Alvarez: Iowa, Wisconsin Will Be Separated
by Adam Bittner on Aug 26, 2010 1:47 AM EDT
in B1G / BigTen
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PrintDepending upon your perspective, the Big Ten divisional picture just got either a little more clear or a lot more muddled.
Wisconsin Athletic Director Barry Alvarez talked to the Wisconsin State Journal Wednesday and broke a little news.
University of Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez confirmed Wednesday that when a two-division format for football is unveiled by league officials next month, UW and Iowa will be separated.
The two schools become the first dominoes to fall in the divisional realignment of the Big Ten, which got under way when Nebraska joined the conference in June.
The news would appear to be the end of talk of an east-west split of the league, which in one form or another, has been at the core of many media projections on possible divisions over the last few months. It would also appear to allay fears that Penn State might be stuck opposite Ohio State and Michigan in an otherwise geographically divided Big Ten.
Conference officials have been consistent for months in saying that competitive balance and protecting rivalries would be more important than geography in determining divisions. It should be pretty clear now that those words weren't to be taking lightly, as two of the biggest western powers have been split up.
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Nice to see
I’m not the only one up at 2am playing video games and surfing the web
Penn State isn't just football, it's life.
@Ben_Jones88
It's college man
Adam
Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation Pittsburgh
God Created the World Out Of Nothing, Paterno Built A National Superpower On Cow Fields...
by Adam Bittner on Aug 26, 2010 1:53 AM EDT up reply actions
Although I'm not playing video games
I’m watching Wizards of Waverly Place reruns on Netflix.
Adam
Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation Pittsburgh
God Created the World Out Of Nothing, Paterno Built A National Superpower On Cow Fields...
by Adam Bittner on Aug 26, 2010 1:58 AM EDT up reply actions
OMG, so many money quotes
Talking about banquets…
Alex (Selena)-“Ugh, why to people make such big deals out of banquets? It’s like ‘Hey, let’s all sit around and listen to stupid speeches while we eat the same exact meal!’”
Justin-"I like eating the same thing as everyone else. That way, I never feel bad about ordering wrong.
Alex-“Well I mean, I’d be ok with it if they all ate my favorite meal: biscuits and loose corn”
Justin-“Loose corn?!?! Pshh (laughs) It’s just called corn!”
Alex-“I like it cut off the cob. Cobs are too heavy. It’s like 80% of the weight you pick up you’re not even eating!” (storms off)
The show has better writing than at least 75% of network prime time.
Adam
Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation Pittsburgh
God Created the World Out Of Nothing, Paterno Built A National Superpower On Cow Fields...
by Adam Bittner on Aug 26, 2010 2:09 AM EDT up reply actions
It hasn't won an emmy
It’s won two.
Adam
Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation Pittsburgh
God Created the World Out Of Nothing, Paterno Built A National Superpower On Cow Fields...
by Adam Bittner on Aug 26, 2010 2:35 AM EDT up reply actions
More than The Wire
Which is nauseating.
I don’t know why I have such a hard time
posting on here from my iPod. This is the only place where that consistently happens.
by speedomike on Aug 26, 2010 1:11 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
The Wire is hands down...
the best show of all time. It was Shakespearean in its scope and quality of it’s characters.
Computers rank me number 1, blame the BCS...it's their fault.-Joe Budden
I was Prezbo!
Seriously-I’m tall, lanky, Polish and taught middle school math in inner city Bmore. I even had the same desks in my room that Prezbo had.
by speedomike on Aug 26, 2010 2:18 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I can't believe
that Prezbo ended up being my favorite character by the time the show finished. Well, aside from Clay “Sheeeeeeeeeeeet” Davis.
Less memorable than Sam Okey's Hawkeye career.
by Kyle McCann't on Aug 26, 2010 5:21 PM EDT up reply actions
definitely one of the best transformations
considering when you meet him in the first few episodes you sorta hope he gets gunned down
by The JuggerNitt on Aug 27, 2010 11:48 AM EDT up reply actions
i iss the wirde good times..... but no fear Boardwalk Empires is starting soon.
