Which B1G realignment option do you like best?

14 December 2012
27 Comments

Current Legends/Leaders, with slight changes for Maryland and Rutgers.

13% (191 votes)

East-West

77% (1115 votes)

Inner-Outer

10% (140 votes)

Total votes: 1446

Comments

Oyster on 14 Dec 2012 - 7:04am #

Leave it alone and just change the names. You will never make everyone happy, no matter how you slice it.

popeurban on 14 Dec 2012 - 7:29am #

Oyster, I agree. Plus the current divisions seems to be the most balanced IMHO.

nickma71 on 15 Dec 2012 - 9:53am #

Not making everyone happy isn't the goal. Common sense and logic to alignment is the goal.

JColeman1 on 14 Dec 2012 - 8:44am #

East/West...makes so much more sense.

buckeye76BHop on 14 Dec 2012 - 10:38am #

East/West makes more sense...never liked Leaders/Legends personally.

"There's nothing that cleanses your soul like getting the hell kicked out of you."
"I love football. I think it is most wonderful game in world and I despise to lose."
Woody Hayes 1913 - 1987

Nappy Mod on 14 Dec 2012 - 10:44am #

After seeing the shirtless Bielema pic, I can no longer see the word "outer" without picturing his gut. Thanks, internet.

Edit: I wrote this before I read the Skully. So I guess I should also thank Elika for linking to that pic again.

Fan of bacon since 1981

Doc on 14 Dec 2012 - 8:12pm #

I voted inner/outer because I thought it was a joke, you know because of Bert.

NW Buckeye on 14 Dec 2012 - 11:02am #

Agree with Oyster here. Arguements can be made for balanced divisions or regional divisions. We are at 14 teams now, and will soon be to 16 (at least that has been projected). Separating the divisions by east and west (not just naming them that) would make the divisional footprints too small in my opinion. It would work with a 12 team league because there are enough cross overs to 'spread' out your season. However with 8 teams per div. you will not be able to achieve that diversity. The current divisions have teams scattered through the divisions to achieve a more geographically integrated league - if that makes sense.

What is worse about the larger numbers is that the B1G will move to a 9 game schedule. That creates more imbalance than anything because of home field differences in any given season. With the increased numbers I would much prefer a 10 game season with a stipulation that OC's be from other major conferences. Or keep it at 8 games without the requirement to play everyone in your division (we missed some conference opponents every year when we had 11teams.) The problem with a full divisional schedule is that with larger divisions there will be too few games for cross division games. That puts teams like OSU and TTUN at somewhat of a disadvantage because they play each other every year while others in their divisions may draw considerably easier games.

The expansion of the league is great for revenue, but creates some interesting scheduling challenges.

Boxley on 14 Dec 2012 - 11:17am #

East-West is still the best choice of the three choices offered. I find it hard to believe that there are not better options.

However, until we know how many more teams we are expanding to, and where those teams/schools will be, regionally is a good start until the construction dust settles.

Boxley

GoBucks713 on 14 Dec 2012 - 11:38am #

I think add Maryland to the Legends and Rutgers to the leaders to stick with that Ms and Ns with Iowa until Delaney is finished, then figure out what you want to do. Plus I like having the balance in the conferences we have now.

-The Aristocrats!

yrro on 14 Dec 2012 - 11:39am #

Balanced divisions blow up in everyone's face when a team has an unexpected coaching change or NCAA sanctions.

I don't really care what the divisions are (I kind of think divisions are dumb anyway - just play close to a round robin and have the top 2 records meet in the championship) as long as they change the idiotic names. I *still* can't remember which division we're supposed to be in. East/West, Lakes/Plains, I don't care as long as they aren't arbitrary and nearly identical.

buckeyedude on 14 Dec 2012 - 11:44am #

Inner/Outer received 19 votes. Wow.

edit: now 20. Double wow.

