(04-29-2013 10:17 AM)ohio1317 Wrote:  

(04-29-2013 07:50 AM)NJRedMan Wrote:  Well your president along with all the others agreed to invite those two schools. They will be full members of the B1G soon, so you should get used to the idea. Geographic split was the best way to handle the divisions.

I am used to the idea, but I'm not going to praise it just because presidents went with it. I like geographic conferences and I like playing the same teams we've played for 100 years. That's nothing against Rutgers or Maryland. I wasn't even thrilled with adding Nebraska and they fit the Big Ten Midwestern model to a T.

Disagree about it being the best method to divide though. Inner/Outer would have a) meant no locked crossovers (so Purdue/Indiana wouldn't have been forced to play everyone else less often), b) would have divided recruiting grounds/big names/population centers, c) would have kept all major rivalries in division except Michigan/Minnesota and Ohio State/Penn State, both of which should be thought of as secondary.

These current divisions were made partially to avoid the outcry they had last time with legends/leaders. The long term result though is going to be an eastern division which is usually tougher and recieves more attention. It's not the worst they could have done (at least they avoided most crossovers and went to 9 games unlike the ACC/SEC where they'll practically never play the other division anymore), but it's far from the best too.

(04-29-2013 07:50 AM)NJRedMan Wrote:  Rutgers has a good chance to replace PSU as the power team in that area. With the Nittany Lions down for the next decade Rutgers should win out for the local recruits and continue to improve. Watch for how well Coach Flood does this season. If he struggles in the AAC this season he could very well be replaced by the new AD who is coming in.

I could see Rutgers rising, but don't see it being that quick. Penn State will be down a few years but recover quicker than people think.

So the schools in the east would have all the travel so the inner schools don't have to? East/West makes the most sense.

(04-29-2013 10:17 AM)ohio1317 Wrote:  

(04-29-2013 07:50 AM)NJRedMan Wrote:  Well your president along with all the others agreed to invite those two schools. They will be full members of the B1G soon, so you should get used to the idea. Geographic split was the best way to handle the divisions.

I am used to the idea, but I'm not going to praise it just because presidents went with it. I like geographic conferences and I like playing the same teams we've played for 100 years. That's nothing against Rutgers or Maryland. I wasn't even thrilled with adding Nebraska and they fit the Big Ten Midwestern model to a T.

Disagree about it being the best method to divide though. Inner/Outer would have a) meant no locked crossovers (so Purdue/Indiana wouldn't have been forced to play everyone else less often), b) would have divided recruiting grounds/big names/population centers, c) would have kept all major rivalries in division except Michigan/Minnesota and Ohio State/Penn State, both of which should be thought of as secondary.

These current divisions were made partially to avoid the outcry they had last time with legends/leaders. The long term result though is going to be an eastern division which is usually tougher and recieves more attention. It's not the worst they could have done (at least they avoided most crossovers and went to 9 games unlike the ACC/SEC where they'll practically never play the other division anymore), but it's far from the best too.

(04-29-2013 07:50 AM)NJRedMan Wrote:  Rutgers has a good chance to replace PSU as the power team in that area. With the Nittany Lions down for the next decade Rutgers should win out for the local recruits and continue to improve. Watch for how well Coach Flood does this season. If he struggles in the AAC this season he could very well be replaced by the new AD who is coming in.

I could see Rutgers rising, but don't see it being that quick. Penn State will be down a few years but recover quicker than people think.

Are they down? They were pretty good last year. They might actually recruit well, as the athletes have a better chance to play for PSU.

(04-29-2013 07:56 AM)NJRedMan Wrote:  Rutgers has some BCS teams already on the docket for the next few years, though they lost PSU, which is now a conference game. Though '14 is looking pretty much like cupcake city. Hopefully with their impending move, more schools will be willing to schedule them since they will be a B1G school.

'14-Howard, @Navy, Tulane

'15-Kansas, Army @Yankee Stadium, Norfolk St

'16-UCLA

'17-@UCLA

'18-@Kansas, Miami

'19-@Miami

Im ok with 2014 being a total cupcake OOC sched as its our first year playing in a murderer's row division. Keeps us having a winning record.

(04-29-2013 01:44 PM)brista21 Wrote:  

(04-29-2013 07:56 AM)NJRedMan Wrote:  Rutgers has some BCS teams already on the docket for the next few years, though they lost PSU, which is now a conference game. Though '14 is looking pretty much like cupcake city. Hopefully with their impending move, more schools will be willing to schedule them since they will be a B1G school.

