That's how it is for everyone, even worse for Ohio State:Quite frankly, going through the West and facing OSU in the championship game would be a gauntlet. Iowa, Wisconsin, and the perennial division champ Ohio State every year. Add in Penn State or Michigan in cross-division games. You'll likely play 4 ranked teams in conference some years...
I'd rather play in the SEC East
Here is the positive though...come 2011 the Big 10 WILL be on par with SEC in terms of overall quality. Granted, the SEC will be viewed as slightly better year in and year out, but it will be closer than the Big XII-SEC or old Big 10-SEC. This means that a one loss conference champion from the Big 10 will "likely" get the same treatment as a one loss SEC team has in the past. Additionally, with the Big XII essentially boiling down to the red-river rivalry, the conference will again be viewed as we once were in the ol' Big 8-SWC days. Way to go Beebe, your conference is now on par with the football powers they are the ACC, and is only a step ahead of the Mountain West and Big East.Quite frankly I'd rather be in a division with Penn State and Michigan than Iowa and Wisconsin in terms of how hard it will be. You should have an easier time making it to the championship game. But you are right, playing 2 of the West 3, Michigan and Penn State half of the time is a brutal trek. Plus another of the West 3 in the championship game. You could conceivably go through a year playing Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Iowa, Wisconsin and Nebraska en route to a Conference Title. That is 6 teams that are generally ranked or close to ranked at all times.
crap forgot to add one of these :sarcasmSo when does this come out?
Here is the positive though...come 2011 the Big 10 WILL be on par with SEC in terms of overall quality. Granted, the SEC will be viewed as slightly better year in and year out, but it will be closer than the Big XII-SEC or old Big 10-SEC. This means that a one loss conference champion from the Big 10 will "likely" get the same treatment as a one loss SEC team has in the past. Additionally, with the Big XII essentially boiling down to the red-river rivalry, the conference will again be viewed as we once were in the ol' Big 8-SWC days. Way to go Beebe, your conference is now on par with the football powers they are the ACC, and is only a step ahead of the Mountain West and Big East.Quite frankly I'd rather be in a division with Penn State and Michigan than Iowa and Wisconsin in terms of how hard it will be. You should have an easier time making it to the championship game. But you are right, playing 2 of the West 3, Michigan and Penn State half of the time is a brutal trek. Plus another of the West 3 in the championship game. You could conceivably go through a year playing Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Iowa, Wisconsin and Nebraska en route to a Conference Title. That is 6 teams that are generally ranked or close to ranked at all times.