"It was fun. It really was, ... People say to me, 'Why don't you give it up?' I don't want to miss out on this stuff, because I'm having a good team. I've never had a bad season when I didn't have a good time." JVP
by psu in the w-b on Aug 26, 2010 7:15 PM EDT up reply actions
It was Mitch Hedberg who quipped
“Why is corn on the cob not just ‘corn’? That’s how it comes out of the ground. We should call everything else ‘corn off the cob’”
Less memorable than Sam Okey's Hawkeye career.
by Kyle McCann't on Aug 26, 2010 11:48 AM EDT up reply actions
Yes
“Its not like if you chopped off my arm, youd call my arm ‘Mitch’, but when it was reattached you would call me ’Mitch All together!”
by swiggy04 on Aug 26, 2010 12:44 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Rec'd.
If that’s your own, you’re my favorite person ever.
"Every player we have, someone-maybe a parent, a grandparent, someone-poured their soul into that young man. They are handing that young man off to us. They are giving us their treasure, and it's our job to make sure we give them back that young man intact and ready to face the world."
-J.V.Pa.
cant take credit
the late great mitch hedberg gets all the credit there. In fact, Mitch all together was the title of his comedy album.
I accept your rec, however
zynga poker
is addictive
The will to win is important, but the will to prepare is vital.
Joe Paterno
Having your zynga poked?
"Nothing turns me on like doe estrus." - ReadingRambler
by leeharvey418 on Aug 26, 2010 8:25 AM EDT up reply actions
"Zynga Poker", "Video Games", "Watching Wizards of Waverly Place"
Man, there are so many more euphemisms these days for “jacking it to internet porn” than when I was in school.
Less memorable than Sam Okey's Hawkeye career.
by Kyle McCann't on Aug 26, 2010 11:50 AM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
competitive balance and protecting rivalries
Doesn’t competetive balance change over time? How long are these divisions supposed to last?
Or are they admitting that Indiana, for example, is always going to be terrible in football.
If so, then are they going to have different divisions for basketball, where Indiana probably won’t be terrible?
I think geography is a good, fair and simple way to determine divisions, actually.
Competitive balance can change, rivalries can change, but geography does not .
Next up.
It’s pretty easy to see how the big 10 divisions are setting up. Competitive balance is first and foremost on everyone agendas. Then rivalries and finally geography. The way the AD’s have been talking this past week, geography is a very distant third but does come into play somewhat.
First, Michigan and Ohio States AD’s have hinted that they want to be in separate divisions. Therefore the first piece of the puzzle goes something like this:
Division 1 Division 2
Michigan Ohio State
Next up, competitive balance. You separate the other two of the "Big 4" This could be done either way, but I’m going to play the geography/rivalry card here. Penn State likes to play Ohio State. I think there alumni base would be very pleased to head up a division with OSU (no disrespect to UM of course). So the next piece goes like this:
Division 1 Division 2
Michigan Ohio State
Nebraska Penn State
With Barry Alveraz saying Iowa and Wisconsin will be split and assuming that Iowa will be with Nebraska (good assumption? Maybe, maybe not.) we have this:
Division 1 Division 2
Michigan Ohio State
Nebraska Penn State
Iowa Wisconsin
Minnesota takes the Axe with Wisconsin and Michigan State follows Michigan:
Division 1 Division 2
Michigan Ohio State
Nebraska Penn State
Iowa Wisconsin
Michigan St Minnesota
This leaves the Illinois and Indiana schools left. Based upon rivalry games/trophies, I split them as follows, but this could be off a little.
Division 1 Division 2
Michigan Ohio State
Nebraska Penn State
Iowa Wisconsin
Michigan St Minnesota
Indiana Purdue
Northwestern Illinois
I think this is a very good possibility for what the divisions look like. You can even set up the cross over games very nicely to get a good rivalry match up.
Division 1 Division 2
Michigan Ohio State
Michigan St Penn State
Iowa Wisconsin
Nebraska Minnesota
Indiana Purdue
Northwestern Illinois
Of course the Big 10 has many options here. PSU and UNL could be paired up or the Minnesota/Nebraska/Iowa/Wisconsin grouping could be split up a little different. Based on the Minnesota/Wisconsin/Iowa trio will be split up, I’m giving that group Nebraska to soften this blow. Of those three schools, if you miss out on one of your traditional games, you get Nebraska instead.
