Welcome to BIG TENish Country

After months of speculation the Big Ten has officially given us our first glimpse of what the new conference will look like.  Upon initial review there's nothing to be upset about despite how much the Michigan Wolverines fan base may moan and groan.

The conference will be separated into two six team divisions that break down like so:

          Division 1: Michigan, Nebraska, Iowa,
          Michigan State, Northwestern and Minnesota

          Division 2: Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin,
          Purdue, Indiana and Illinois

Alot of the worry around how the Big Ten decided to align itself into divisions was based on how much tradition the conference lost.  Unfortunately, there was no way to guarantee that all of the rivalries would be preserved. Under the circumstances though, the Big Ten did a stand up job. If you look at a list of the conferences rivalry games, listed below, you can't help but realize how well the conference did in keeping tradition alive.

          Illinois vs. Northwestern for the Land of Lincoln Trophy
          Illinois vs. Ohio State for the Illibuck
          Illinois vs. Purdue for the Purdue Cannon
          Indiana vs. Purdue for the Old Oaken Bucket
          Indiana vs. Michigan State for the Old Brass Spittoon
          Iowa vs. Minnesota for the Floyd of Rosedale
          Iowa vs. Wisconsin for the Heartland Trophy
          Michigan vs. Michigan State for the Paul Bunyan Trophy
          Michigan vs. Minnesota for the Little Brown Jug
          Michigan vs. Ohio State, no trophy
          Michigan State vs. Penn State for the Land Grant Trophy
          Minnesota vs. Wisconsin for the Paul Bunyan's Axe
          Ohio State vs. Penn State, no trophy

Of the 13 longstanding rivalries the Big Ten enjoys every year, 7 are preserved by the yearly divisional match-ups.  The Big Ten has taken another step to ensure 4 more rivalries by pairing each conference member with a parnter from the other division to form a guaranteed match-up every year. Those match-up's are as followed:

          Michigan vs. Ohio State, Illinois vs. Northwestern,
          Purdue vs. Iowa, Michigan State vs. Indiana,
          Penn State vs. Nebraska, Wisconsin vs. Minnesota

This means that only two standing rivalries are not guaranteed to happen every year, Michigan St. vs Penn St. and Iowa vs. Wisconsin.  Although attribution can not be provided as to why these match-ups were chosen as the sacrificial lambs, it doesn't take an expert to realize that tradition is the answer. 

We'll begin with Iowa vs. Wisconsin.  This has only been an official trophied rivalry since 2004, easily the least historically significant official rivalry.  After Iowa vs. Wisconsin, the two least historically significant rivalries are Penn St. vs. Ohio St. and Penn St. vs. Michigan St.  The more marketable match-up with the Buckeyes is preserved by way of realignment which leaves Penn St. match-up against the Spartans on the chopping block.

What this realignment also does is create a few new rivalries as well.   Nebraska vs. Michigan and Iowa instantly becomes a very marketable rivalry while the Huskers cross division game against Penn St. allows for a very marketable rivalry as well.  So by my count the Big Ten sacrificed two of its shortest tenured match-ups in favor of three instantly marketable games the conference can build on.

The most important detail to remember here is the importance of the Big Ten Championship game in the overall scheme of things.  The conference's cash cow has always been U of M vs. OSU and splitting the two teams into different divisions creates the possibility that fans might be able to see this game twice a year.  This also gives the Wolverines a second chance at winning the Big Ten despite constantly losing to the Buckeyes year in and year out.  At the end of the day, the Big Ten made itself stronger by doing what many considered unthinkable in separating the Wolverine's and Buckeye's.

A Mid-Majors BCS Championship Dream

We're officially one week away from the kick-off of the College Football season and ESPN is already calling it a "September to Remember."   The NCAA has graced us with a non-conference slate that includes 12 games between pre-season Top 25 teams in the first four weeks alone.  And if you aren't salivating yet, 5 of those 12 games feature a Top 5 program.

But what we'll remember up here in the Bleachers is not how many elite games we had the privilege of watching while Bama's Roll Tiding over the Buckeyes in the BCS Championship, if you prefer to listen to the pundits.  No, we'll remember the little guy catching a break for once.

As it stands right now, the five best teams in college football, according to the AP Top 25, are Alabama, Ohio State, Boise State, Florida and Texas in that order.  For those of you that just did a double take there's no need to adjust your screen, you read it right, Boise State is ranked number 3 in the nation.  The same Bronco football team that is best known for playing on "Smurf Turf", the hook and ladder and that running back who proposed to a cheerleader after beating Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl.

I'll be the first to say it, seeing the WAC's finest near the top of college footballs biggest poll seems a little odd, and I've been singing the praises of Little Brother U for quite some time.  No more than a decade ago the thought of a mid-major earning pre-season recognition was still considered laughable, hell, prior to this year no mid-major had even started a season higher than number 14.

Here we are however, theoretically just one Bama/Buckeye loss away from witnessing our first small school playing for a National Championship in the modern era.  And that's the beauty of it, with just that one loss the Bronco's are in complete and total control over their future.  Some might argue that an undefeated Florida or Texas would leap frog an undefeated BSU, but Boise's athletic department did one hell of a job setting up a schedule to help steer off the naysayers.

The Broncos start off the season at a not so neutral site against 10th ranked Virginia Tech and then host 24th ranked Oregon State two weeks later with a breather game against Wyoming between them.  Assuming Boise enters October with a 3-0 record, their chances of running the table are better than excellent.

As for that one loss needed from Alabama or Ohio State, the Tide face a beast of a schedule that includes 5 games against the preseason Top 25 and a trip to the SEC Championship en route to an undefeated season.  Ohio State must face 4 ranked opponents (all in the Top 20) and a potentially dangerous rivalry game to the end season.  Although I am very confident Alabama can run the table, I just don't see Ohio St. making it through a schedule that features Miami, Wisconsin, Iowa and Penn State with a clean record, they normally have trouble if they have to face two ranked teams.

This leaves one lose end that could make things a little unsettling for Bronco fans come bowl season, the teams just behind Boise in the rankings.  Florida can't leap frog BSU without beating Alabama, and if Florida beats Alabama, the Gators would just assume the position they knocked the Tide out of.  Then there's the Big XII.  Texas, Oklahoma and Nebraska are all in the Top 10.  In order for Texas to leap frog Boise they will have to beat Oklahoma and Nebraska in consecutive weeks plus win the conference championship while replacing their record setting quarterback and five other picks taken in the first four rounds of this years draft.

Oklahoma will have to beat Florida State, Texas and win the Big XII championship game with a still inexperienced QB, a new LT and defense that lost a vast majority of its starters from 2010.  Nebraska will have to go undefeated and possibly beat Texas twice in the same year without Ndamukong Suh to make up for a lack luster offense.  At best, one team will make it through the Big XII undefeated, and that is a tall feat considering no other conference lost so many key difference makers to the NFL.

Now, this isn't a guarantee that we'll be watching Boise play for the Sears trophy come January, but don't be surprised to see it happen either.  In the end, an undefeated BSU will probably do just enough to earn a shot at the title should Alabama and Ohio State not go a combined 25-0.  And if Boise does end up losing a game this year the dream of a mid-major champion isn't completely dead, after all, TCU is ranked number 6.