OT - Big Ten Division Announced Tonight: Rumored/Leaked Div

PkrsBcksGphsMqt · Post #1 » by **PkrsBcksGphsMqt** » Wed Sep 1, 2010 6:22 pm

The divisions are supposed to be announced tonight, but there is a rumor from different sources that these will be the divisions:

Group 1: Michigan, Nebraska, Iowa, Michigan State, Northwestern, Minnesota.

Group 2: Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Purdue, Indiana, Illinois.

Assuming Minnesota and Wisconsin have a protected rivalry, I love this as a Gopher fan. Not having tOSU and PSU in our division makes it possible to compete for our division some where down the line. Nebraska and Iowa have been pretty good as of late but aren't mainstay powers. Michigan is going to be bad for a while and MSU and NU are up and down.

I would have to think Badger fans would hate this.

Ryan5UW · Post #2 » by **Ryan5UW** » Wed Sep 1, 2010 6:26 pm

PackBuckGophZag wrote:The divisions are supposed to be announced tonight, but there is a rumor from different sources that these will be the divisions:

Group 1: Michigan, Nebraska, Iowa, Michigan State, Northwestern, Minnesota.

Group 2: Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Purdue, Indiana, Illinois.

Assuming Minnesota and Wisconsin have a protected rivalry, I love this as a Gopher fan. Not having tOSU and PSU in our division makes it possible to compete for our division some where down the line. Nebraska and Iowa have been pretty good as of late but aren't mainstay powers. Michigan is going to be bad for a while and MSU and NU are up and down.

I would have to think Badger fans would hate this.

Yep, I kinda do.

Bucksfans1and2 · Post #3 » by **Bucksfans1and2** » Wed Sep 1, 2010 6:28 pm

That majorly sucks.

LUKE23 · Post #4 » by **LUKE23** » Wed Sep 1, 2010 6:28 pm

I absolutely hate this alignment. For one, nothing against Minny, I know it is the longest rivalry, but I can't stand that as our crossover game when we have Iowa and Nebraska as options. Both are more desirable to me as a fan. Plus, while I think the divisions are aligned about as fair as possible talent wise, we have to beat OSU every year to win the BTT? Yuck.

How the F is this going to work for basketball? Play every team in your division twice, then the other division a total of 8 games (missing 3 teams twice)?

Not a fan. Not a fan.

PkrsBcksGphsMqt · Post #5 » by **PkrsBcksGphsMqt** » Wed Sep 1, 2010 6:31 pm

Yeah I'm still a fan of pure East/West, but this works out decent for Minnesota. I can't see the Big Ten not protecting MN/WI because the Paul Bunyan Axe is the oldest rivalry trophy in college football. It's a major part of the Big Ten's history and tradition. Even if we haven't won it since 2003

Post #6 » by **ReasonablySober** » Wed Sep 1, 2010 6:33 pm

If I were going to rank the schools from top to bottom, here's how I would do it:

1 - OSU (2)
2 - Nebraska (1)
3 - PSU (2)
4 - Michigan (1)
5 - Wisconsin (2)
6 - Iowa (1)
7 - Purdue (2)
8 - Northwestern (1)
9 - Michigan State (1)
10 - Indiana(2)
11 - Illinois (2)
12 - Minnesota (1)

I think I could live with this. Group two would be better at the very top, but easier in the middle and the bottom if you're the Badgers.

LUKE23 · Post #7 » by **LUKE23** » Wed Sep 1, 2010 6:35 pm

I'd have Indiana last for sure, but I somewhat agree with your overall point.

PkrsBcksGphsMqt · Post #8 » by **PkrsBcksGphsMqt** » Wed Sep 1, 2010 6:35 pm

DrugBust wrote:If I were going to rank the schools from top to bottom, here's how I would do it:

1 - OSU (2)
2 - Nebraska (1)
3 - PSU (2)
4 - Michigan (1)
5 - Wisconsin (2)
6 - Iowa (1)
7 - Purdue (2)
8 - Northwestern (1)
9 - Michigan State (1)
10 - Indiana(2)
11 - Illinois (2)
12 - Minnesota (1)

I think I could live with this. Group two would be better at the very top, but easier in the middle and the bottom if you're the Badgers.

