Big Ten Expansion

[Moranis]

Roy, I wouldn't call the Big 12 stronger then the Big Ten.  It just isn't really as a whole.  The top team ala Texas or Oklahoma is probably better then the top team in the Big Ten, year in or year out (though Ohio State has held its own against Texas and destroyed Big 12 champ Kansas State), but from top to bottom I'd take the Big Ten any day of the week.

And it definately appears that Missouri and Nebraska will be leaving the Big 12 for the Big Ten any day.  It will be interesting to see who else the Big Ten has called on and how big they want to go.  I just can't see them adding two western teams and Notre Dame without making a play for the east at all.  I'm guessing the Big Ten goes to 16 by adding Nebraska, Missouri, Notre Dame, Rutgers, and Connecticut, shunning Pittsburgh and Syracuse.

You also might see 4, four team divisions. 

1
Ohio State
Michigan
Michigan State
Northwestern

2
Penn State
Rutgers
Connecticut
Minnesota

3
Nebraska
Iowa
Illinois
Missouri

4
Notre Dame
Wisconsin
Purdue
Indiana

Each team would have a protected rival and a semi-protected rival from another division.  Each year you would obviously play your division, another full division, and your protected or semi-protected rival.  The two divisions that played each other would be matched up for conference championships purposes.

A sample schedule, using Ohio State would like this

Year 1 - Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern, Penn State, Rutgers, Connecticut, Minnesota, and semi-protected Purdue
Year 2 - same but reverse home and away
Year 3 - Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Purdue, Indiana, and protected Penn State
Year 4 - same but reverse home and away
Year 5 - Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, and protected Penn State
Year 6 - same but reverse home and away

You then repeat the process

Protected Rivals under this format (obviously open for discussion)
Ohio State - Penn State
Michigan - Minnesota
Michigan State - Notre Dame
Northwestern - Illinois
Wisconsin - Iowa
Rutgers - Missouri
Connecticut - Indiana
Purdue - Nebraska

Semi-Protected Rivals (also obviously open for discussion)
Ohio State - Purdue
Michigan - Notre Dame
Michigan State - Penn State
Northwestern - Missouri
Minnesota - Wisconsin
Rugers - Indiana
Connecticut - Nebraska
Iowa - Illinois

[CoachBo]

Uh, the Big 10 is a two-team league - Ohio State, who can't throw, and Penn State, which isn't athletic. Both would be blown out by Texas and Oklahoma, and probably Nebraska last year.

Michigan is a mid-level Big 12 team. The others wouldn't be able to compete with Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and in some years, Oklahoma State and Tech.

The Big 10 is a LONG way from the Big 12's football level.

[Donoghus]

Uh, the Big 10 is a two-team league - Ohio State, who can't throw, and Penn State, which isn't athletic. Both would be blown out by Texas and Oklahoma, and probably Nebraska last year.

Michigan is a mid-level Big 12 team. The others wouldn't be able to compete with Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and in some years, Oklahoma State and Tech.

The Big 10 is a LONG way from the Big 12's football level.

Pretty much agree with everyone you said.

As of 2010 and as has pretty much been the case since the turn of the century,

Big 12 >> Big Ten

[nickagneta]

As a football league goes judging quality of talent and the teams, the Big 12 is much better. That said, when you talk about how it is managed, how it is marketed and how the people in charge have created income revenue streams, the Big 10 kicks the Big 12's butt.

If the Big 12 didn't do everything they could to cowtow to Texas and had a more fair revenue sharing scheme and negotiated better television and post season bowl deals, they wouldn't be in this mess. It the people in charge of the Big 12 and their revolting favoritism to all things Texas and all the Texas based Big 12 schools, then schools like Colorado, Missouri, Kansas, Kansas State and Nebraska wouldn't be looking elsewhere. If the Big 12 collapses the people in charge have no one to blame but themselves, no matter how much they will try to blame the AD's at the schools that move on.

[Moranis]

Uh, the Big 10 is a two-team league - Ohio State, who can't throw, and Penn State, which isn't athletic. Both would be blown out by Texas and Oklahoma, and probably Nebraska last year.

Michigan is a mid-level Big 12 team. The others wouldn't be able to compete with Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and in some years, Oklahoma State and Tech.

The Big 10 is a LONG way from the Big 12's football level.

Come on now, Ohio State lost the Fiesta Bowl two years ago to Texas by 3 points.  The teams were virtually the same last year.  This is just crazy talk.  Ohio State is 4-2 against the Big 12 this decade, Penn State is 2-1, Wisconsin is 1-0.  Aside from Illinois who is 0-5 against Missouri, the rest of the Big Ten has more then held its own against the Big 12 in the last decade. 

BTW, Oklahoma State is 1-1, got crushed by Ohio State in the 2004 Alamo Bowl and barely beat 7-6 Indiana in the 2007 Insight Bowl. 

Texas Tech is 2-2 beating 6-7 Michigan State and 6-7 Minnesota in the 10 and 06 Insight Bowls(Tech was 9-4 and 8-5 respectively), and getting crushed by Ohio State in 02 in Columbus and losing the 01 Alamo Bowl (which is in San An) to Iowa.

[Moranis]

Nebraska to Big Ten will supposedly be finalized on Friday.

