Big Ten Conference Divisions

[Bucklion]

I am pretty excited for the arrangement. This has the look to be rather exciting for the next 4 years in the Big Ten (before the 2015 season shift to 9 games and/or further expansion). I think that the doomsday scenarios people are playing out will be too infrequent to damper how awesome adding Nebraska to the conference will be.

One quick question: are people opposed to ANY rematches in the CCG, opposed to rivalry rematches in the CCG (i.e. those protected cross-overs) or simply against a TSUN-Ohio State rematch?

Rematches in the CCG will happen. We only have 12 schools and will play 8 or 9 of them a year (with 5 of them being within the same division and thus unable to rematch)... that leaves the chances of rematches somewhere close to 50% of the time. That is often the case with the Big-12 and the SEC, but they don't happen often with their cross-divisional rivals, i.e. Tennessee-Alabama.

If people are opposed to rematches at all, then they should never have wanted the Big Ten to expand. Looking back, I imagine that many current complaints were in the past 6 months in favor of adding either Notre Dame, Nebraska or Texas to the school. The exact same CCG, divisional alignments and other transitional logistics would have been needed and STILL rematches will happen. Seriously, its not that big of a deal. We will just have to win another game, and the Buckeyes will be amazing still.

Thing is the SEC and Big XII (sans OU/Nebraska) set up their divisions so that their big rivalry games don't interfere with conference championship games because they aren't cross-division. Alabama/Auburn, LSU/Arkansas, Georgia/Florida, Ole/Miss/MSU, OU/Texas, Kansas/Missouri will never be a title game rematch. They could have easily accomplished that in the Big Ten, but chose not to.

 

[Esoteria]

I am pretty excited for the arrangement. This has the look to be rather exciting for the next 4 years in the Big Ten (before the 2015 season shift to 9 games and/or further expansion). I think that the doomsday scenarios people are playing out will be too infrequent to damper how awesome adding Nebraska to the conference will be.

One quick question: are people opposed to ANY rematches in the CCG, opposed to rivalry rematches in the CCG (i.e. those protected cross-overs) or simply against a TSUN-Ohio State rematch?

Rematches in the CCG will happen. We only have 12 schools and will play 8 or 9 of them a year (with 5 of them being within the same division and thus unable to rematch)... that leaves the chances of rematches somewhere close to 50% of the time. That is often the case with the Big-12 and the SEC, but they don't happen often with their cross-divisional rivals, i.e. Tennessee-Alabama.

If people are opposed to rematches at all, then they should never have wanted the Big Ten to expand. Looking back, I imagine that many current complaints were in the past 6 months in favor of adding either Notre Dame, Nebraska or Texas to the conference. The exact same CCG, divisional alignments and other transitional logistics would have been needed and STILL rematches will happen. Seriously, its not that big of a deal. We will just have to win another game, and the Buckeyes will be amazing still.

Agreed 100%.

When going into this whole talk all I cared about were 2 things.
1) Ohio State and Michigan played every year.
2) Ohio State and Michigan played the last game of the year every year.

2/2 ain't bad.

On Top of that, of our toughest games, Michigan and Penn State are the two teams I hate the most in the BigTen to play. In this arrangement we now play them both every year.

2/2 ain't bad.

2 800 win teams in Division X. 2 800 win teams in Division O.

2/2 ain't bad.

 

[Muck]

Wow, if that isn't a textbook example of cutting off your own nose to spite your face, I don't know what is!

Then I suppose you don't know what is.

As a consumer if a company is not willing to provide the service I desire then I am under no obligation to support said company financially.

I'm not interested in paying for something that I don't want.

I'd personally bet you'll still be watching OSU games, but that's just me.

Nope wrong again. This is the last year I'll be watching Ohio State football...unless it happens to be on in a bar or other location I'm at.

And considering I'll eventually be moving back overseas to be with my children the odds of the latter happening are slim.

I'm not going to tell you what to do with your money,

Whew! I really dodged an unsolicited advice bullet there didn't I?

but I don't understand how cancelling your donation to the University garners any "consumer power".

Because the University is a voting interest within the Big Ten Network.