Are you ranking based on tradition or talent this year?

No way Minnesota is dead last if you are going based on tradition, maybe they are the worst team this year, but that I'm not even sure of.

I think it's dangerous to align divisions based on the current talent structure of the conference at the moment. That's why I think pure East/West would work the best.

Post #9 » by **ReasonablySober** » Wed Sep 1, 2010 6:36 pm

It looks even better for Wisconsin if you think Northwestern is a football school on the rise, which I do. I could see putting them right below Wisconsin.

Post #10 » by **ReasonablySober** » Wed Sep 1, 2010 6:37 pm

PackBuckGophZag wrote:
DrugBust wrote:If I were going to rank the schools from top to bottom, here's how I would do it:

1 - OSU (2)
2 - Nebraska (1)
3 - PSU (2)
4 - Michigan (1)
5 - Wisconsin (2)
6 - Iowa (1)
7 - Purdue (2)
8 - Northwestern (1)
9 - Michigan State (1)
10 - Indiana(2)
11 - Illinois (2)
12 - Minnesota (1)

I think I could live with this. Group two would be better at the very top, but easier in the middle and the bottom if you're the Badgers.

Are you ranking based on tradition or talent this year?

No way Minnesota is dead last if you are going based on tradition, maybe they are the worst team this year, but that I'm not even sure of.

I think it's dangerous to align divisions based on the current talent structure of the conference at the moment. That's why I think pure East/West would work the best.

Combination of both.

PkrsBcksGphsMqt · Post #11 » by **PkrsBcksGphsMqt** » Wed Sep 1, 2010 6:39 pm

DrugBust wrote:
PackBuckGophZag wrote:
DrugBust wrote:If I were going to rank the schools from top to bottom, here's how I would do it:

1 - OSU (2)
2 - Nebraska (1)
3 - PSU (2)
4 - Michigan (1)
5 - Wisconsin (2)
6 - Iowa (1)
7 - Purdue (2)
8 - Northwestern (1)
9 - Michigan State (1)
10 - Indiana(2)
11 - Illinois (2)
12 - Minnesota (1)

I think I could live with this. Group two would be better at the very top, but easier in the middle and the bottom if you're the Badgers.

Are you ranking based on tradition or talent this year?

No way Minnesota is dead last if you are going based on tradition, maybe they are the worst team this year, but that I'm not even sure of.

I think it's dangerous to align divisions based on the current talent structure of the conference at the moment. That's why I think pure East/West would work the best.

Combination of both.

Well I'm sure people will laugh, but Minnesota does have 6 national championships and 18 big ten titles. I know those haven't been recent but we have been to quite a few bowl games more recently. I don't see any way Indiana is ahead of Minnesota, I'd even put Illinois behind Minnesota.

LUKE23 · Post #12 » by **LUKE23** » Wed Sep 1, 2010 6:42 pm

Oh, and if this effects the # of games played for division in BB, Badgers got ROYALLY raped. Check out Izzo's division in hoops:

Nebraska
Iowa
Minny
NW
Michigan

Are you' f'ing kidding me? That is the two worst teams in the conference BY FAR in Nebraska and Iowa, and you can easily argue either of Michigan or NW as #3/4. Minny is like the 7th best team in the conference and they are the 2nd best team in that division.

Overall, I see very few positives for UW with his alignment in either sport.

Ryan5UW · Post #13 » by **Ryan5UW** » Wed Sep 1, 2010 6:43 pm

To be honest, I wasn't going to be a fan of anything putting us with Ohio St. The division is going to go through them pretty much every year. Adding Penn St. to that mix, and we've got probably the top two teams on an annual basis in the same division. If this is true, you've got the top 2 teams in the same division, and we've got to go through both of them each year.

Post #14 » by **ReasonablySober** » Wed Sep 1, 2010 6:43 pm

It would suck quite a bit in basketball.

LUKE23 · Post #15 » by **LUKE23** » Wed Sep 1, 2010 6:44 pm

Ryan5UW wrote:To be honest, I wasn't going to be a fan of anything putting us with Ohio St. The division is going to go through them pretty much every year. Adding Penn St. to that mix, and we've got probably the top two teams on an annual basis in the same division. If this is true, you've got the top 2 teams in the same division, and we've got to go through both of them each year.

