The Big Ten should secede

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Ditching a Playoff to Save the Rose Bowl

Why the Big Ten and Pac-12 Should Secede From College Football's Postseason by Rachel Bachman

"When it comes time for the BCS's committee of university presidents to render a decision on this playoff proposal, the two oldest and most intertwined major conferences of all, the Big Ten and the Pac-12, ought to do something unexpected. They should do the only thing that makes sense for them in this mixed-up, money-soaked, logic-challenged situation.

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They need to say no."

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"The schools of the Big Ten and Pac-12, whose shared history dates to the early 20th century, need to push away from this diabolical poker table... and book a flight to Pasadena, Calif. They need to renew their vows and pledge themselves to serve the greater glory of the best thing about college football: the Rose Bowl."

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"A playoff would diminish the value of the Rose Bowl, which has long been college football's most prized asset."

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The more playoff games there are, the less the season matters. The sport's leaders have alluded to this danger, repeatedly stressing the importance of preserving the regular season. As former Oregon president Richard Lariviere said of a playoff, "I'm dubious about the advantages."

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"The Big Ten has some of the nation's most massive stadiums and largest alumni bases. The Pac-12 has won more national titles across all sports than any other conference. Both have TV-rights deals worth about $250 million annually. Beyond sports, both have a majority of members in the prestigious 61-member Association of American Universities. No other major athletic conference can say that."

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The Rose Bowl doesn't need to be saved from a playoff. I understand the tradition and the pageantry behind the Grandaddy of Them All, but if the Pac12 and the B1G secede, how irrelevant will the conferences become? What are we going to have--a Pac12-B1G champion?!? In comparison to the NCAAF National Championship, who would give two s***s about our championship? Heck, I wouldn't even give one!

 
I still don't understand the argument that a playoff will devalue the regular season. If there was a 16 team playoff, I could see that. Possibly a slight devalue with an 8 team playoff but certainly not at four teams.

At four teams, going undefeated would almost certainly earn you a spot in the playoff. Currently, even going undefeated doesn't do that. However, even one loss would put you at risk of not being in. How can that possibly devalue the regular season?

Even at an 8 team playoff, you'd still probably only get one loss to still be a strong possibility. Are teams going to take a game or two off just because they don't HAVE to win?

How can any of that be of any less value than the first Alabama-LSU game was this year? That game had absolutely no value in determining the National Champion.

 
4 team playoff. If one of the teams from the Big Ten or Pac 12 make the top 4 then just send a runner up to the Rose Bowl, like they already do! Last year's game had TCU, and if either of these conferences had championship caliber teams we'd see that more often.

 
I guess you just have to look at motivations and expectations. If the B1G wants to honestly compete with the SEC and Big 12-4+2 then there is one course of action. If the B1G is just stuck in the past and wants to maintain past traditions and live off of that then this isn't that bad of an idea I guess. This seems to fall in line with the MN baseball coach who wants to separate baseball off and just basically play as a club team in the summer with no chance of competing at the NCAA level.

I personally feel that the B1G could be very competitive in all sports with the right decisions being made up above. If your goal is to compete for national titles in all sports then that needs to be more of a focus and rules and decisions need to reflect that commitment to excellence. Rules like the recruiting rule in baseball really hinder the conference's ability to compete. Ultimately I just think the conference needs to sit down and decide what it's ultimate goals are. If they want to truly compete then do so, if they want to be on their own then do that.

I am not saying that the B1G should turn into the former SWC and cheat and cut corners to win but I do think they can put rules in place to maximize success and then lobby for the rest of college football to come up to their standards in terms of academics and the like.

 
If the B1G actually were to do this, I would be 100% toward Nebraska making a swift exit and find a new place to play its sports. Luckily, I am 90% sure that Delany won't be this radical, and I am glad, because I like the B1G a lot.

 
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