Two more years to win the west

[Laker]

Thanks for your shitty support, "fan".

Just keeping it real. Minnesota’s benefit from adding these 2 teams is increased money payouts from the now more valuable TV contracts. Unfortunately the level of competition will go up commensurately. Pointing that out in a lighthearted way is not being a troll or shitty fan just a realistic one.

 

[cjbfbp]

Just keeping it real. Minnesota’s benefit from adding these 2 teams is increased money payouts from the now more valuable TV contracts. Unfortunately the level of competition will go up commensurately. Pointing that out in a lighthearted way is not being a troll or shitty fan just a realistic one.

Yes, you are not a "troll" (a trite label applied by inarticulate people).

We are unlikely to beat out USC (or UCLA) for top West Coast athletes but, with the increased television exposure in the state of California, we may pick up a few good ones who might have gone to places like Utah or Mountain West schools.

 

[cjbfbp]

We better win it this season then. With the personnel losses after this season, a harder non-conference schedule, and possibly a worse conference schedule (once they figure out the revised conference schedule), I don't see much chance of winning it in 2023

 

[cjbfbp]

Yup. The people that complain about SoCal or Cali in general are the ones who cant afford to live there or dont know how to manager their money well enough to live there.

It also requires you to generally be a happy person.

That might be part of it but I think cultural propaganda has more to do with it. Just because people don't believe they could afford to live in certain areas doesn't automatically make them hate those areas.

Never had a bad time when visiting CA and I can't visualize a better area to live in than San Diego. Many parts of the LA area are fine too. I think San Francisco is a fine place to visit but I'm not sure I'd like living there.

 

[cjbfbp]

Yeah. Except you're forgetting LA is now the shitholiest of shitholes.

You must lead a very sheltered life. Ever visit East St. Louis (IL), Camden (NJ), Gary (IN), or Chester (PA)?

 

[Off-GridTNgopher]

We win it the next 2 years..

 

[Off-GridTNgopher]

L

You must lead a very sheltered life. Ever visit East St. Louis (IL), Camden (NJ), Gary (IN), or Chester (PA)?

Iittle rock ark

 

[mnsportsgeek]

Good point. They’ll have to redo the schedule for 2024, so maybe we’ll finally go back to Ann Arbor again.

 

[U2Gopher]

I guess I have a much different and optimistic take on the Gophers’ chances for success post expansion. No one knows for sure how it is going to work out in the end but imagine this scenario. Two super conferences emerge at 20 teams each. They stage their own 8-12 team playoff for the national title. All of the top athletes in the country are going to want to play for those 40 schools, of which Minnesota will be one of them. Our access to 4 and 5 star talent should go up drastically. Those types of players for the most part are not going to be attending the other schools not in the group of 40. If some salary structure is eventually agreed upon for the players on the teams involved in the super conferences, we could actually end up being on a more equal footing with the elite teams than we are now. That’s a ways down the road though, but I don’t see it as far fetched.

 

[cjbfbp]

L
Iittle rock ark

You've got me there. I've never visited Little Rock. Only went into the north central and northeastern parts of Arkansas which were pretty rural (had some nice scenery though).

However, I would assume that Little Rock has some good parts of the city. Those places I mentioned above don't have much at all in the way of good parts.

 

[Gophers_4life]

There is a whole thread in that.
I find it hard to believe they’ll change everything in 22 to change it again completely in 23

Agree.

2024 should be when Texas, OU goes to the SEC and USC, UCLA goes to the Big Ten.

Maybe more, we will see. Doubt anything can happen by 2023.

 

[Ope3]

There is a whole thread in that.
I find it hard to believe they’ll change everything in 22 to change it again completely in 23

Do you find it hard to believe like when you didn't think there were enough schools to ditch divisions or that the Big 10 would expand prior to 2026?

FOX is calling the shots on this with the Billions they are shelling out. I think the odds are big that 2022 is the swan song for East/West Division set up.

 

[Some guy]

Do you find it hard to believe like when you didn't think there were enough schools to ditch divisions or that the Big 10 would expand prior to 2026?

FOX is calling the shots on this with the Billions they are shelling out. I think the odds are big that 2022 is the swan song for East/West Division set up.