I think you're right as I hear more about this. It makes little sense to send OSU way out west without an eastern anchor...
If they’re splitting OSU and UM, they’re putting PSU with OSU. Frankly, I’d be thrilled if we got UW over Iowa – less-frequent inexplicable losses and more frequent hilarious beatdowns of an overrated UW are something I can get on board with.
"Every player we have, someone-maybe a parent, a grandparent, someone-poured their soul into that young man. They are handing that young man off to us. They are giving us their treasure, and it's our job to make sure we give them back that young man intact and ready to face the world."
-J.V.Pa.
Yeahbut...
This would put us right back to the situation the ACC is in where nobody outside the Conference head office knows who’s in which division.
Split the conference at the Illinois-Indiana border, then swap Michigan for jNWU – you get competitive balance, and very little opportunity for confusion.
"Nothing turns me on like doe estrus." - ReadingRambler
by leeharvey418 on Aug 26, 2010 8:32 AM EDT up reply actions
But who really cares
if you know who is in what division off the top of your head? I mean, do you care who is in the Atlantic division in the ACC? Probably not until the championship game. Big 10 fans will know (eventually) and the only time it will be relevent is when people are trying to figure out who will win their respective divisions. And chances are they will have it right in front of them when they do that.
to be honest, a lot of people outside of the ACC don't even know which teams are in the conference
let alone individual divisions
by The JuggerNitt on Aug 26, 2010 9:19 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
There are those IN the ACC who have no idea who is in their conference
but they’re mostly waiting for basketball season anyway.
Less memorable than Sam Okey's Hawkeye career.
by Kyle McCann't on Aug 26, 2010 11:51 AM EDT up reply actions
i dont know who's in any division in any conference
except the Big XII who made it very easy, oklahoma and texas schools versus everyone else.
I still dont understand the need to accommodate OSU/Michigan. Then I look at the Pac 10’s new alignment and wonder why dont they set up two divisions, the Michigan and the Ohio State Divisions. This way you split up Arizona/ASU, Washington/WSU, Oregon/OSU, Stanford/Cal, USC/UCLA and Utah/COlorado (i guess). That way they all can play on the last day of the year and they all can have a chance at a rematch in the CCG!
This is what I was thinking
You’ll probably have an in-division rivalry week, then a cross division rivalry week. Plus I think this would please everyone (except OSU and Mich fans) from what I can tell. We’d get both Neb and OSU every year, which makes me happy.
That would be lovely....
and I’m not trying to be a smart-ass, but do you guys and gals really think that the BIG12 gives a care about what PSU thinks or would like. Hell, the Cornshuckers come in and are treated like Royalty….the Big Boys don’t lose sleep over us; they’ll just make up a rivalry with Indiana or the Wildcats—you know, The Cat Fight Trophy to be played on a fence in your back yard !
by DerryPharmer on Aug 26, 2010 8:52 AM EDT up reply actions
No, but they care about academics and money.
Since academics don’t matter at all in regards to divisions, rivalry games, cross games, etc, television advertising money becomes the most important factor.
Turn your crank to Frank!
by ReadingRambler on Aug 26, 2010 9:26 AM EDT up reply actions
Playing Nebraska and OSU every year
Would be enough for me. I don’t care how ethe rest of the schedule plays out for us, those two every year would be fan frickin tastic.
by speedomike on Aug 26, 2010 1:16 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
The divisions make sense
But I get the feeling that Alvarez/Delany would give Bielema what he wants, so Nebraska-Wisconsin & Iowa-Minnesota would be the split.
by The Mexican't on Aug 26, 2010 8:47 AM EDT up reply actions
Well you also have to think $$
The whole point of this expansion thing is to make more money. Your biggest money making games every year are going to be OSU-Mich, OSU-PSU, and I have to think PSU-NEB. That game would certainly outperform NEB-Wisc or whatever. I would think the Big 10 brass could see that.
Yeah I’ll be surprised if we’re not protected with Nebraska. You need those top four draws playing as much as possible to really squeeze all the lemon juice out of this thing.
