Shooter


Anything other than a true east west split is TREMENDOUSLY stupid.
 

Anything other than a true east west split is TREMENDOUSLY stupid.

Quite true, though with at best two or three third place finishes in the last 30 years, I'd imagine that Minnesota along with Indiana has virtually nothing to say in how everything shakes out.:banghead:
 

I don't know what to believe these days. It is expected? Expected by whom? It seems everyone has a rumor with supposed good sources. Only the east-west split makes any sense. If this rumor is true, it would appear that Michigan would move west, and either Wisconsin or Iowa would move East.

It couldn't be us that moved east, because then if we were to have one of Iowa or Wisconsin in our division, that would mean that two out of three of Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota would be moving East, and that makes absolutely no sense.

I think that it may take longer to make a decision than some think, because with all these rumors, it would indicate that there are a lot of factions in the Big Ten. Just about any faction can block any decision, so it might take a long time to reach a decision. It depends on who stands their ground, and who caves.

How about this, just TRY an east-west split. Make a stipulation that it is provisional. Revisit it in 5 or six years.
 

I'm exausted...

I would speculate that it means there might be a north and south split.

Straight geographic directional:

East
Ind
Mch
MSU
OSU
PSU
Pur

West
Ill
Iow
Min
Neb
NW
Wsc

or

North
Mch
Min
MSU
NW
PSU
Wsc

South
Ill
Ind
Iow
Neb
OSU
Pur

I'm not disagreeing with your analysis, but what the F@$%! does N-S gain but added travel cost, mixed up time zones, and fouled up divisions...???
 


Is this how a North/South split would shape up?

Big Ten North: Penn St, Mich, Michigan St, Wisconsin, Minne, NW

Big Ten South: Ohio St, Indiana, Purdue, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska

If we could play a crossover game every year with Iowa, I'm completely OK with this. This would keep all of our trophy games intact and would deepen resentment between me and all people south of Minnesota.
 

For those who want a straight east/west split it's not going to happen. There is no way they are going to let PSU, OSU, and Mich be in the same conference. Why are people upset about a north south split?
 

Every time you have a committe they have to justify their time and existense. In their mind an east west split would make them look 'non inovative'.
 

Is this how a North/South split would shape up?

Big Ten North: Penn St, Mich, Michigan St, Wisconsin, Minne, NW

Big Ten South: Ohio St, Indiana, Purdue, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska

If we could play a crossover game every year with Iowa, I'm completely OK with this. This would keep all of our trophy games intact and would deepen resentment between me and all people south of Minnesota.


I grudingly agree with you on all points. Though I want to still play Iowa, the "cross-over" games are a stupid concept. The result is that a 4-year player will never have a home game against one of the other division teams (annually same the "6" (5 plus c.o.) rotate the other 5 on a 10 year cycle). Dumb to have divisions then...
 



I grudingly agree with you on all points. Though I want to still play Iowa, the "cross-over" games are a stupid concept. The result is that a 4-year player will never have a home game against one of the other division teams (annually same the "6" (5 plus c.o.) rotate the other 5 on a 10 year cycle). Dumb to have divisions then...

I agree with you. This split is not as bad as some proposals. I dislike the crossover games. For one, it causes major imbalances, which the B10 claims that they want to avoid. But secondly, divisions OUGHT to matter. The division is basically a sub-conference. When we win our division, we'll proudly hoist a divisional banner, even if we don't win the conference championship. The rivalries in the division will grow stronger, those across in the othe division will fade. Plus, as you say, this means even less games with the teams in the other division than there would be a straight split with no crossover games.
 

If Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin are NOT in the same division then someone made a huge mistake.
 

For those who want a straight east/west split it's not going to happen. There is no way they are going to let PSU, OSU, and Mich be in the same conference. Why are people upset about a north south split?

To which I always ask "why"? PSU, OSU, and Mch have finished 1-2-3 in the Big Ten exactly TWICE (1994/1997). Only once they finished a season where one of them didn't have at least 3 conference losses (1997-0, 2, 2).

How would E/W change that statistic?
 




To which I always ask "why"? PSU, OSU, and Mch have finished 1-2-3 in the Big Ten exactly TWICE (1994/1997). Only once they finished a season where one of them didn't have at least 3 conference losses (1997-0, 2, 2).

How would E/W change that statistic?

Marketing. IMO, "competitive balance" is code for "we're not going to stick 3 of the 4 most marketable programs in the Big Ten in 1 division".
 

right

They have been for the past 17 years.

Touche:D

To which I always ask "why"?

