Big Ten Conference Divisions

[DallasHusker]

I don't really have a preference between PSU and Nebraska per say. I'd think that PSU would be more interested in the cross divisional game with us as opposed to Michigan, just the geographic thing and sort of feeding off the high school rivalry between Ohio and Western PA (even if PSU is central PA). It would be more of a carrot to shut the guys in Happy Valley up. They'd be getting the chance to develop a #1 rival in Nebraska which both teams probably are looking for (Sorry Husker's you could never be more then our #2 :( )

I mean regardless if we're going to a 9 game schedule we're only going to miss 2 teams every year, it's not like there is no potential to ever have rivalry games with teams that aren't protected, there are just certain instances where not protecting it would be unacceptable (ala tOSU-Mich)

Understand - and don't disagree with anything you said. However this shakes out - if OSU-Mich doesn't still happen every year, its a travesty of the worst sort.

 

[JBaney45]

Understand - and don't disagree with anything you said. However this shakes out - if OSU-Mich doesn't still happen every year, its a travesty of the worst sort.

I don't have a worry about that per say, I'd be the first on the bandwagon to go independent if it ever did happen though

 

[Piney]

It won't diminish the intensity... at first. In ten years' time though, when the first generation is coming through either watching or playing in the game (now lowercase) is it going to maintain that intensity or is it going to be just another mid-season game? That new generation won't remember the high stakes of The Game, they won't remember having their hearts ripped out, or the glory of your team having done the ripping.

People want to point out all of the other "big" rivalries that are played at different times of year or whatever. I thought this rivalry was bigger, better, and more special than those? There are a lot of teams that hate each other. Any rivalry can replicate that. What has separated Ohio State-M*ch*g*n are the timing and the stakes. When the first people come of age who have never experienced that, some of the intensity will diminish too.



It's the far lesser of two evils though. Despite the presence of the championship game at the end, any model that has Ohio State & M*ch*g*n playing in the same division and in the last game before the CCG is superior to any proposal that does not include that. The presence of the CCG does diminish it some. Instead of playing for the conference title perhaps they're playing for a division title. There's a difference between diminishing it and just completely fucking nuking it though, and that's what's being done here.

The only way to make an Ohio State-M*ch*g*n game more meaningless than what they're planning to do would be for them to be in separate conferences entirely.

It's the same with this silliness that people are spouting about a rivalry with Penn State.

Penn State wants a rivalry with Ohio State. Ohio State doesn't have a rivalry with Penn State. Penn State isn't any different than Purdue...they've upset the Bucks a couple of times but otherwise don't matter much.

In the end the moving of the game to mid October and Penn State becoming our year end rival is what could REALLY kill the Game and turn it into 'a' game.

Let's say the first 3-4 years of the CCG era Michigan is still a .500 team and Penn State ends up determining the winner of the 'East' division every year?

Now draw it out a generation (10-15 years) and the kids coming up view the Penn State game as the 'winner gets to go to the CCG' importance and Penn State will definately view this game as their BIG rivalry game.

While the old timers will still dispise Michigan, the newer generation will start viewing PSU as a real rival.

Then again it could be worst, we could be Michigan and end up having MSU as their season ending game

 

[OSUforMNC]

Iowa has gotten screwed already.

This crap is basically bowing down to Penn State. Trying to manufacture a rivalry with Ohio State.

I really hope the big donors don't write a check, to protest, if this lunacy of separating Ohio State and Michigan happens. If they won't listen to the fans they most certainly will listen when donors stop paying for this crap.

 

[jlb1705]

Iowa has gotten screwed already.

This crap is basically bowing down to Penn State. Trying to manufacture a rivalry with Ohio State.

I really hope the big donors don't write a check, to protest, if this lunacy of separating Ohio State and Michigan happens. If they won't listen to the fans they most certainly will listen when donors stop paying for this crap.

Yeah, Iowa-Wisky-Minnesota have had a pretty good rivalry bloc going for a long time, and the conference is [censored]ting on that too. Breaking that up is almost as perplexing as separating Ohio State - M*ch*g*n from the standpoint that those three should be so easy to keep together.

I've been saying it since before the sportswriters even started chiming in on it - any proposal that takes more than a paragraph to explain is overthinking things. But hey, why let Occam's Razor guide your decision when you can save Penn State some gas money?

 

[Mike80]

Delaney is a complete and utter fool if he thinks splitting up OSU-Michigan is going to grow the Big Ten's perception.

I think it's not only bowing down to those inbreds in Happy Valley, but it's also bowing to that idiot pizza guy in Ann Arbor (is a whore)...

 

[daddyphatsacs]

I get that everyone is advocating that donors stop donating if this stuff all transpires. You know, the same way they bitched when the jerseys had black in them, or when Michigan game kicked off at 3:30, or when kickoff was scheduled for 7:30 on a Thursday. I could go on, but you get my point.

Ohio State is at such an advantage that they have a huge alumni/fan base, so the machine will always be fed. People can stop buying season tickets, I guarantee someone else will gladly take the seats. The Huntington Club will never have tumbleweed blowing through.

