[NU Sports] Big Ten Divisional Alignments due out today?

[SjT (Stephen J. Truog)]

I love these divisions!

...

September's Fools - because honestly, that's what the Big Ten has made of itself with this announcement.

Sorry to be the cloud on everyone's silver lining ... I totally supported the addition of Nebraska and think that the Big Ten has handled the issue of expansion (with PSU and UNL) about as well as anyone - not overreaching and adding real value.

But this ranks right with the dumb new Rose Bowl "Boise State" rule and the incompetent B(C)S itself for boneheaded decisions in college football.

>From a purely purple standpoint - we lucked out getting in the easy division. Even when Michigan is good again, I like our chances vs. the Wolverines and Hawkeyes historically over OSU/PSU. Though I am disappointed Wisconsin is in our division.

But as a football fan, it just doesn't make sense. These divisions are not as "competitively balanced" as east/west divisions were, so their main reason for doing it is a wash at best. No plus side.

As for the down side ...

- Geography and fan travel is hurt
- A lot of natural rivalries will be lost even with the one protected one (Wisky will lose either Iowa or Minnesota)
- The protected rivalries are unfair for "balance" (i.e. Michigan and Ohio State playing every year hurts them compared to NU-Illinois) and will have some clunkers (assuming Minny goes with Wisky, who does Iowa match with? Indiana in the Alford Bowl? Purdue? Zzzzzzz)
- And let's get to the elephant in the room. Michigan vs. Ohio State IS Big Ten football. Heck it IS college football. It is a game that MUST be in November. If you put it as it should be, the last weekend, you run a great risk of having a repeat the following week in Indy. And if you move it to October, it loses its status significantly.

I just think the league over-thought this one and came out looking foolish. There is NOTHING. Not a SINGLE thing this format does better than a standard east/west split. And there are many things it does WORSE. It is the worst of both worlds. Just like the B(C)S.

As an NU fan, there's not much to get riled up about as we came out pretty good in the mix aside from losing the Wisconsin rivalry (which wasn't an every-year one anyway). But as a college football fan, this is a sad day. It's a wash on "balance," it is worse for geography, it is worse for rivalries and it is worse for the biggest rivalry game in the league (and in college sports overall). It won't be as bad as the Big XII killing OU-UNL because they will have it every year, but it surely will wound The Game. Cocktail parties and Red River Shootouts can be midyear because fans in the south love their booze and fans in the southwest had that rivalry going more as a border war than meaning anything to the conference races for most of its history since they were in different leagues. But Michigan vs. Ohio State is different.

The Big Ten blew it. Big time. This one's a lemon and we're all September fools.

GO CATS!!!
-SjT

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STEPHEN J. TRUOG
sjtruog at yahoo.com
GO CATS!!! GEAUX SAINTS!!!
Super Bowl XLIV Champions!
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