As long as we get to play those two
the rest is gravy in my opinion. I’d have to think Iowa would get the nod over Wisky though, since you have the geographical relevence going on. Plus, how do Nebraska and Wisky relate to each other anyways? They both wear red? At least PSU has some past history.
If they keep saying geography is a "distant third" to "competitive balance" and the TV people, I'd have to assume PSU-Nebraska takes over.
Turn your crank to Frank!
by ReadingRambler on Aug 26, 2010 9:23 AM EDT up reply actions
You wonder why they didn’t just say “geography isn’t a consideration at all” the way this is playing out.
"We had to mention to give some measure of hope to that RamblerBreading guy."
Turn your crank to Frank!
by ReadingRambler on Aug 26, 2010 9:26 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
That comment was more in line with
Wisky being included in Nebraskas division and not Iowa. I think they’d put PSU and NEB together, and would be fools if they didn’t. I think Iowa makes more sense than Wisky because the only major difference I see between the two in regards to Nebraksa is geography.
I dont see Wisconsin pulling decisively higher TV ratings than Iowa and I’m unfamiliar with any history between the schools, so geography seems like the final sticking point.
Well, Iowa has played Nebraska a lot more times than Wisconsin has played the Huskers. In addition to the geography.
Iowa being in the same division as Nebraska is IMHO the same sort of no brain point as Penn State being in the same division as Ohio State. When you have geographically outlier schools (as both Neb and PSU are) that only border one other state with a school, it makes a ton of sense to group them with the most nearby school to prevent them being “on an island” within their division and feeling isolated.
I flipped Minnesota and Nebraska in my exercise. The Iowa-Minn game appears to be a little more important than the Iowa-Wiscy from what I gather, and since Wisconsin came out and said they wanted to play Nebraska badly, they give up one of their rivalries but pick up the Huskers in-division.
I like/agree with the divisions, not sure about the rivalries
Not sure about the yearly rivalries, I could see Neb not being happy about being stuck with Minny as their “rival”. I actually wouldnt mind if they dropped PSU/MSU since its never really developed into much (I think we are up 13-4) and have us match up with Neb.
I'm glad we're listening to the "TV people now".
I’m trying to convince myself the Big Ten knows what they’re doing, but combined with my natural dislike for CCGs this is kind of getting annoying.
Turn your crank to Frank!
what do you have against them?
It is another week of football between two good schools. And now there will be no more of this nonsense from jaOSU claiming to be co-champs
I wouldn’t give a hoot in hell for a man who lost and laughed.
I hate them because they're always opening up bigger cans of worms.
They’re not there for more football. They’re there for money.
Turn your crank to Frank!
by ReadingRambler on Aug 26, 2010 6:50 PM EDT up reply actions
I think this quote is kinda telling, too
“If you split teams, whether it’s Purdue and Indiana or Illinois and Northwestern or Michigan-Ohio State or Nebraska and Penn State, if you split them, they can both go [to the championship game],” Delany said. “If you don’t split them, only one can go.”
Whoa
You can remove your own comments?
Turn your crank to Frank!
by ReadingRambler on Aug 26, 2010 9:33 AM EDT up reply actions
I think Mike removed his own comment.
Turn your crank to Frank!
by ReadingRambler on Aug 26, 2010 9:49 AM EDT up reply actions
MikePa is wise....
Until our defense proves otherwise, it should be presumed they will be excellent.
MikePa is wise....
Until our defense proves otherwise, it should be presumed they will be excellent.
Please tell me that was ironic.
Less memorable than Sam Okey's Hawkeye career.
by Kyle McCann't on Aug 26, 2010 11:52 AM EDT up reply actions
I can't
Mgo tells me I don’t have a firm enough grasp on what the term irony means.
Either that, or I’m jonesin for my next drinking instructions a day early.
Until our defense proves otherwise, it should be presumed they will be excellent.
Tomorrow's will be...
…unique.
Less memorable than Sam Okey's Hawkeye career.
by Kyle McCann't on Aug 26, 2010 5:19 PM EDT up reply actions
I followed that link
And turned a post by that Semanticron guy green way too late.
Somewhere there is a cedar chest full of Penguin sweater vests.
Beat Youngstown State.
