B1G East vs. West - 2015

[Mavric]

Last year, the two divisions split their 14 games. Ohio State and Michigan State won both crossovers. Purdue was the only West team that didn't win at least one game vs. the east.

Very similar story this year. Ohio State (likely) and Michigan will win both their cross-overs. If the Huskers beat Rutgers, Nebraska, Iowa, and Wisconsin will win both cross-overs.

Not quite as balanced as last year but the West has a really good chance of at least splitting again with the supposedly far superior East.

It's the same schedule as last year so perhaps that shouldn't be surprising and maybe it has to do with how the match-ups work. But at the last the West is holding their own for the second straight year.

East Winners:

Penn State 39, Illinois 0

Michigan 29, Minnesota 26

Ohio State, 28, Minnesota 14

Michigan 38, Northwestern 0

Michigan State 24, Purdue 21

Ohio State 28, Illinois 3

West Winners:

Nebraska 39, Michigan State 38

Iowa 31, Maryland 15

Iowa 35, Indiana 27

Wisconsin 31, Maryland 24

Wisconsin 48, Rutgers 10

Northwestern 23, Penn State 21

Nebraska 31, Rutgers 14

Pending:

Indiana @ Purdue

 

[Mavric]

For months, if not longer, it seemed the division of power in the Big Ten was pretty clear. The East Division had all the heavyweights, while the West lagged behind.


That had been the narrative since the offseason, as it looked like the West faced a real talent gap versus its geographic opposite, one that was growing into one of the toughest divisions in college football.

Now that we're into November, however, the West no longer looks like merely the sickly sibling of the East. Especially after last weekend.

West teams went 4-1 against East squads in Week 10. That record was highlighted by Nebraska's upset of Michigan State at home. The Cornhuskers had been just 1-4 against fellow West teams before knocking off the Spartans. Northwestern also beat Penn State in a fairly even cross-division matchup. The West's only loss to an East team last weekend was Minnesota's 28-14 setback at Ohio State, a respectable effort that saw the Golden Gophers close to within a touchdown late in the game.

ESPN

 

[brophog]

We didn't get a good look because so many tops played bottoms. I don't know what watching Iowa and Wisconsin beat bottom east teams is supposed to tell us.

Next year gets fun, though.

 

[Mavric]

West is assured at least a split again this year.