Sports post: the Big 10's new divisions
And as expected, Sparty isn't happy.
This isn't really a surprise. Sometimes it seems like the only way Spartan fans have fun is by claiming they was robbed. But this time is particularly silly.
The Big 10 has 4 major brands with multi-decade histories of success: University of Michigan, Ohio State, Nebraska, and Penn State. Lately Wisconsin and Michigan State have been dominating the conference. The geographical split puts four of those six into the East, and the other two in the West. MSU fans are convinced they'd have a much better shot at the Rose Bowl if they went East.
Here's the problem: that math doesn't work. To get to the Rose Bowl in the West they have to play three power schools (OSU, UM, and PSU). This obviously harder then simply playing two power schools (Wisci and Big Red), but a) MSU fans are insisting on having a protected crossover with the University of Michigan which gets them back to three and b) in 2014 PSU will still be in sanctions hell. They'll be difficult to beat, but they probably won't be threatening for a Division title with only 70 scholarships. If they'd been sent East they'd still be playing three power programs a year.
Moreover that's ignoring the other schools in the division. Iowa, Northwestern, and Purdue have all been excellent in the near-past. Two of the three ended up in the West. Which means an MSU in the West would be playing at least three power-schools, two schools that are actually quite good today, Illinois, and Minnesota (Indiana would likely be moved East if MSU went West). The Golden Gophers were Bowl-eligible last year, so they aren't exactly a gimme, and the Illini have a distressing tendency to be very good once or twice a decade. Then there's be two more cross-over games, and because MSU has earned the title of Power-School they'd likely be against Power Schools from the East.
What MSU actually got was this: two gimmes while Rutgers and Maryland re-tool for the Big-10, a beatable Purdue team, two and half power-schools, and they'll probably get beatable Minnesota as one of their early Cross-division games.
Frankly I can't think of a team that did better out of this new division system then MSU.
This isn't really a surprise. Sometimes it seems like the only way Spartan fans have fun is by claiming they was robbed. But this time is particularly silly.
The Big 10 has 4 major brands with multi-decade histories of success: University of Michigan, Ohio State, Nebraska, and Penn State. Lately Wisconsin and Michigan State have been dominating the conference. The geographical split puts four of those six into the East, and the other two in the West. MSU fans are convinced they'd have a much better shot at the Rose Bowl if they went East.
Here's the problem: that math doesn't work. To get to the Rose Bowl in the West they have to play three power schools (OSU, UM, and PSU). This obviously harder then simply playing two power schools (Wisci and Big Red), but a) MSU fans are insisting on having a protected crossover with the University of Michigan which gets them back to three and b) in 2014 PSU will still be in sanctions hell. They'll be difficult to beat, but they probably won't be threatening for a Division title with only 70 scholarships. If they'd been sent East they'd still be playing three power programs a year.
Moreover that's ignoring the other schools in the division. Iowa, Northwestern, and Purdue have all been excellent in the near-past. Two of the three ended up in the West. Which means an MSU in the West would be playing at least three power-schools, two schools that are actually quite good today, Illinois, and Minnesota (Indiana would likely be moved East if MSU went West). The Golden Gophers were Bowl-eligible last year, so they aren't exactly a gimme, and the Illini have a distressing tendency to be very good once or twice a decade. Then there's be two more cross-over games, and because MSU has earned the title of Power-School they'd likely be against Power Schools from the East.
What MSU actually got was this: two gimmes while Rutgers and Maryland re-tool for the Big-10, a beatable Purdue team, two and half power-schools, and they'll probably get beatable Minnesota as one of their early Cross-division games.
Frankly I can't think of a team that did better out of this new division system then MSU.
posted by Nick Benjamin at
9:15 PM
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