Big 10 Realignment?

[temptation]

Man, the gap between the Big Ten East and Big Ten West continues to grow.  The Big Ten title game seems like an annual formality.

Thoughts?

North:

Minnesota

Iowa

Wisconsin

Northwestern

Michigan

Michigan State

Nebraska

 

South:

Illinois

Ohio State

Penn State

Indiana

Purdue

Maryland 

Rutgers

[XStar]

Recruiting rankings factor in volume.  Far more taken for the East (141) than the West (114) if my math is correct.  Over half the West had 15 or fewer while nobody in the East had fewer than 18.

Also, the head-to-head comparison over the past few years suggest it is pretty balanced.  There are 21 crossover games every season and I think I've seen they've been 11-10 the past 2 full seasons.

The big difference is the BTCG but that's pretty much a reflection of just Ohio State and it's been rare for anyone in either division to top them until this year.

[Irishman]

56 minutes ago, XStar said:

Recruiting rankings factor in volume.  Far more taken for the East (141) than the West (114) if my math is correct.  Over half the West had 15 or fewer while nobody in the East had fewer than 18.

Also, the head-to-head comparison over the past few years suggest it is pretty balanced.  There are 21 crossover games every season and I think I've seen they've been 11-10 the past 2 full seasons.

The big difference is the BTCG but that's pretty much a reflection of just Ohio State and it's been rare for anyone in either division to top them until this year.

I don’t have the time at the moment, but I am curious to see what the numbers from last season would say IF the divisions had been North and South like Tempt suggests here. I know some of the matchups did not happen based on the schedule, but maybe look over the course of a 2-3 years. But it does appear the recruiting numbers balance out more. 
Perspective can be a funny thing. If you root for a team in the East, you likely have no issues in the realignment. If you root for a team in the West, it gets a lot tougher. As an IU fan, injuries and depth hurt them. But the way the schedule set up, it was a bear of a schedule.  Penn State, Michigan State, ohio state, and Michigan is a really tough stretch to get through. I will add it is made even more difficult when each of those teams is a factor in the National rankings and potential playoff spot at the time IU played each of them. 

I will add, there is the eye test. The East was just better. osu has been a consistent contender, and Michigan was just that much better this season. 

 

[Guest]

I read recently that the Big Ten prefers to have the East stacked because it clears the path to the playoffs by reducing the chance of an upset loss in the conference championship game.

Makes good sense.

This strategy seems to be working 

[Irishman]

7 minutes ago, HHF said:

I read recently that the Big Ten prefers to have the East stacked because it clears the path to the playoffs by reducing the chance of an upset loss in the conference championship game.

Makes good sense.

This strategy seems to be working 

EXACTLY....the point I have often made about the IU schedule. 

[DE]

8 minutes ago, HHF said:

I read recently that the Big Ten prefers to have the East stacked because it clears the path to the playoffs by reducing the chance of an upset loss in the conference championship game.

Makes good sense.

This strategy seems to be working 

Honest question because I have no idea....do conferences get money for making the playoffs?

[Guest]

Just now, Irishman said:

EXACTLY....the point I have often made about the IU schedule. 

Unfortunately, the net effect is that the IU football program is basically set up as a sacrificial lamb so the big guys can have a clearer path to the playoffs.  

[Irishman]

2 minutes ago, HHF said:

Unfortunately, the net effect is that the IU football program is basically set up as a sacrificial lamb so the big guys can have a clearer path to the playoffs.  

Agree 100%

[Guest]

Another major reason for the divisional imbalance is the utter and complete failure of Nebraska to be anywhere near what it was expected to be when it joined the conference.  

Back during the Leaders-Legends Divisional lineup, the conference recognized that it had 4 historical superpower programs.  NE/UM,OSU and PSU.  It put NE and UM in the Legends , and OSE and PSU in the Leaders.  NE failed to live up to its historical level of performance, and the league was mocked and ridiculed for  the "Legends and Leaders" so it reorganized into East and West, stacking the East with 3 original superpowers (OSU/UM/PSU) and leaving one failing superpower (NE) in the west.  

Note that NE is currently last in the BIG recruiting rankings, which will finally seal the fate of Scott Frost who will be fired after next season

 

[Irishman]

10 minutes ago, HHF said:

Another major reason for the divisional imbalance is the utter and complete failure of Nebraska to be anywhere near what it was expected to be when it joined the conference.  

Back during the Leaders-Legends Divisional lineup, the conference recognized that it had 4 historical superpower programs.  NE/UM,OSU and PSU.  It put NE and UM in the Legends , and OSE and PSU in the Leaders.  NE failed to live up to its historical level of performance, and the league was mocked and ridiculed for  the "Legends and Leaders" so it reorganized into East and West, stacking the East with 3 original superpowers (OSU/UM/PSU) and leaving one failing superpower (NE) in the west.  

Note that NE is currently last in the BIG recruiting rankings, which will finally seal the fate of Scott Frost who will be fired after next season

 

That is a great point. I had not even considered that. And for the same reason, the conference was ok with Rutgers and Maryland being added to the conference AND put in the East. 

[Whiting89]

Ohio state in recent history is the only team that can be considered a super power the alignment is fine the way it is