That thread was delightful
mgo’s retort at their house was meek and somewhat botched.
Until our defense proves otherwise, it should be presumed they will be excellent.
split it however you want
If we don’t get a protected rivalry with Nebraska, I’m going to consider the realignment a total hack job.
McGloin Despite Them
Preaching the McGospel since Aug. 2nd, 2010
Why? We don’t really have any long detailed history with the Huskers and (obviously) it’s not like we are geographically close. I mean, I’d love to see PSU play Nebraska every year, but I don’t see how it would be unreasonable to come up with a setup where we aren’t playing Nebraska annually. There’s no particular reason to tie PSU and Neb together beyond getting a nice game for TV.
It makes sense though
If you are going to pit Michigan and Ohio State to play each other, you better have your other two superpowers playing each other. I can hear the crying now the first time PSU wins the championship without having to play Nebraska or Michigan.
Mike
Black Shoe Diaries
Your argument is invalid.
If Nebraska and Michigan are in the same division opposite us, then the only way we win the championship without playing either of them is if neither of them was good enough to win their division.
Ah, the beauty of a CCG…
"Nothing turns me on like doe estrus." - ReadingRambler
by leeharvey418 on Aug 26, 2010 12:30 PM EDT up reply actions
Well, I’m a big fan of the East/West split which would put us in a division with Ohio St and Michigan and play both each season. I don’t see there being a need to seperate UM/tOSU/PSU/UNL exactly 2-2 if it sensible to do so, which East/West does. UM/tOSU/PSU in one division and UNL/Iowa/Wisc in the other is fine and quite well balanced. And maintains all important rivalries.
Basically, though, I think it is crazy to put PSU in a division that does not feature mostly teams from the “eastern” part of the Big Ten. We are already a geographic outlier. To put us in a “western” centric division with Nebraska would be silly.
i agree
I don’t see what is wrong with your competitive balance. Would they have worried about PSU competitively during the dark years as they seem to be with Mich? I doubt it. All we have heard since joining is that PSU hasn’t dominated or really been anything more special than Wiscy, Iowa, MSU……Keep it east west, no saved crossovers and rotate the schedules properly and it will be a great conference. Hell why do anything else until you expand again and you don’t know what your geographic balance will look like.
and what does that tell you?
Until our defense proves otherwise, it should be presumed they will be excellent.
well consiidering it followed this part
Delany told ESPN.com that a potential benefit of putting rivals like Michigan and Ohio State in different divisions is that the teams can play for a Rose Bowl berth in the new Big Ten championship game, which begins in 2011.
it tells me that PSU-Neb will be a protected “rivalry”
by The JuggerNitt on Aug 26, 2010 9:35 AM EDT up reply actions
Hopefully Michigan will keep RichRod
That way there is zero percent chance of MU-tOSU rematch.
There's not much of a chance anyway
but its not like people care.
OMGTEHRIVALRY! OSUANDMICHIGANROCK!
This argument is invalid. OSU claims a share of every title back to 05 (but they really only go back to 09), and RR’s Michigan teams…well, they suck. That’s putting it politely.
My kingdom for a spellchecker. Or Devin Harris. Hopefully both.
For all the crap we give Wil Wheaton, he can still tackle better than Asante Samuel...
Manning drops back to pass, Comedic.Sans and Wilfork come flying in and SACK him for a loss of twelve on 3rd and goal!
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Aug 29, 2010 6:40 PM EDT up reply actions
BigTen divisions
This is getting old. Who cares who won a natl champ in the last 25 years! Who’s to say Iowa will not win the natl champ this year? Assuming RichRod is fired after this season(after his failed attempt to turn Mich. into N’western), it will be at least a few years until Mich is relevant again anyway. So simple, a cave man can do it.
BigTen West-Iowa,Wisconsin,Nebraska,Illinois,Minnesota,Norhtwestern
BigTen East-Ohio State,Penn State,Michigan State,Michigan,Indiana,Purdue
DONE!
well in college football
there is a strong correlation between the teams who won national championships in the past (especially the more recent past), and teams that will do it again in the near future.
by The JuggerNitt on Aug 28, 2010 9:56 AM EDT up reply actions
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