Not what I meant, google....
There was a lot of talk about the conference championship game. Where should it be played? Who will be in it? What about divisions? Competitive balance or geographical alignments?? There sure seemed to be more questions than answer. "But..." we thought "I'm sure that things will work out and most everyone will be happy". Looks like we might be wrong. I know this has been talked about at length, but bear with me while I beat this dead horse and maybe drop my two cents on the topic.
Damn it feel good to be a gangsta..
Seeing that I'm about 6 weeks short of 27, I'm not quite at the "get off my lawn" point just yet, but believe me, I'm getting closer and closer every day. For as long as I can remember, Ohio State has played Michigan the last week of the regular season, and a lot of times, it was for a trip to Pasadena and/or a shot at the National Title, mythical or not. Fact is, it's been played that way since 1935, it's a tradition like pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving, or making your younger sibling ride "bitch" when you're in the car. It's the way things are, and the way they should be. It just feels right. Not to say that all traditional ideas and ideals are right, but this one is.
My best guess is that Jim Delany hates to do things the easy way. He must absolutely hate the path to least resistance. Currently, each Big Ten team plays two teams or "protected rivalry games" every year, year in and year out. Ohio State's are Michigan(obv.) and Penn State(again, obv.). It would seem to me that the easiest way(depending on whether OSU and Michigan are in the same division or not) is to keep these two protected rivalries as is, and to have OSU, Michigan and Penn State in the same division. On top of that you can still have the OSU v. Michigan game every year as the last game of the season. By keeping OSU and Michigan in the same division you guarantee that they play the same week, same time and only once just like always. Why is Delany causing all this trouble? The answer is right in front of him, like it always has been!
1938...
Some have hinted at Michigan and OSU being in separate divisions, making a slight possibility of a rematch. Quite frankly(F U Stephen A Smith), rematches happen every now and then in the Big Twelve and the conference that shall not be named because I can't say it fast enough to do justice to it's incredible speeeeeeed. As much as I, and a lot of other OSU (and even UM fans), am concerned this isn't nearly as bad as other options. Still not desirable, but way better than meeting up every once and while if both teams manage to make it to the conference championship game.
The third choice is to keep the game, but move it to October, or some other time other than the last week of the regular season. Another idea that I hate. The example of the Red River Shootout just doesn't work as it has led to more confusion in the past couple years. Anyone remember when Texas, Oklahoma and Texas Tech all finished with the same records and Oklahoma got the nod over Texas in some convoluted tie-breaker scenario? Add to that that Texas Tech was left out of the BCS on top of that Texas/OU S storm. Ugly. Isn't that the point of what this whole conference expansion/title game thing is? Keep the game as it is, a knock out round.
Option four is suicide for the Big Ten. In my opinion, it is the absolute worst option out there. Putting Michigan and Ohio State in different divisions with no guaranteed regular season match up would kill the rivalry, and kill one of the best things the Big Ten has going. Some may point and say "well, it's up to these two teams to make it to the championship game. If they can't do that then they have no business complaining." To which I say, you're ignorant. Rivalries, traditions, etc are what NCAA football is all about. If Cal didn't play Stanford the band would have never been on the field. If 2006 OSU and Michigan didn't play we'd be down another instant classic. I could go on and on as every conference seems to have at least one marquee rivalry. Without these games, college football loses another thing that makes it special and different from the NFL.
I still hate you..
Emotion is what makes college football great. The thrill of defeating your rival to win the conference and go on to a bowl game or national title game can't be matched. No one can ever take the memories I have of rushing the field after the Buckeyes beat the Wolverines. On the flip side, the agony of being on the other end of the first scenario also makes rivalries what they are. I can honestly say that growing up in the Cooper years has made my blood boil every time I see that ugly winged helmet, block M or even the colors blue and yellow(in any shade) thrown together. The NFL doesn't have that. Major League Baseball? Get out of Here. Don't even mention the NBA. None of these touch college football in terms of the emotional connection with fans.
In the eyes of the fan, Delany's choice isn't a choice at all. It's as clear as day. Can he pull of two brilliant moves back to back? Or will we rue the day that Nebraska joined the Big Ten and set the wheels in motion for the demise of the greatest rivalry in all of sports?
Don't take this from me.
My best guess is that Jim Delany hates to do things the easy way. He must absolutely hate the path to least resistance. Currently, each Big Ten team plays two teams or "protected rivalry games" every year, year in and year out. Ohio State's are Michigan(obv.) and Penn State(again, obv.). It would seem to me that the easiest way(depending on whether OSU and Michigan are in the same division or not) is to keep these two protected rivalries as is, and to have OSU, Michigan and Penn State in the same division. On top of that you can still have the OSU v. Michigan game every year as the last game of the season. By keeping OSU and Michigan in the same division you guarantee that they play the same week, same time and only once just like always. Why is Delany causing all this trouble? The answer is right in front of him, like it always has been!
1938...The third choice is to keep the game, but move it to October, or some other time other than the last week of the regular season. Another idea that I hate. The example of the Red River Shootout just doesn't work as it has led to more confusion in the past couple years. Anyone remember when Texas, Oklahoma and Texas Tech all finished with the same records and Oklahoma got the nod over Texas in some convoluted tie-breaker scenario? Add to that that Texas Tech was left out of the BCS on top of that Texas/OU S storm. Ugly. Isn't that the point of what this whole conference expansion/title game thing is? Keep the game as it is, a knock out round.
Option four is suicide for the Big Ten. In my opinion, it is the absolute worst option out there. Putting Michigan and Ohio State in different divisions with no guaranteed regular season match up would kill the rivalry, and kill one of the best things the Big Ten has going. Some may point and say "well, it's up to these two teams to make it to the championship game. If they can't do that then they have no business complaining." To which I say, you're ignorant. Rivalries, traditions, etc are what NCAA football is all about. If Cal didn't play Stanford the band would have never been on the field. If 2006 OSU and Michigan didn't play we'd be down another instant classic. I could go on and on as every conference seems to have at least one marquee rivalry. Without these games, college football loses another thing that makes it special and different from the NFL.
I still hate you..In the eyes of the fan, Delany's choice isn't a choice at all. It's as clear as day. Can he pull of two brilliant moves back to back? Or will we rue the day that Nebraska joined the Big Ten and set the wheels in motion for the demise of the greatest rivalry in all of sports?
Don't take this from me.