[Eja117]

People that are saying the Big 12 has more talent are probably right. The state of Texas alone is probably as big as PA, OH, and Michigan combined.

But you have to look at the money.  The two biggest stadiums in the US are Michigan and PSU and I think OSU is right behind. They also have their own network. The money is the attraction, not the talent. Then they'd add a championship game. And Nebraska might be happy that the talent is less in the Big Ten.

[Roy Hobbs]

I wasn't sure what to think at first, but now (as a Huskers fan) I've fully embraced the move to the Big 10.  I'll miss the games against Oklahoma, though.

[nickagneta]

I wasn't sure what to think at first, but now (as a Huskers fan) I've fully embraced the move to the Big 10.  I'll miss the games against Oklahoma, though.

I think I am liking this a whole bunch myself. I can see a lot of BCS bowl invites in the Husker's future.

[Fafnir]

I wasn't sure what to think at first, but now (as a Huskers fan) I've fully embraced the move to the Big 10.  I'll miss the games against Oklahoma, though.

Me too, but since we don't play them every year I don't care as much anymore.

[Roy Hobbs]

I wasn't sure what to think at first, but now (as a Huskers fan) I've fully embraced the move to the Big 10.  I'll miss the games against Oklahoma, though.

I think I am liking this a whole bunch myself. I can see a lot of BCS bowl invites in the Husker's future.

Yep.  OSU and PSU generally play a style of football that Nebraska matches up well with. 

I'll be very curious to see if Notre Dame accepts the Big 10 invite now, or if it's Missou or Rutgers instead.

[Fafnir]

I wasn't sure what to think at first, but now (as a Huskers fan) I've fully embraced the move to the Big 10.  I'll miss the games against Oklahoma, though.

I think I am liking this a whole bunch myself. I can see a lot of BCS bowl invites in the Husker's future.

Yep.  OSU and PSU generally play a style of football that Nebraska matches up well with. 

I'll be very curious to see if Notre Dame accepts the Big 10 invite now, or if it's Missou or Rutgers instead.

I don't think they will, their coach is dead set against it as are too many of their trustees/regents.

[nickagneta]

I wasn't sure what to think at first, but now (as a Huskers fan) I've fully embraced the move to the Big 10.  I'll miss the games against Oklahoma, though.

I think I am liking this a whole bunch myself. I can see a lot of BCS bowl invites in the Husker's future.

Yep.  OSU and PSU generally play a style of football that Nebraska matches up well with. 

I'll be very curious to see if Notre Dame accepts the Big 10 invite now, or if it's Missou or Rutgers instead.

So they will probably do two divisions
West

Nebraska
Illinois
Iowa
Minnesota
Wisconsin
Northwestern

East

Penn State
Michigan
Michigan State
Ohio State
Indiana
Perdue


That would probably mean 5 games every year versus Northwestern, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois(easy 5-0) with probably 3 games versus the other division with alternating years on teams. And then probably 4 games versus out of conference teams.

Nebraska Cornhusker football just got way richer and way better.

[Roy Hobbs]

I wasn't sure what to think at first, but now (as a Huskers fan) I've fully embraced the move to the Big 10.  I'll miss the games against Oklahoma, though.

I think I am liking this a whole bunch myself. I can see a lot of BCS bowl invites in the Husker's future.

Yep.  OSU and PSU generally play a style of football that Nebraska matches up well with. 

I'll be very curious to see if Notre Dame accepts the Big 10 invite now, or if it's Missou or Rutgers instead.

So they will probably do two divisions
West

Nebraska
Illinois
Iowa
Minnesota
Wisconsin
Northwestern

East

Penn State
Michigan
Michigan State
Ohio State
Indiana
Perdue


That would probably mean 5 games every year versus Northwestern, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois(easy 5-0) with probably 3 games versus the other division with alternating years on teams. And then probably 4 games versus out of conference teams.

Nebraska Cornhusker football just got way richer and way better.

Yeah, I can take playing in the Big Ten title game just about every year (I'm disrespecting Iowa, I know, but I've got to think that a program like Nebraska will out-recruit Iowa more times than not.)

[Moranis]

Of, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Nebraska, Wisconsin has been the best team in the last ten years (though all three are really close).  Of the last 9 years it has been Iowa.  That may change now that Nebraska finally has found a respectable replacement for Osbourne, or it may not given Nebraska no longer has games against the Big 12 North, which has been down right awful for the better part of the decade. 

Record 2000-2009 seasons

Wisconsin - 86-43
Nebraska - 84-44
Iowa - 80-45 (iowa was 3-9 in 2000)

Wisconsin and Iowa also have pretty large football stadiums, fan bases, and money.  It is by no means a cakewalk for Nebraska, especially with Ferentz running Iowa (the turn around of the program was dramatic and Ferentz has sustained the success for 9 years now). 

I've also heard that the Big Ten may not do divisions entirely geographically with the intent to put 2 powers in each division i.e. Ohio State & Michigan on one side and Penn State & Nebraska on the other.  I'm not sure what ultimately happens there, though I think they do it geographically at the end of the day.

I think it also worth pointing out that Minnesota and Nebraska had a long running rivalry that was last played in 1990.  In fact Minnesota has still played more games against Nebraska then it has against Ohio State, Michigan State, and Penn State.