Divisions not looking good for Wisconsin
by Adam Hoge on Sep 1, 2010 2:30 PM CDT
in Wisconsin Badgers Football
Email
PrintThe Big Ten will announce its two divisions tonight at 6 p.m. on the Big Ten Network and it's looking like the Wisconsin Badgers won't be enjoying the news.
According to ESPN.com's Andy Katz, the divisions will look like this:
Division 1: Michigan, Nebraska, Iowa, Michigan State, Northwestern and Minnesota.
Division 2: Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Purdue, Indiana and Illinois.
That's right Badger fans, if these divisions are true, Wisconsin's top two rivals -- and potential big time rival (Nebraska) -- will all be in the other division.
Ohio State and Michigan will also be split up and so will Northwestern and Illinois. In fact, at first glance, the only major rivalries that appear intact are Purdue-Indiana and Michigan-Michigan State.
So why are these the divisions?
From day one Jim Delany has said competitive balance would play a big part in forming the divisions. Well, it certainly did. Lindsey Willhite from the Daily Herald did the math and found that the two divisions' winning percentage since 1993 ARE BOTH .580.
Talk about even. But did they really need to be even? The conference sacrificed rivalries and lower travel costs for both teams and fans by organizing the divisions the way they did. Northwestern is the closest school to Madison, and Penn State is the farthest. So why are the Nittany Lions in Wisconsin's division and the Wildcats are not?
Now, let's move on to the basketball side of the things.
The other half of Katz's report indicated that the Big Ten could go back to a 16-game basketball schedule in which teams would play divisions opponents twice.
Now, take a good look at his reported divisions and imagine how absurd that would be. Ohio State, Wisconsin, Purdue, Indiana and Illinois would all be in the SAME DIVISION. That would leave Michigan State with Michigan, Nebraska, Iowa, Northwestern and Minnesota.
Are you kidding me? Wisconsin has more NCAA appearances in the last decade than Michigan, Nebraska, Iowa, Northwestern and Minnesota put together. Add Ohio State, Purdue, Indiana and Illinois to the mix and it would be the most unequal divisions possible, which would completely contradict the competitive balance in football.
Luckily, a source told me today that there will not be divisions in basketball. That source said nothing about the schedule, but I expect it to stay at 18 games.
Phew.
35 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
shafted
These divisions are about as bad as they could have turned out for the Badgers. Hopefully these sources are incorrect.
I doubt they are incorrect.
Even though the Big Ten Network exists, ESPN still has their TV deals with the Big Ten and probably knows just as much as BTN right now.
Bucky's 5th Quarter. SB Nation's Wisconsin Badgers community.
I really wanted to see Bucky
tangling with Nebraska every year. I was pumped for it. Now, no yearly Nebraska OR Iowa?
I'm hoping that in 2015 when a 9th conference game is added
Iowa will become the second “protected rivalry.” It would mean we would miss 2 years of Iowa. Not really that big of a deal if that comes to pass
All they would really have to do is swap Illinois and Minnesota
Then you have the Iowa game as “Protected Rivalry” and still have the Minnesota game in the same division.
In these divisions, they are either killing UW-Iowa, or they are killing the oldest continuously played rivalry in D1-A, for no apparent reasoning.
Really unfortunate.
I made the unpopular argument earlier this year that Iowa was a bigger rival than Minnesota. The games are better and the teams are better. I fully expect the Minnesota game to be the protected game, not Iowa.
Bucky's 5th Quarter. SB Nation's Wisconsin Badgers community.
Iowa is definitely the better game
But there not going to toss out the longest running rivalry. Like I posted above, I believe that Iowa will become our 2nd protected rival in 2015 and we will only miss them for 2 years in the next 5, not that big of a deal. It sucks, yes, but not that big of a deal
Wow... Good catch...I'm having a bad day
Check out the curious index for today on EDSBS. Typos abound on my posts. Got a little worked up. Typed faster than I can think. Happens a lot
A Notre Dame Grad, born and raised in Wisconsin... life put me in the express lane to alcoholism.
We may also draw Iowa as an opponent in those two years anyway
as one of the two wildcard opponents on the schedule. AKA the five divisional opponents, the protected game vs. Minnesota, and 2 games versus teams in the other division (Iowa and Nebraska, for example).
Not gonna lie, I am super pissed.
All this just to preserve the possibility that OSU and Michigan will play in a championship game? Please.
Bucky's 5th Quarter The best site for Badger news on the web!
Follow me on Twitter for the latest Badger Bits @veldyhoosey
On, Wisconsin!