I think Nebraska will be #2 moving forward over PSU, but I get your point. OSU is still the cream of the crop in the Big Ten, by a decipherable margin. They get the best recruits every year it seems like.

PkrsBcksGphsMqt · Post #16 » by **PkrsBcksGphsMqt** » Wed Sep 1, 2010 6:44 pm

LUKE23 wrote:Oh, and if this effects the # of games played for division in BB, Badgers got ROYALLY raped. Check out Izzo's division in hoops:

Nebraska
Iowa
Minny
NW
Michigan

Are you' f'ing kidding me? That is the two worst teams in the conference BY FAR in Nebraska and Iowa, and you can easily argue either of Michigan or NW as #3/4. Minny is like the 7th best team in the conference and they are the 2nd best team in that division.

Overall, I see very few positives for UW with his alignment in either sport.

Man, 7th best? Minnesota's top 7 players this year compare nicely to every other team's top 7. Keep coming with the Minnesota hate. Minnesota will compete for a big ten title this year, definitely a top 4 or 5 team at worst.

Post #17 » by **ReasonablySober** » Wed Sep 1, 2010 6:46 pm

Ryan5UW wrote:To be honest, I wasn't going to be a fan of anything putting us with Ohio St. The division is going to go through them pretty much every year. Adding Penn St. to that mix, and we've got probably the top two teams on an annual basis in the same division. If this is true, you've got the top 2 teams in the same division, and we've got to go through both of them each year.

Agree with you regarding OSU, but I'd rather play PSU, Purdue and Illinois than Michigan, Iowa and Northwestern each year. That isn't even close in my opinion.

LUKE23 · Post #18 » by **LUKE23** » Wed Sep 1, 2010 6:47 pm

Man, 7th best? Minnesota's top 7 players this year compare nicely to every other team's top 7. Keep coming with the Minnesota hate. Minnesota will compete for a title this year, definitely a top 4 or 5 team at worst.

Don't get me started on the Gophers. They have either been a tourney bubble team or NIT team for a while now. They aren't terrible, but they aren't anything special. It has nothing to do with "hate".

Those divisions are a joke for basketball. In terms of recent tradition, Minny is not ahead of MSU, Wisconsin, Illinois, Ohio State, or Purdue. So maybe you can argue them at 6, and that is only because Indiana has had a few down years recently.

And I hear the "they will compete for a title" thing every year. Wake me up when they do.

PkrsBcksGphsMqt · Post #19 » by **PkrsBcksGphsMqt** » Wed Sep 1, 2010 6:49 pm

LUKE23 wrote:
Man, 7th best? Minnesota's top 7 players this year compare nicely to every other team's top 7. Keep coming with the Minnesota hate. Minnesota will compete for a title this year, definitely a top 4 or 5 team at worst.

Don't get me started on the Gophers. They have either been a tourney bubble team or NIT team for a while now. They aren't terrible, but they aren't anything special. It has nothing to do with "hate".

Those divisions are a joke for basketball. In terms of recent tradition, they are not ahead of MSU, Wisconsin, Illinois, Ohio State, or Purdue. So maybe you can argue them at 6, and that is only because Indiana has had a few down years recently.

Well ever since Tubby took over they have been on the rise, 20+ wins every year, won the last 3 v. Wisconsin and made it to the BTT championship last year. This year they have arguably the best front court and some great perimeter player to go with. Minnesota is definitely a top 5 team for the forseeable future and will probably compete for a conference title within the next 5 years or so.

Top 7 players this year: Al Nolen, Devoe Joseph, Blake Hoffarber, Ralph Sampson, Colton Iverson, Trevor Mbakwe, and Rodney Williams. That is a great 7 man rotation with a lot of size up front.

Ryan5UW · Post #20 » by **Ryan5UW** » Wed Sep 1, 2010 6:49 pm

I guess basketball isn't as much of a concern for me. We'll still have to play the same teams no matter which division we're in, and there's still the conference tourney. It's not like we'd have to finish ahead of all the other teams in our division to have a shot at the tourney title, which is absolutely the case in football.