just thinking it will lose some of that "national" luster. From an outsider I would think that's important, perhaps to an "insider" you'd disagree.

 

I remember OU-NU being "THE" game that day after Thanksgiving and there wasn't really much any other big game on which I felt helped make it even bigger.

[druski_2k5]

I agree with Manhattan.

 

I don't like the split. The divisions look good, but I don't like the split.

 

Geographically would have been the best way to go, but the Big XII should have found a way to keep Nebraska-Oklahoma the day after Thanksgiving just like the SEC does with their cross-over games.

 

Maybe that seems hypocritical because we could have played Oklahoma in back to back games, but there was never an opportunity for that. Could have kept Nebraska-Oklahoma at end of October or beginning of November for a cross-over game or even a divisional game if Oklahoma was put in the North and Oklahoma State in the south, even though Stillwater is north of Norman, they are very close together still, and kept the Red-River Rivalry in the same spot it's always been. Oh well, that is a moot point now.

 

Besides, wasn't there always a chance to play Oklahoma twice in a possible bowl game or National Championship game anyway in the Big 8? I'm too young to remember, the only Big 8 I remember is Nebraska dominating, nothing prior to that was I alive for.

 

And Nebraska-Oklahoma was not called "The Game", so us playing each other twice would not seem as bad as Michigan and Ohio State do because of the name of the rivalry. It is singular. It doesn't scream September either.

[Hercules]

I agree with Manhattan.

 

I don't like the split. The divisions look good, but I don't like the split.

 

Geographically would have been the best way to go, but the Big XII should have found a way to keep Nebraska-Oklahoma the day after Thanksgiving just like the SEC does with their cross-over games.

 

Maybe that seems hypocritical because we could have played Oklahoma in back to back games, but there was never an opportunity for that. Could have kept Nebraska-Oklahoma at end of October or beginning of November for a cross-over game or even a divisional game if Oklahoma was put in the North and Oklahoma State in the south, even though Stillwater is north of Norman, they are very close together still, and kept the Red-River Rivalry in the same spot it's always been. Oh well, that is a moot point now.

 

Besides, wasn't there always a chance to play Oklahoma twice in a possible bowl game or National Championship game anyway in the Big 8? I'm too young to remember, the only Big 8 I remember is Nebraska dominating, nothing prior to that was I alive for.

 

And Nebraska-Oklahoma was not called "The Game", so us playing each other twice would not seem as bad as Michigan and Ohio State do because of the name of the rivalry. It is singular. It doesn't scream September either.

 

Nebraska and Oklahoma played each other twice in one year in 1978. Nebraska upset OU, and then the Orange Bowl decided to have a rematch. Osborne wasn't a fan.

 

I understand wanting to keep the Michigan OSU game the way it was... But you can't. It's not possible. The conference is changing, and everyone in it will have to adapt. They could have kept OSU-UM at the end of the year and in the same division, or end of the year in opposite divisions, or they could have moved the game. But they can't be the last game on the schedule, and they can't always play each other for the Big 10 title. The rivalry will change.

 

The reason that most Nebraska fans on here right now are annoyed is because we actually have some perspective. If the Big XII had done ANYTHING to keep the OU-NU game an annual event, we're not even having this discussion right now. Nebraska is still in the Big XII. It doesn't even matter how they did it, whether it was day after Thanksgiving or the first game in October, whether it left open the possibility of a rematch later in the year, it wouldn't have mattered.

 

If OSU and Michigan play each other twice a season some years, will it cheapen the rivalry? Yeah, a little bit. But don't come on this board and act like Husker fans don't understand. We understand, we've just seen way worse.