I think in the end, the people at the top feel that the Ohio State brand is bigger than concerns that will arise. In the end the fans will still go to the game and the merchandise will still be bought. Chances are the money they will make off of this title game/realignment will be a hell of a lot more than the money from donors that they may lose.

That's just the sad reality of it all.

 

[Muck]

But hey, why let Occam's Razor guide your decision when you can save Penn State some gas money?

And it doesn't even do that. Even with a straight E/W split (and you know their protected cross rival would still be one of the two schools geographically closest to them ie Ohio State or TSUN) they're still playing the exact same teams they're playing now...with the addition of Nebraska and you'd think the 'Nits would be excited about the potential of that.

Chances are the money they will make off of this title game/realignment will be a hell of a lot more than the money from donors that they may lose.

I'm not so sure about that. The amount of money the schools receives from donors is very substantial....of course it would only matter if there were a wide spread push from the big money donors to change things.

Either way I'm sure UCSD will be happy with my support going forward.

 

[Tlangs]

any proposal that takes more than a paragraph to explain is overthinking things.

This is the best sentance in this thread.

 

[Cincinnatibuck]

This is what happens when you want to expand, changes are made. I could care less when we play and beat Michigan as long as it's every year. If it's the first conference game of the season, they'll be looking up at us in the standings the rest of the year.

 

[BB73]

I get that everyone is advocating that donors stop donating if this stuff all transpires. You know, the same way they bitched when the jerseys had black in them, or when Michigan game kicked off at 3:30, or when kickoff was scheduled for 7:30 on a Thursday. I could go on, but you get my point.

Ohio State is at such an advantage that they have a huge alumni/fan base, so the machine will always be fed. People can stop buying season tickets, I guarantee someone else will gladly take the seats. The Huntington Club will never have tumbleweed blowing through.

I think in the end, the people at the top feel that the Ohio State brand is bigger than concerns that will arise. In the end the fans will still go to the game and the merchandise will still be bought. Chances are the money they will make off of this title game/realignment will be a hell of a lot more than the money from donors that they may lose.

That's just the sad reality of it all.

But I think in the long run it'll cost the league money. Diminishing The Game will over time diminish the exposure of the Big Ten, will eventually impact recruiting and thus decrease the financial success of the Big Ten.

One year getting only 1 team in the BCS instead of 2 will cost the Big Ten about $4.5 million dollars. That would offset a decade worth of chances of getting a second TSUN-tOSU matchup in the CCG, which would probably occur twice (on average) in a 10-year period.

 

[Piney]

Yeah, Iowa-Wisky-Minnesota have had a pretty good rivalry bloc going for a long time, and the conference is [censored]ting on that too. Breaking that up is almost as perplexing as separating Ohio State - M*ch*g*n from the standpoint that those three should be so easy to keep together.

I've been saying it since before the sportswriters even started chiming in on it - any proposal that takes more than a paragraph to explain is overthinking things. But hey, why let Occam's Razor guide your decision when you can save Penn State some gas money?

Yeah, kinda sucks for the Iowa/Wisky/Minn trifecta, but that gets solved when they move to a 9 game conference schedule with TWO protected 'rival' games. At least that is the assumption with a 9 game conference schedule cuz that makes it easier on scheduling as you only have 4 teams that rotate on and off so the longest you won't play a team is 2 years.

 

[Muck]

But I think in the long run it'll cost the league money. Diminishing The Game will over time diminish the exposure of the Big Ten, will eventually impact recruiting and thus decrease the financial success of the Big Ten.

That is my thought as well.

Anyone honestly believe The Game will continue to set TV viewing records in the future under this set up?

 

[CHU]

Anyone honestly believe The Game will continue to set TV viewing records in the future under this set up?

Yes, they will continue.

When Ohio State extends halftime by five minutes and has Green Day or Bruce Springsteen (various acts) at halftime rather than Script Ohio.

Remember, now that this tradition has changed, all bets are off.

 

[OSUforMNC]

I get that everyone is advocating that donors stop donating if this stuff all transpires. You know, the same way they bitched when the jerseys had black in them, or when Michigan game kicked off at 3:30, or when kickoff was scheduled for 7:30 on a Thursday. I could go on, but you get my point.

Ohio State is at such an advantage that they have a huge alumni/fan base, so the machine will always be fed. People can stop buying season tickets, I guarantee someone else will gladly take the seats. The Huntington Club will never have tumbleweed blowing through.

I think in the end, the people at the top feel that the Ohio State brand is bigger than concerns that will arise. In the end the fans will still go to the game and the merchandise will still be bought. Chances are the money they will make off of this title game/realignment will be a hell of a lot more than the money from donors that they may lose.

That's just the sad reality of it all.

All of that stuff is minor compared to actually killing the The Game.

Everyone talks about money from the Title Game but why don't we actually look at what happen to the Big 12. They tried to go for money and now look at them. They were killed by two conferences that didn't have a championship game (Pac 10/Big 10). The ACC championship game has been an absolute joke. The WAC super conference didn't last and now look at that situation. The Pac 10's expansion went from godly to lowly and the Northern schools are going to be livid when they get separated from SoCal. If UCLA can get back to the top do you separate USC/UCLA for "competitive balance"?

Maybe Notre Dame is right to stay away from the Big 10. Maybe they are the smart ones while we are the actual fools.