The absolute only way for fans to vote with the pocketbook is to have a financial impact on the institutions involved.

Whining on message boards and signing Facebook petitions has absolutely no impact in the great scheme of things.

I'm a firm believer in putting your money where your mouth is.

Cancelling BTN mkes perfect sense in this situation, but the former seems like cancelling your child's allowance because you disagree with a decision his principal made.

Again people forget that the BTN IS the Universities including The Ohio State University. They are the majority owners of the Network.

(Waits for the inevitable peanut gallery "you aren't a real fan" noise)

 

[Steve19]

I am disappointed in the result of this conference realignment for a lot of reasons, most of which have been mentioned in this thread already.

I think that Andy Geiger would have handled this a WHOLE lot differently. Smith would do well to study what happened when McCoy lost control of BancOne to the Chicago boys.

Perhaps adding more teams will change things, but the way it stands, I don't think this bodes well for The Game or Ohio State.

 

[Diego-Bucks]

Thing is the SEC and Big XII (sans OU/Nebraska) set up their divisions so that their big rivalry games don't interfere with conference championship games because they aren't cross-division. Alabama/Auburn, LSU/Arkansas, Georgia/Florida, Ole/Miss/MSU, OU/Texas, Kansas/Missouri will never be a title game rematch. They could have easily accomplished that in the Big Ten, but chose not to.

Agreed, but I'm still excited and optimistic for the changes. I wouldn't want to re-match TSUN, but it might happen. It won't happen often, usually because The Game's loser may often get knocked out of the CCG based on the win-loss record. The SEC CCG has had rematches, but not as often as random statistics would indicate. I believe they've had a rematch 5 or 6 out of 18 seasons. Often, the team that gets a lucky break in scheduling (i.e. avoiding a heavy-weight or two) plays that seasons' great team. At least, thats what I have often seen after giving their CCG history a brief cursory look. I just am not going to be supremely stressed out about the doomsday hypothetical scenarios that will rarely happen.

This season, in 2010, the SEC is PREDICTED to have Florida-Bama play for the CCG. They would have played prior in the season in early October. I don't hear much complaining heading into the season though about this scenario. If it happens, both teams would have deserved to rematch.

So still, is it just an opposition to rivalries re-matching, a general re-match, or a TSUN-Ohio State rematch?

 

[Emperor Brutus]

I think most agreed to this

Michigan
Ohio St.
Penn St.
Michigan St.
Purdue
Indiana


Nebraska
Wisconsin
Iowa
Minnesota
Illinois
Northwestern


Or make a small tweak like switching Ill with Indiana. I think most of us agreed to something similar to this.

I didn't mean to come off as a jerk, so I apologize for that. I hope you enjoy every game but one this year, but realistically I hope your team fires Dick Rod and start to make your comeback...

Well enough so that when you lose to Ohio State it is even more heartbreaking, no need to win a national championship or anything.

 

[Rugger]

Did anyone see/hear Cowherd arguing with Herbstreit on The Herd today? Cowherd was just like, "M*ch*gan and Ohio State playing twice a year is fantastic and playing October is better when it is 72 degrees. Ohio State fans are idiots." [paraphrased]

 

[Bucklion]

Agreed, but I'm still excited and optimistic for the changes. I wouldn't want to re-match TSUN, but it might happen. It won't happen often, usually because The Game's loser may often get knocked out of the CCG based on the win-loss record. The SEC CCG has had rematches, but not as often as random statistics would indicate. I believe they've had a rematch 5 or 6 out of 18 seasons. Often, the team that gets a lucky break in scheduling (i.e. avoiding a heavy-weight or two) plays that seasons' great team. At least, thats what I have often seen after giving their CCG history a brief cursory look. I just am not going to be supremely stressed out about the doomsday hypothetical scenarios that will rarely happen.

This season, in 2010, the SEC is PREDICTED to have Florida-Bama play for the CCG. They would have played prior in the season in early October. I don't hear much complaining heading into the season though about this scenario. If it happens, both teams would have deserved to rematch.

So still, is it just an opposition to rivalries re-matching, a general re-match, or a TSUN-Ohio State rematch?