"Here officer, hold my beer while I find my license."

willshire58 on 14 Dec 2012 - 12:38pm #

I think Inner/Outer was included in the survey to gauge how much people dislike Legends/Leaders. Putting Legends/Leaders as your least favorite lets them know how much you dislike the current situation. There is no way that Inner/Outer is a practical solution given the logistics of the geography.

AngryWoody on 14 Dec 2012 - 11:57am #

East/West is a bad idea because all the powerhouses would be in the east. Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State all in one division? The other side would be awful with Neb, Wisky, Purdue, Iowa, Minnesota, Illinios, and Northwestern.

The most competetivley even conference would go as follows.

Awesome Division: tOSU

Crap Division: the little 13

Our honor Defend!

poop on 14 Dec 2012 - 12:50pm #

I voted for Inner-Outer because it seemed the most competitively balanced to me. It would be the worst for fans of teams falling in the outer division as they would have massive distances to travel in some of those games. The three most important things to me are 1) Michigan and Ohio State are in the same division and 2) both divisions are balanced competitively and 3) no stupid division names.

Bucksfan on 14 Dec 2012 - 1:16pm #

Why don't we just have no divisions? The two teams with the best records play in Indianapolis.

Buckeye in Illi... on 14 Dec 2012 - 2:35pm #

How about South/East and North/West.

SE: Maryand, Rutgers, PSU, OSU, Indiana, Purdue, Illinois

NW: ttun, MSU, Northwestern, Wisc, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska

35 hours to Pasadena! Go Bucks!

GoBucksOSU on 14 Dec 2012 - 3:09pm #

I think it should still be done on competitive balance but the divisions should be redone from scratch.

Leaders: Ohio State, Penn State, Rutgers, Maryland, Michigan, Northwestern, Purdue

Legends: Michigan State, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana

Protected cross division games: OSU-Wisconsin, Michigan-MSU, Northwestern-Illinois, Indiana-Purdue, PSU-Nebraska, Maryland-Iowa, Rutgers-Minnesota

If not this idea, than do that rumored idea of moving Illinois to the legends division and adding Rutgers and Maryland to the leaders.

Nick on 14 Dec 2012 - 5:18pm #

ANY NEW DIVISION MUST HAVE OHIO STATE AND SCUM TOGETHER WE AREN'T PLAYING THE GAME TWICE (YES I KNOW I AM YELLING)

unknownmusketeer on 15 Dec 2012 - 1:36pm #

I agree with this completely. Ironically, my name is also Nick.

onetwentyeight on 15 Dec 2012 - 12:07am #

Geography. It's not Rocket Science. There's a reason why nobody's GPS says "... on Maple Street, take a left. Head LEGENDARY for 3 miles. Take the third exit. Drive LEADER(-LY?) for half a mile. Arrive at destination," etc.

GoBucksOSU on 15 Dec 2012 - 12:41pm #

Who cares? Your example does not prove anything at all. Why would you compare football division names with driving on a road?

Deshaun on 15 Dec 2012 - 12:24am #

How about this:
Red Division (OSU, Indiana, Wisconsin, Rutgers, Maryland, Nebraska, and Minnesota)
Polychromatic Division (Northwestern, Michigan St, Penn St, Iowa, Purdue, Illinois, and TTUN)

It separates the four power programs, geographically diversifies the …okay, this was a joke. Please, don’t anyone think this is a good idea.

Seriously, all I ask is OSU and TTUN be placed in the same division and finish the season against each other every year.

buckeyedude on 15 Dec 2012 - 11:35am #

Upvote for suggesting the "Polychromatic Division." Humor always gets an upvote from me. :)

I would love to hear Lee Corso mention that.

"Here officer, hold my beer while I find my license."

RBuck Mod on 15 Dec 2012 - 11:49am #

Just wait until the B1G reaches super-conference level with 20 teams. Put all the new members starting with PsU one division and the original 10 in the other.

Call the divisions the FNGs and the FOGs.

"It's just another case of there you are". ~ Doc (1918-2012)