Because of conference championship ratings. The entire reason for having a two division conference is the money factor. If you split up the big four (from a marketing and recognizablity pov
) then the odds of you getting that big name marquee matchup in the conf champ go up.
 


Ohio State, Nebraska, Iowa, Indiana, Purdue, Illinois

or

Michigan, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Penn State, Northwestern, Minnesota

Wisconsin gets really lucky in that alignment....their locked crossover game will likely be against Purdue or Indiana while Michigan gets OSU and Penn State likely gets Nebraska.....(if WI gets Nebraska than PSU is really lucky)
 

Marketing. IMO, "competitive balance" is code for "we're not going to stick 3 of the 4 most marketable programs in the Big Ten in 1 division".

I think you are exactly right. If PSU, OSU and Mich are all in the same division, the Big 10 West will be treated like the red headed step-child.

Similiar to how no one on a national level really cares about the Big 12 North until they play for the Big 12 title. I think a East West split of the Big 10 would cause a national audience not to pay much attention to the Big 10 west until the title game. I think the Big 10 has to split up these three teams to keep a national audience interested in both divisions.
 

Marketing. IMO, "competitive balance" is code for "we're not going to stick 3 of the 4 most marketable programs in the Big Ten in 1 division".

Outsiders perspective, I will be surprised if Ohio State and Michigan are in the same division, thus eliminating the possibility of an Ohio State Michigan conference championship game.
 

One Saturday you play the traditional rivalry game Michigan/OSU. The next Saturday you play the Big Ten Championship game Michigan/OSU. Now does that make sense?
 

Marketing. IMO, "competitive balance" is code for "we're not going to stick 3 of the 4 most marketable programs in the Big Ten in 1 division".

I was thinking the same exact thing.

Competative balance my ass.

The least they could do is be honest.
 

If it is the aforementioned north/south split, I think it basically guarantees Ohio State is in the title game 4 of 5 years, or maybe even more, with Iowa or Nebraska getting in every so often. The north would be much more competitively balanced and any of four teams could be the champ in any given year.
 


Ohio State, Nebraska, Iowa, Indiana, Purdue, Illinois

or

Michigan, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Penn State, Northwestern, Minnesota

Wisconsin gets really lucky in that alignment....their locked crossover game will likely be against Purdue or Indiana while Michigan gets OSU and Penn State likely gets Nebraska.....(if WI gets Nebraska than PSU is really lucky)

If Minnesota gets Iowa, Wisconsin gets Nebraska. If Wisconsin gets Iowa, Minnesota gets Nebraska. Other pairings would be OSU-Mch, NW-Ill, OSU-PSU, MSU-vs. umm, oh, wait, this division line-up DOESN'T WORK...
 

Outsiders perspective, I will be surprised if Ohio State and Michigan are in the same division, thus eliminating the possibility of an Ohio State Michigan conference championship game.
Exactly the point noted tool and booger-eating spaz Dennis Dodd of CBS tried to make today. Since it's a foregone conclusion that OSU and Michigan are going to play for the title every year, he proposes that OSU and Michigan play during the regular season no later than Nov. 1.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefoo...for-all?tag=coverlist_active;coverlist_footer
 

I can see it now... typical Minnesota luck will show

Big Division: Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Nebraska, Purdue, MSU

Ten Division: Ohio State, Penn State, Northwestern, Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota

With no cross-over games.

"Well, there was a lot of hard decisions to be made, and at the end of the day 'we' could only come up with this option and I didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings, so I just signed off on it. All I can say is that I'm excited about playing our new rival, Indiana." - Joel Maturi
 

I would like to see Purdue get punished by the arrangement.

Our old "pod" arrangement was ridiculously helpful to them.
 

They should just forget about the divisions, and have the top 2 teams play in the championship game. Of course the tie-breaker situation would be a bit of a nightmare. Maybe they could just take the higher ranked team to break the tie. This could motivate teams to schedule a more competitive non-conference schedule.
 

I dont really have a problem with North and South, as long as games with Iowa, and Wisconsin continue annually. Being in the same conference as Michigan every year would mean the battle for the jug will continue, which is great because I dont want to lose that as an annual trophy game.
 

east west

The argument of Iowa and Wisconsin is that there 6 strong teams. Not four. So Nebraska, Iowa and Wisconsin in the West and Ohio St, Penn St, Mich in the EAST.

Ohio St and Mich can't be in different divisions...they are going to play once each year. Not going to meet again in the conference championship a week later.

According to the top 25 poll at the present time Michigan is the only one not in the top 25.
 




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