I'm against the current alignment because they seeded the teams on who historically has been the better teams to keep the divisions fair (or to facilitate a UM/OSU title game depending on your perspective.) Here are the holes in this thinking: Having your two best (supposable) teams play every year on the last game of the season but still hoping they play in the title game. Seems very redundant to me. Wisconsin not being in the same division as their two biggest rivals (Minnesota/Iowa) while Minnesota being the only cross over meaning Wisco misses Iowa and only plays them on crossover years. That is a trophy game and a heated rivalry. Now we may only play them every 3 years. Forcing fans to travel much farther to away games because the divisions are not set-up geographical. I believe teams should be battling for their division with close rivals instead of teams far away while not playing teams close to them. For example, Wisconsin will be fighting for the division with PSU and Indiana instead of Iowa and Minnesota and NW. The way they should of set it up are: West: Iowa Neb Minn Wisc ILL NW East: PSU OSU Purd UM MSU Ind This is the model that has been promoted the most by Big-Ten fans from what I have seen. Also, if you look over the last 10 years this would of actually provided a more equal distribution of power than the alignment they released last night.
I do not disagree with any of those points. I think the geographical division of the SEC has worked out great, but it does not seem to have been as successful for the Big 12. Their North/South divide seems to have tilted most of the balance of that conference South. Which may be what the Big 10 was trying to avoid.
I think you will like it over time, you will have a bonafide champion every year with no what ifs. And Phillip, I saw the reference to the Clausen led vols...could'nt help yourself huh.
Heck yeah...only thing I anticipate more than football is bow season. I am about to hit a 30 minute run and then watch football throught the night. USC plays real late, but I am sure you do not support them...and their coach.
Germ, that is great news. You are going to be busy tailgating and shaking your pom pom's while I'm in the treestand. I'm starting to like our challenge more and more. lol
