Notre Dame – Making too much money being independent to even consider joining. Plus they would probably rather stay in the Big east for hoops.

Pitt – A basketball school. Not leaving the Big East.

Louisville – See: Pitt.

Cincinnati – Also a basketball school in the Big East. Could be swayed to move for the football program which is coming on strong. 2 Problems: 1. What will their football program be once Brian Kelly bolts for a big job? 2. Not even remotely close to a Big 10 football stadium, with no room to expand.

Missouri – A possiblilty, though it would be quite a shock if they actually wanted to leave the powerful big 12 and all of their rivals behind.

Which leaves…

West Virginia – The best fit in terms of quality of big two sports, and interest to make the move. Solid football and basketball… Football school which would love to join a more powerful football conference.

Unless I’ve overlooked a school right underneath our noses, everyone else seems too far away geographically. I agree that academics are going to play a big role in determining who the 12th school is. I know a few schools on this list are “good schools”, but I don’t know enough about WVA or Cincy + Louisville to comment.

I just think the Big Ten should focus on inviting major flagship universities. While Rutgers’ athletic program certainly isn’t the greatest, the university itself fits the Big Ten much better than Pitt, Louisville, Syracuse, or almost any other Big East school. They’re all mid-size, regional institutions who absolutely belong in the Big East.

All your points are valid, though my interest is bettering the B10 as a whole, OSU is the exception in the B10 in terms of national respect, yes we may have lost 3 4 in a row now on the national stage, but no one can deny we belong in the conversation, except to say we play a weak sched. pertaining to our conference foes.

Not to keep bringing up the SEC but they are the current measuring stick, every team plays a quality out of conference opponent every year, UF plays Fla. St. and Miami on a yearly basis! Not to mention the guantlet they run in conference and top it off with the SEC champ. game.

Again, while scheduling more quality out of conference foes may help OSU, I think helping the conference as a whole is the better long term solution. We cant be stubborn and ignore changing national trends while everyone else passes us by just because we think our way is the best, are you listening Notre dame???

Just add one more game against a top-tier team a year. That way OSU would get more national exposure.

I don’t think installing a Big 10 Conference Championship game is going to bring respect to the conference. Going out and beating top teams from other conferences will, whether it be during the regular season or bowl season.

The games would actually mean something and would better prepare the buckeyes for their bowl game.

Take this season for instance (Moving NM State to the front of the schedule)

9/5 – Navy
9/12 – USC
9/19 – BYE WEEK
9/26 – Toledo
10/3 – New Mexico State
10/10 – Illinois
10/17 – BYE WEEK
10/24 – Indiana
10/31 – Wisconsin
11/7 – Purdue
11/14 – BYE WEEK
11/21 – Minnesota
11/28 – Penn State
12/5 – Iowa
12/12 – BYE WEEK
12/19 – Michigan
—BOWL SEASON—