'14-Howard, @Navy, Tulane

'15-Kansas, Army @Yankee Stadium, Norfolk St

'16-UCLA

'17-@UCLA

'18-@Kansas, Miami

'19-@Miami

Im ok with 2014 being a total cupcake OOC sched as its our first year playing in a murderer's row division. Keeps us having a winning record.

Navy is downright superior to you. Tulane beat you at YOUR PLACE in 2010. You did win the most recent meeting - but you struggled past a bad Tulane team to win 24-12. You'll crush Howard, however.

I think you go 2-1 vs. those three - with another ugly, labored victory over Tulane.

You are badly overrating Rutgers football.

(04-29-2013 12:32 PM)USAFMEDIC Wrote:  

(04-29-2013 10:17 AM)ohio1317 Wrote:  I could see Rutgers rising, but don't see it being that quick. Penn State will be down a few years but recover quicker than people think.

Are they down? They were pretty good last year. They might actually recruit well, as the athletes have a better chance to play for PSU.

Which one might recruit well, now?

However well Penn State recruits, their scholarships are down so they are not likely to be as deep ~ and Rutgers will of course be trying to take advantage of any player in the Eastern PA / NJ area that PSU has to leave on the table.

I'm assuming Rutgers will be younger next year, since I don't see how they had 7 players drafted unless they had a Senior rich team.

(04-29-2013 12:29 PM)NJRedMan Wrote:  So the schools in the east would have all the travel so the inner schools don't have to? East/West makes the most sense.

I definitely understand a preference for simple east-west and while it wasn't my preference at all, it wasn't a terrible choice. That said, travel is the most overrated aspect of the discussion in my opinion. These are football only divisions so that's the only sport it matters in (and I'm definitely against divisions in any other sport). In football there will only be 4-5 conference road games, only 2-3 of which are in division, and 1-2 of those in division games would still be close (the western teams to each other and the eastern teams to each other). Practically, we are probably talking about an average of less than 1 extra long road trip a year vs. this version of east/west.

Given that the Big Ten cared so much about travel last go round that they put Wisconsin in a division without any of the teams closest to it and made Penn State/Nebraska a locked crossover, I don't think travel should have seriously been used as an argument against inner/outer.

Penn State is certainly going to struggle for awhile with the scholarship restrictions (less effect last year than the next couple). Honestly I hope Rutgers or Maryland rises enough for those games to be rivalries as Penn State fans have been kind of without a main rival since the Pitt series ended. With that said, Penn State has money to spend on coaches, has the 2nd largest football stadium, and has a big brand name in the east. I see them down for 5-6 years, but only truly bad for 2-3 years (when the rooster is the smallest), and would expect a pretty big jump again after that.

The East will be loaded with Ohio State and Michigan while Nebraska has no excuse not to win the West every year.

(04-29-2013 11:22 PM)ohio1317 Wrote:  Penn State is certainly going to struggle for awhile with the scholarship restrictions (less effect last year than the next couple). Honestly I hope Rutgers or Maryland rises enough for those games to be rivalries as Penn State fans have been kind of without a main rival since the Pitt series ended. With that said, Penn State has money to spend on coaches, has the 2nd largest football stadium, and has a big brand name in the east. I see them down for 5-6 years, but only truly bad for 2-3 years (when the rooster is the smallest), and would expect a pretty big jump again after that.

I think Rutgers/PSU will be a valuable rivalry for the B1G. Not OSU/UM level but one that will bring in lots of viewers on the east coast. NJ vs PA is a match in the making.

(04-29-2013 11:24 PM)UTEPDallas Wrote:  The East will be loaded with Ohio State and Michigan while Nebraska has no excuse not to win the West every year.

You know nothing about the Big Ten. Nebraska is not the Nebraska of old.

I think that Rutgers hit the realignment lottery and should be positioned in time to do well in the Big Ten.

Penn State should be "down" for a few years but have too many positive things (listed above) going for them. PSU will be fine.

(04-30-2013 06:15 AM)He1nousOne Wrote:  

(04-29-2013 11:24 PM)UTEPDallas Wrote:  The East will be loaded with Ohio State and Michigan while Nebraska has no excuse not to win the West every year.

