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If you could restructure the B1G divisions, how would you do it

I agree. Leave it alone. And as husker fans, we need to quit complaining about who we play from the other side. I get it, it isn’t fair, but we have yet to take care of business in our own division. Once we do that, some of the cross division foes will also be beatable.
 
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North and South.

North
Iowa
Minnesota
Michigan
Michigan State
Nebraska
Northwestern
Wisconsin

South
Illinois
Indiana
Maryland
Ohio State
Penn State
Purdue
Rutgers


Each team plays one crossover every year and the other 2 crossovers are weighted each year based on balancing the SOS across the divisions.

Final Week of the Season Crossover Games:
Nebraska vs. Penn State
OSU vs. Michigan
Northwestern vs. Illinois
Michigan State vs. Indiana
Wisconsin vs. Maryland
Iowa vs. Purdue
Minnesota vs. Rutgers
 
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No changes to divisions unless we go to 16 teams then maybe go to 4 4 team pods and last game is games between the winners of the 4 pods in semi final game AND 2 vs 2 etc like this year. I like that concept. Then play CCG e vs w.

Only change I would make to current state of the conference would be for division champion being determined by division head to head games and not cross over games because everyone has different schedules
 
I wouldn't redo them but I think the conferences all need restructure. Rutgers and Maryland makes no sense for Nebraska to travel across the US to play them.
 
I'm fine with the divisions as they are. Maybe swap Purdue and MSU but not something I would advocate for.
 
North/South?

Pods?

Inside/Out?

What teams would be in each division/pod?

In the spirit of our current national climate, I would go with:

Law & Order Division
Nebraska
Iowa
Indiana
Purdue
Ohio State (maybe)

Anarchy Division
Minnesota
Michigan
Michigan State
Northwestern
Illinois
Wisconsin
Maryland
Penn State
Rutgers

Let's see who can survive the Anarchy division (literally).
 
North and South.

North
Iowa
Minnesota
Michigan
Michigan State
Nebraska
Northwestern
Wisconsin

South
Illinois
Indiana
Maryland
Ohio State
Penn State
Purdue
Rutgers


Each team plays one crossover every year and the other 2 crossovers are weighted each year based on balancing the SOS across the divisions.

Final Week of the Season Crossover Games:
Nebraska vs. Penn State
OSU vs. Michigan
Northwestern vs. Illinois
Michigan State vs. Indiana
Wisconsin vs. Maryland
Iowa vs. Purdue
Minnesota vs. Rutgers

so you are okay if the final week teams play a rematch the following week in the championship game? That’s possible in your scenarios...especially Ohio state vs Michigan.

that would someone where I would vomit hearing Michigan and Ohio state talk about the game. I’ll admit it’s one of the best rivalries in all of college football.
 
so you are okay if the final week teams play a rematch the following week in the championship game? That’s possible in your scenarios...especially Ohio state vs Michigan.

that would someone where I would vomit hearing Michigan and Ohio state talk about the game. I’ll admit it’s one of the best rivalries in all of college football.

There have been 9 Big Ten Title games. 3 of them (so 1/3) have been rematches.

You are going to have rematches if you play cross division games. Whether a rematch takes place a week later or 3 weeks later is irrelevant to me. It's still a rematch.

I'd rather create divisions that promote overall conference strength and maximize the number of teams that can elevate their recruiting and brand growth.

Rather than trying to predict future team performance to avoid rematches that statistically are going to occur anyway.

Trying to micromanage and manipulate schedules to avoid a statistical reality you view as a problem creates even worse ones.
 
The reason the divisions are unbalanced is bc Nebraska doesn't have its act together. Nebraska needs to be Nebraska again then this discussion goes away. The East vs West record is actually pretty close but the East almost always has the better top team.

Been saying that for a long time. Legends and Leaders was stupid jerrymandering crap. Natural divisions are best. NU had it all handed to them when they joined the B1G. They didn't live up to their end. I'm patiently waiting for Coach Frost to turn the corner and get to .500 ball.
 
In the spirit of our current national climate, I would go with:

Law & Order Division
Nebraska
Iowa
Indiana
Purdue
Ohio State (maybe)

Anarchy Division
Minnesota
Michigan
Michigan State
Northwestern
Illinois
Wisconsin
Maryland
Penn State
Rutgers

Let's see who can survive the Anarchy division (literally).
Lol
 
so you are okay if the final week teams play a rematch the following week in the championship game? That’s possible in your scenarios...especially Ohio state vs Michigan.

that would someone where I would vomit hearing Michigan and Ohio state talk about the game. I’ll admit it’s one of the best rivalries in all of college football.
Isn't lincoln like the 3rd most southern city in the Big10?
 
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4 non conferance games

west
NU, minn, iowa, wis, illi, nu, mich state

east
the other ones

champ game
west champ vs east champ

then mich & ohio state can keep their game

geographic & road trip sence, plus a decent balance of power
 
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big-ten-map-complete.png
 
I would put Nebraska in its own division and every game would be red vs white. At the end which ever team has the best record would play for the conference championship.
 
North and South.

North
Iowa
Minnesota
Michigan
Michigan State
Nebraska
Northwestern
Wisconsin

South
Illinois
Indiana
Maryland
Ohio State
Penn State
Purdue
Rutgers


Each team plays one crossover every year and the other 2 crossovers are weighted each year based on balancing the SOS across the divisions.

Final Week of the Season Crossover Games:
Nebraska vs. Penn State
OSU vs. Michigan
Northwestern vs. Illinois
Michigan State vs. Indiana
Wisconsin vs. Maryland
Iowa vs. Purdue
Minnesota vs. Rutgers
You really don't want Nebraska to succeed.
 
North/South?

Pods?

Inside/Out?

What teams would be in each division/pod?
Does it have to have divisions? Could you schedule it with one guaranteed rival you always play and the rest rotates. The best 2 teams (Need good tie breaker rules) play in title game
 
Does it have to have divisions? Could you schedule it with one guaranteed rival you always play and the rest rotates. The best 2 teams (Need good tie breaker rules) play in title game

Not a good idea... Example would be Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa have always played big rivalry games they need to play every year..

Still hate the idea that Rutgers and Maryland joined the conference making it 14...
 
Not a good idea... Example would be Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa have always played big rivalry games they need to play every year..

Still hate the idea that Rutgers and Maryland joined the conference making it 14...
You were brought in to win.

MD and RU were brought in for TV sets and $.

Thank them for easy W's (unless you're Purdue, lol), take their money and run with it.
 
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You were brought in to win.

MD and RU were brought in for TV sets and $.

Thank them for easy W's (unless you're Purdue, lol), take their money and run with it.

When we entered this conference I wanted to play the original members on a evenly bases, and having played Maryland and Rutgers more than Indiana still seems like those two are out of conference games to me..
 
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