Me too
The only thing I would have been happy with was an east-west split.
by jolly rancher on Sep 1, 2010 3:18 PM CDT up reply actions
I would have even been fine with these divisions
If they just switched Illinois and Minnesota. There are a lot of people over on ESPN that are basically saying ‘deal with it’ to the Badgers and trying to warm us up to having rivalries with IL, IN, and Purdue instead of Iowa or Minnesota.
In fact, even suggesting that the Badgers wouldn’t protect their rivalry with Minnesota is collegiate football blasphemy.
Bucky's 5th Quarter The best site for Badger news on the web!
Follow me on Twitter for the latest Badger Bits @veldyhoosey
On, Wisconsin!
by John Veldhuis on Sep 1, 2010 3:30 PM CDT up reply actions
You guys did kind of get shafted, but...
You now have big time programs in Ohio St and Penn St that you’ll play every year. If you can compete with them (which I think you can) then you might gain “elite” status. Its the same for Iowa with Michigan and Nebraska. Both Iowa and Wisconsin are in a good position to jump to the next level.
It's true.
We’re both victims of our recent success. When it comes down to it, I’d take a successful football team without the yearly Iowa series than have to go back to the pre-Alvarez days.
Bucky's 5th Quarter The best site for Badger news on the web!
Follow me on Twitter for the latest Badger Bits @veldyhoosey
On, Wisconsin!
by John Veldhuis on Sep 1, 2010 9:54 PM CDT up reply actions
It won't happen.
Why? Because MICHIGAN SUCKS!
(/royally pissed off OBrienSchofieldismyHero deactivated)
Seriously, this could not have worked out any better for Iowa. There’s one team in their division that has their number (Northwestern), and then there’s just a single solid team (Nebraska). Iowa gets extremely lucky. Wisconsin gets screwed. Enjoy it while you can, Hawkeyes.
At least if Wisconsin goes coast to coast in 2011, we’ll DEFINITELY make the title game…
For all the crap we give Wil Wheaton, he can still tackle better than Asante Samuel...
The various schools of the Big Ten should let Ohio State and Michigan know in no uncertain terms that dissent will NOT be tolerated.
"Because one of the great minds of the 21st century is raising glow-in-the-dark fish and weaving serapes..." -Leonard Hofstadter from The Big Bang Theory
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Sep 1, 2010 3:42 PM CDT up reply actions
Assuming they keep a rivalry game from the other division
Wisconsin’s rivalry with Minnesota is not dead by a longshot. Yeah, the Iowa rivalry is gone, but you had to figure that something had to go since Iowa’s getting a new natural rival in Nebraska.
In other words, the only team that really matters to Wisconsin that it won’t play every year is probably Iowa. (And Michigan – not sure whether they count as “really mattering.”) Hardly something to grab your pitchforks over.
I’m more concerned about the difficulty of the division – Wisconsin, Ohio St., and Penn St. battling it out every year for the division with Purdue waiting as a darkhorse most years? Ugh.
I posted this on Black Heart Gold Pants
After explaining why Minnesota is almost certainly our “protected rivalry” and that Iowa will be stuck with Indiana as their protected rivalry
I am sad to the see the Iowa-Wisconsin game won’t be played on a yearly basis for the next few years, but I’m assuming it will be the 2nd "Protected Rivalry" in 2015 when the 9th conference game is added…..Here’s hoping we can make the Heartland Trophy for the Big 10 Championship game and not worry about whether or not they "protect" our rivalry.
A Notre Dame Grad, born and raised in Wisconsin... life put me in the express lane to alcoholism.
As soon as Michigan rebounds it'll be pretty even, in fact Wisconsin may have it easier at that point.
Northwestern gives Iowa fits. Minnesota is capable of an upset or two. Michigan State as we Badgers know, can be wildly unpredictable. Wisconsin has Purdue, Illinois and Indiana at the bottom, which are much easier games then the aforementioned 3.
Michigan won’t be bad forever, and JoePa will eventually leave PSU [probably the same time he leaves the land of the living] and they will go through some turmoil.
It all evens out
A Notre Dame Grad, born and raised in Wisconsin... life put me in the express lane to alcoholism.
That topic statement assumes Michigan will rebound.
I don’t WANT them to rebound. I’m perfectly content with them becoming the Northwestern of the 80s…
The various schools of the Big Ten should let Ohio State and Michigan know in no uncertain terms that dissent will NOT be tolerated.
"Because one of the great minds of the 21st century is raising glow-in-the-dark fish and weaving serapes..." -Leonard Hofstadter from The Big Bang Theory
I give the new Big Ten divisions a 0 and a huge EPIC FAIL sticker.