You know nothing about the Big Ten. Nebraska is not the Nebraska of old.

They'll be competing against Wisconsin, Iowa, and Northwestern for the West title. Ohio State and Michigan still have to face Michigan State who has been beating or stayed competitive with them in recent years and I'm sure Penn State and Rutgers will be fairly competitive and even have a few surprise years. It is not going to be a walk in the park trying to win either division in the Big Ten.

(04-29-2013 11:22 PM)ohio1317 Wrote:  I see them down for 5-6 years, but only truly bad for 2-3 years (when the rooster is the smallest), and would expect a pretty big jump again after that.

I think that in their smallest roster years they may not be all that bad at the top, but more kind of like a MAC team that is having a very good year, have a squad that is very brittle ~ two injuries in the wrong position at the wrong time and they implode for two or three weeks.

(04-29-2013 11:24 PM)UTEPDallas Wrote:  The East will be loaded with Ohio State and Michigan while Nebraska has no excuse not to win the West every year.

There's not enough of a gap for it to be a Big One and Little Six in the Western division ~ Whisky, Iowa and Northwestern will challenge Nebraska, and they don't play enough of the same style of offense for the same defense to have equal prospects of shutting down all three. Plus there will be two and then three cross division games, so one playing and the other not playing either the Buckeyes or that school up north in a year that they are going through the conference like a hot knife through butter could easily flip the odds.

(04-30-2013 12:06 PM)BruceMcF Wrote:  

(04-29-2013 11:22 PM)ohio1317 Wrote:  I see them down for 5-6 years, but only truly bad for 2-3 years (when the rooster is the smallest), and would expect a pretty big jump again after that.

I think that in their smallest roster years they may not be all that bad at the top, but more kind of like a MAC team that is having a very good year, have a squad that is very brittle ~ two injuries in the wrong position at the wrong time and they implode for two or three weeks.

(04-29-2013 11:24 PM)UTEPDallas Wrote:  The East will be loaded with Ohio State and Michigan while Nebraska has no excuse not to win the West every year.

There's not enough of a gap for it to be a Big One and Little Six in the Western division ~ Whisky, Iowa and Northwestern will challenge Nebraska, and they don't play enough of the same style of offense for the same defense to have equal prospects of shutting down all three. Plus there will be two and then three cross division games, so one playing and the other not playing either the Buckeyes or that school up north in a year that they are going through the conference like a hot knife through butter could easily flip the odds.

I don't think Nebraska is the team to beat. I still think it's Wisky. Nebraska and Iowa will be trying to take that top spot from the Badgers.

(04-30-2013 07:49 AM)DexterDevil Wrote:  

(04-30-2013 06:15 AM)He1nousOne Wrote:  

(04-29-2013 11:24 PM)UTEPDallas Wrote:  The East will be loaded with Ohio State and Michigan while Nebraska has no excuse not to win the West every year.

You know nothing about the Big Ten. Nebraska is not the Nebraska of old.

They'll be competing against Wisconsin, Iowa, and Northwestern for the West title. Ohio State and Michigan still have to face Michigan State who has been beating or stayed competitive with them in recent years and I'm sure Penn State and Rutgers will be fairly competitive and even have a few surprise years. It is not going to be a walk in the park trying to win either division in the Big Ten.

Exactly, words from someone else who actually knows about the Big Ten rather than just someone with an ignorant slanted viewpoint of the conference.

Programs go up and down in the Big Ten. Just like how Wisconsin had their upswing and their Head Coach knew it. He jumped off the roller coaster at high point.

I wouldn't be surprised at all if Northwestern would be the winner of that division this coming season.

(04-30-2013 12:14 PM)NJRedMan Wrote:  

(04-30-2013 12:06 PM)BruceMcF Wrote:  

(04-29-2013 11:22 PM)ohio1317 Wrote:  I see them down for 5-6 years, but only truly bad for 2-3 years (when the rooster is the smallest), and would expect a pretty big jump again after that.

I think that in their smallest roster years they may not be all that bad at the top, but more kind of like a MAC team that is having a very good year, have a squad that is very brittle ~ two injuries in the wrong position at the wrong time and they implode for two or three weeks.

(04-29-2013 11:24 PM)UTEPDallas Wrote:  The East will be loaded with Ohio State and Michigan while Nebraska has no excuse not to win the West every year.

