The Rest of College Football

[Wild Hoss]

This is pretty much spot on...though I don't think we are in a bad situation...we're just doing everything we can to make sure we don't find ourselves in one. Swarbrick was quite blunt and forthright in admitting he was talking to the Big Ten last year and that he has talked with other conferences and schools, etc. The official position is to continue to monitor the situation and make a decision that is in ND's best interest.

Fans are pretty much resigned to the fact that it's no longer a question of if, but when.

So what?s the holdup? University Prez and/or AD unwilling to take the political hit for getting this thing started?

[Clashmore Mike]

Conventional thinking is that there is no immediate need to pull the trigger. That when/if this 4 / 16 team superconference system materializes, see who is willing to offer what and only then go.

[jack_crancer]

I'd love to see the B10 add Oklahoma, Okie State, ND, and Mizzou. We would add two more premier traditional powerhouse teams and establish new rivalries while resurrecting old ones (Neb and OU) and sustaining the previous out of conference rivalries (Mizzou and Illinois). The divisions could be a true geographic East/West split:

East
Michigan
Michigan State
Ohio State
Penn State
Notre Dame
Indiana
Purdue
Northwestern

West
Nebraska
Oklahoma
Okie State
Mizzou
Wisconsin
Iowa
Minnesota
Illinois

Some may say the power balance is slightly to the East, but that would be just a minor problem to me. Thoughts?

[jack_crancer]

Seven division games, three cross division games, and 2 non-conference games a year. It would be the shit! Think of the craziness with the all possible matchups:

Oklahoma/Notre Dame
PSU/Oklahoma
Notre Dame/Nebraska
Notre Dame/PSU
Oklahoma/Ohio State
Michigan/Oklahoma

That would be TV gold right there. Not to mention adding the bedlam OU/OSU game too. Notre Dame would keep all of their traditional rivialries with the current Big 10 teams they play too.

[Jamie H]

Replace Mizzu with Texas and you have an absolutely dominant conference. And the divisions would break down pretty nicely. Michigan OSU Penn St. ND on one side, Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska on the other. Call the East division the "Great Lakes" and the west the "Great Plains Division".

It would essentially be the Big 10 + ND + The absolute best of the Big 12 (Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas)

Git 'R Done.

[jack_crancer]

I went to Texas for grad school, and I don't want them in the Big 10. First off, Deloss Dodds wouldn't do it. He wants Texas to be the biggest fish in the pond. Second, I think all the other schools wouldn't want the drama they would bring. I'd be just fine adding Mizzou instead and picking up the KC/St. Louis TV markets to not have to deal with that. Plus, the travel arrangments are just easier. Texas is not a good fit in so many ways. I think they'd be better off going to the Pac 12 personally, being in a southern division with ASU, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, etc.....

[jack_crancer]

Not to mention most Nebraska fans hate their guts and would be pissed as hell about it.

[Jamie H]

I think Nebraska would be fine with it, because with Michigan + Ohio State + Penn State + Notre Dame, Texas only has so much power. If they wanted to leave in the future? Go right ahead. They couldn't torpedo the Big 16 the way they did the Big 12.

[jack_crancer]

I don't. Their choice to leave the B12 was almost solely related to Texas. It's a pretty strong dislike between the schools.

[entropy]

Not really

[Clashmore Mike]

The first ND insider (that I trust) has posted on the Northwestern-generated tip with the following:

"On this subject and specific discussion here, I will only say that they (or you) have the approached and the approacher, so to speak, reversed.

There also are significant issues between ND (and UT, I believe) on one side and certain "people" and entities on the other side in the arrangement proposed here."

He's not saying anything else.

Also, this guy seems pretty confident in his source:

http://twitter.com/#!/lullonsports

[Ghengis Jon]

Twitter. <smirk>

"The trouble with the Internet is in authenticating the facts from the fictions." - Leonardo di Vinci

[jack_crancer]

Hey Entropy, I would beg to differ. You don't see lists like this on the internet without a reason:

http://www.lostlettermen.com/top-10-reasons-nebraska-hates-texas-7-texas-jumps-on-board-for-championship-game/

[Wild Hoss]

There?s no question we fans hate Texas? guts, but this was a move made for security. They were preparing to leave us high and dry with the Big Eight leftovers, and we found another- and better- place to go. Simple as that.

Our relationship with Texas, from an athletic department perspective, was very profitable.

[jack_crancer]

I'm sure there's still some bad blood there. At least that's how we in Austin see it. Anyway, I hope something seismic happens here.... but like I've said, I'd rather see Texas playing in the PAC 12. I think too many powerhouses in once conference would be a little much.