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Sep 1, 2010 8:27 PM CDT up reply actions
The fat lady sings at 6PM
Until then, take everything with a grain of salt. For as much talking as Barry Alveraz has done, I would be SHOCKED to see Wisconsin hosed as badly as this set up has them. If the UM-OSU game is still on the last week of the schedule, then fans of those schools really have nothing to complain about.
What competitive balance?
Right now, at least, it’s basically Iowa vs. the scrubs. I know the idea is program prestige with regards to Michigan and the like, but come on, this doesn’t seem to make sense for anyone in any way.
USG
Nebraska's not a scrub
Iowa will have their hands full with them most years. I do expect Michigan to rebound at some point in the future, but how soon is anyone’s guess.
Yeah, that's just crazy.
Iowa is a good, not great program, and Nebraska will compete with Michigan (Michigan’s “down” period has been [so far] several seasons shorter than the most recent downturns at Penn State, Alabama or USC) most years. jNW along with MSU make up two of the better “middle” teams in the league. Really Minnesota is the only “bad” program, and they went to a bowl last year. This is a much more balanced division than the East/O/Sherman/yang division.
Less memorable than Sam Okey's Hawkeye career.
by Kyle McCann't on Sep 2, 2010 11:26 AM CDT up reply actions
Any opinions on PSU being our season-ending game?
I’m not sure how that works, but that’s what I picked up on during the broadcast. I know we play PSU at the end of the season for both 2011-12.
Bucky's 5th Quarter The best site for Badger news on the web!
Follow me on Twitter for the latest Badger Bits @veldyhoosey
On, Wisconsin!
Oh, ugh.
If we can earn some measure of revenge for that hideous 08 debacle, I’m game. But they have to resolve their QB situation . Royster graduates at the end of this year, and Zug is gone after next season.
JoePa is usually able to put together a good team (with the exceptions of the 2000-2004 seasons, when he had an AMAZING defense and no offense).
The various schools of the Big Ten should let Ohio State and Michigan know in no uncertain terms that dissent will NOT be tolerated.
"Because one of the great minds of the 21st century is raising glow-in-the-dark fish and weaving serapes..." -Leonard Hofstadter from The Big Bang Theory
I give the new Big Ten divisions a 0 and a huge EPIC FAIL sticker.
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Sep 1, 2010 8:29 PM CDT up reply actions
I think there's some potential in a UW-PSU series.
As long as it develops naturally, unlike the dubious ‘Land Grant’ rivalry between Penn St. and Michigan St.
Bucky's 5th Quarter The best site for Badger news on the web!
Follow me on Twitter for the latest Badger Bits @veldyhoosey
On, Wisconsin!
by John Veldhuis on Sep 1, 2010 9:56 PM CDT up reply actions
As a PSU fan I love it.
and the series is 6-6 since PSU joined. I think there would be a lot of times one team will upset the others’ Rose Bowl chances.
Bloggin' at joepasdoghouse.com
Just so long as that loss the last week of the season
doesn’t send Ohio State to the Rose Bowl, I’m fine.
My hatred of Michigan knows no bounds. Even more so after this travesty.
September 1st, 2010. A day that shall live in infamy.
"Because one of the great minds of the 21st century is raising glow-in-the-dark fish and weaving serapes..." -Leonard Hofstadter from The Big Bang Theory
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Sep 2, 2010 10:28 AM CDT up reply actions
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recent FanPosts
Badgers Football Schedule
| UNLV | Thu 09/01 | W 51 - 17 |
Oregon St.
|
Sat 09/10 | W 35 - 0 |
|
@
Northern Illinois
|
Sat 09/17 | W 49 - 7 |
| South Dakota Coyotes | Sat 09/24 | W 59 - 10 |
|
Nebraska
|
Sat 10/01 | W 48 - 17 |
|
Indiana
|
Sat 10/15 | W 59 - 7 |
|
@
Michigan St.
|
Sat 10/22 | L 31 - 37 |
|
@
Ohio St.
|
Sat 10/29 | L 29 - 33 |
|
Purdue
|
Sat 11/05 | W 62 - 17 |
|
@
Minnesota
|
Sat 11/12 | W 42 - 13 |
|
@
Illinois
|
Sat 11/19 | W 28 - 17 |
|
Penn St.
|
Sat 11/26 | W 45 - 7 |
|
@
Michigan St.
|
Sat 12/03 | W 42 - 39 |
|
@
Oregon
|
Mon 01/02 | L 38 - 45 |
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