There's not enough of a gap for it to be a Big One and Little Six in the Western division ~ Whisky, Iowa and Northwestern will challenge Nebraska, and they don't play enough of the same style of offense for the same defense to have equal prospects of shutting down all three. Plus there will be two and then three cross division games, so one playing and the other not playing either the Buckeyes or that school up north in a year that they are going through the conference like a hot knife through butter could easily flip the odds.

I don't think Nebraska is the team to beat. I still think it's Wisky. Nebraska and Iowa will be trying to take that top spot from the Badgers.

Wisky just had their big three years. Thats how it goes in the Big Ten. Someone else will rise up in the West for a few years. My personal bet is on Northwestern.

(04-30-2013 06:29 AM)TerryD Wrote:  I think that Rutgers hit the realignment lottery and should be positioned in time to do well in the Big Ten.

Penn State should be "down" for a few years but have too many positive things (listed above) going for them. PSU will be fine.

Only if they can keep the best of NJ home and Flood proves he can coach. Their hoops and lax teams are a dumpster fire right now. They have potential but playing in a small hoops arena doesn't help. Lacrosse players prefer private schools or elite publics.

(04-30-2013 07:28 PM)TexanMark Wrote:  

(04-30-2013 06:29 AM)TerryD Wrote:  I think that Rutgers hit the realignment lottery and should be positioned in time to do well in the Big Ten.

Penn State should be "down" for a few years but have too many positive things (listed above) going for them. PSU will be fine.

Only if they can keep the best of NJ home and Flood proves he can coach. Their hoops and lax teams are a dumpster fire right now. They have potential but playing in a small hoops arena doesn't help. Lacrosse players prefer private schools or elite publics.

It's not about Flood. There is a new AD coming in so don't expect Flood there too long unless he can win and win big right now. He has zero wiggle room with the impending move. If he struggles next season in the AAC he is out the door and I hope he knows that. Rutgers will be more attractive to potential coaches moving forward.

(04-30-2013 07:28 PM)TexanMark Wrote:  

(04-30-2013 06:29 AM)TerryD Wrote:  I think that Rutgers hit the realignment lottery and should be positioned in time to do well in the Big Ten.

Penn State should be "down" for a few years but have too many positive things (listed above) going for them. PSU will be fine.

Only if they can keep the best of NJ home and Flood proves he can coach. Their hoops and lax teams are a dumpster fire right now. They have potential but playing in a small hoops arena doesn't help. Lacrosse players prefer private schools or elite publics.

The turmoil in Rutgers basketball program at present could be the best thing that's happened for Rutgers since their B1G invite. They got rid of a volatile coach, and a new coach gets to come in with plenty of scholarships to offer to HIS players. It's a clean sweep for their basketball program, which will allow them to start anew, without the need to carry the baggage of the old regime around...

B1G membership should allow them a much better chance of keeping the better football and basketball recruits in the state at home. I think they'll do very well in time, and the B1G may end up being sorry they awakened a sleeping giant...

I could care less about lacrosse, so I'm not going to comment on that aspect...

(04-30-2013 07:39 PM)bitcruncher Wrote:  

(04-30-2013 07:28 PM)TexanMark Wrote:  

(04-30-2013 06:29 AM)TerryD Wrote:  I think that Rutgers hit the realignment lottery and should be positioned in time to do well in the Big Ten.

Penn State should be "down" for a few years but have too many positive things (listed above) going for them. PSU will be fine.

Only if they can keep the best of NJ home and Flood proves he can coach. Their hoops and lax teams are a dumpster fire right now. They have potential but playing in a small hoops arena doesn't help. Lacrosse players prefer private schools or elite publics.

The turmoil in Rutgers basketball program at present could be the best thing that's happened for Rutgers since their B1G invite. They got rid of a volatile coach, and a new coach gets to come in with plenty of scholarships to offer to HIS players. It's a clean sweep for their basketball program, which will allow them to start anew, without the need to carry the baggage of the old regime around...

B1G membership should allow them a much better chance of keeping the better football and basketball recruits in the state at home. I think they'll do very well in time, and the B1G may end up being sorry they awakened a sleeping giant...

I could care less about lacrosse, so I'm not going to comment on that aspect...

I completely agree about Rutgers. With new rules in regards to recruiting, I think we are all going to be in for some major surprises in the future. Rutgers is entering the Big Ten at a great time. They are at a high point with their program and many of the Big Ten programs are at low points trying to rebuild.