[NU Sports] The Big Ten's delusion of self-importance

[SjT (Stephen J. Truog)]

> What's to guarantee that all of the teams in one division
> of the Big Ten
> don't have down cycles at the same time, which is what
> happened in the
> Big XII?  

Problem was, the Big XII had their power teams over time in one division save Nebraska - so when the Huskers fell apart, the title game fell apart.

The SEC and Big Ten are too stacked in each division.

> Yes (at least for now), but you HATED the divisional
> splits, as I recall, 
> Stephen. :-)

Because an east/west split keeps geography - the one that won't change - and makes sense. Chasing this "competitive balance" is futile, as it shifts (look at the SEC where the east once ruled with UT, Florida and UGa and now it's all in the west). You'll get a few years where the title game is a mismatch (the SEC even had that with those years Arkansas was in it or this year with South Carolina), but overall, the odds are slim it will be a bad matchup for the Big Ten or SEC, where the Big XII didn't have that.

And like I said, the title game never really hurt the Big XII that much as UNL and OU still got in despite not winning it. The title game just helps the Big Ten have a BIG matchup in December that can propel our team into the top spot if there's a clusterf&(#! finish, as there is most years in the B(C)S.

GO CATS!!!
-SjT