I can't speak for anyone else, of course, but for me it's the rivalry games, not just games between good teams like Florida and Alabama who play 2 months before that. I could say a lot about that, but I'll just leave it at this: How can it be a "one game season" if we play twice?

 

[SloopyHangOn]

Whew! I really dodged an unsolicited advice bullet there didn't I?

That was unnecessary. That statement was an olive branch in terms of me saying "your opinions are your opinions, but here are mine". Way to reciprocate the respect.

The absolute only way for fans to vote with the pocketbook is to have a financial impact on the institutions involved.

Whining on message boards and signing Facebook petitions has absolutely no impact in the great scheme of things.

On a large scale, I agree.

However, in regards to "whining on message boards" and signing Facebook petitions, any movement requires a large enough (or cohesive enough) following to make a significant impact. Sure, you can only do what you yourself can do and whatnot, but denigrating the means by which progress is made isn't doing your cause any justice.

It seems more stubborn than principled to me.

 

[zwem]

Did anyone see/hear Cowherd arguing with Herbstreit on The Herd today? Cowherd was just like, "M*ch*gan and Ohio State playing twice a year is fantastic and playing October is better when it is 72 degrees. Ohio State fans are idiots." [paraphrased]

Cowherd and most idiots don't get it.

You need to be a former/current player, former/current coach, or a true fan from either side to get it.

 

[zwem]

I didn't mean to come off as a jerk, so I apologize for that. I hope you enjoy every game but one this year, but realistically I hope your team fires Dick Rod and start to make your comeback...

Well enough so that when you lose to Ohio State it is even more heartbreaking, no need to win a national championship or anything.

I'm expecting 5-6 wins. Maybe 7, but we will have to get lucky to achieve that. If Brandon is smart, he is already looking for a replacement that can turn this ship around.

 

[BB73]

However, in regards to "whining on message boards" and signing Facebook petitions, any movement requires a large enough (or cohesive enough) following to make a significant impact. Sure, you can only do what you yourself can do and whatnot, but denigrating the means by which progress is made isn't doing your cause any justice.

Have you been Tresselized?

 

[Diego-Bucks]

Then I suppose you don't know what is.

As a consumer if a company is not willing to provide the service I desire then I am under no obligation to support said company financially.

I'm not interested in paying for something that I don't want.


Nope wrong again. This is the last year I'll be watching Ohio State football...unless it happens to be on in a bar or other location I'm at.

And considering I'll eventually be moving back overseas to be with my children the odds of the latter happening are slim.




Whew! I really dodged an unsolicited advice bullet there didn't I?

Because the University is a voting interest within the Big Ten Network.

The absolute only way for fans to vote with the pocketbook is to have a financial impact on the institutions involved.

Whining on message boards and signing Facebook petitions has absolutely no impact in the great scheme of things.

I'm a firm believer in putting your money where your mouth is.


Again people forget that the BTN IS the Universities including The Ohio State University. They are the majority owners of the Network.

(Waits for the inevitable peanut gallery "you aren't a real fan" noise)

Quick question,

You were donating to Ohio State, but you took that away based on decisions of the Big Ten football's divisional alignment/scheduling; all the while knowing that you won't be watching the Ohio State football team when you move overseas? Or was the last decision to not watch based on their scheduling decisions, I'd imagine you'd have a hard time watching the Buckeyes either way when you leave the States, but the former is an awfully emotional gut-reaction to something that is only 1/12th Ohio State's decision capability. Also, couldn't you have donated to the Academic budget, and not the Athletic Department, which I presume you are angry with, and not for example, the Biology Department. In principle, I do agree with voting with the wallet, not just petitions (though they both serve their purpose in a corporate world).

But UCSD is a great institution to get your donation as well, just curious if you think that you'd be as angry or vested with their sports decision-making (although their programs are minuscule compared with OSU's) as you seem to be with Ohio State's.

 

[SloopyHangOn]

Have you been Tresselized?

I'm a double barrel pistol that fires hard work and victory.

 

[buckeyebri]

Cowherd and most idiots don't get it.

You need to be a former/current player, former/current coach, or a true fan from either side to get it.

It was hilarious and Herbie was very respectful in the debate....and Cowturd is well Cowturd....