I think it’s absolutely stupid for long term revenue to do what they’re doing.
They’re going to turn it from a regional sport to a national sport.
Rather than winning a different niche than the nfl long term it is going to lose being in direct competition with the nfl.

They’re taking a check and ruining the sport. Will turn off fans.

 

[Ope3]

I think it’s absolutely stupid for long term revenue to do what they’re doing.
They’re going to turn it from a regional sport to a national sport.
Rather than winning a different niche than the nfl long term it is going to lose being in direct competition with the nfl.

They’re taking a check and ruining the sport. Will turn off fans.

I have never disputed that, I completely agree. I just came to grips that it was happening a while ago (when Maryland & Rutgers were added) and will continue to be the case.

Once Texas and Oklahoma bolted for the SEC, it was just a matter of time before the Big 10 followed suit. If they left for greener pastures, then what would be stopping their own bell-cows (Ohio St, Michigan & Penn St) from bolting? I hate it, but the option was get B1Gger or get smaller in terms of stature.

 

[FredCoxRocks]

My kids are marching in the Rose Parade this year, so I'll be there. It's fate. Gophers are winning the West and going to the Rose Bowl this year.

In a couple months, you can all thank me for having kids when I did, moving where I did, and my wife for forcing them to be in marching band. It's all coming together this year.

 

[FredCoxRocks]

Yep, 2 years for the west. USC will be a juggernaut with their current recruiting, transfers, NIL, and competent coach.

Hey recruit, come to Minnesota from warm Texas, Florida, or Georgia. The NIL isn’t great and the coeds are cute once you see them out of their puffy coats. The coach is pretty good if you can get over getting harangued by a used car salesman 5 times a day. On the other hand, you can come to sunny California. The coach likes to pass and score a lot. The NIL money is great, the weather is great and the coeds are all aspiring starlets so might score a lot too. Remember to bring plenty of shorts, swimsuits, and flip flops. You might even need an emergency light fleece. That will be pretty hard to compete against. I fear the Gophers might be relegated to the canon fodder group of the Big

If you got a kid that chooses one school over another because they supposedly have hotter chicks, then you're probably recruiting the wrong player.
Anyway, there are scholarship limits. Not every kid in America can go play in Southern California, the math just doesn't work out. Coaches like PJ Fleck will have to continue to do what they do to get kids to come to their school and find kids that fit their culture. Sure, Minnesota isn't for everyone...but neither is California.
Anyway, that's my two cents. I'll let you get back to chasing shiny things.

 

[GopherDog1]

All of this talk, which we have right now, reminds me of the great expectations for Nebraska when they joined the Big Ten.

For different reasons, of course, USC and UCLA might be Welcome to the Big Ten - Nebraska 2.0. We don't know yet how competitive they will be.

 

[Some guy]

All of this talk, which we have right now, reminds me of the great expectations for Nebraska when they joined the Big Ten.

For different reasons, of course, USC and UCLA might be Welcome to the Big Ten - Nebraska 2.0. We don't know yet how competitive they will be.

This thread isn’t about USC and UCLA being unbeatable, it is about the likely end of the current divisional alignment

They aren’t bringing in USC to have 8 team divisions play 7 with 2 cross division games to play Ohio state 2 out of 8 years and penn state 2 out of 8 years but have yearly games with northwestern and Illinois

 

[Laker]

If you got a kid that chooses one school over another because they supposedly have hotter chicks, then you're probably recruiting the wrong player.
Anyway, there are scholarship limits. Not every kid in America can go play in Southern California, the math just doesn't work out. Coaches like PJ Fleck will have to continue to do what they do to get kids to come to their school and find kids that fit their culture. Sure, Minnesota isn't for everyone...but neither is California.
Anyway, that's my two cents. I'll let you get back to chasing shiny things.

While a rational person might believe the hotter chicks might not make a difference 18 yr olds make irrational decisions all the time including those influenced by hormones. Better weather, more NIL money, Hollywood, and potentially better coaching are pretty strong draws for 4 and 5 stars. There is a finite number of those guys and Minnesota will likely have a harder time attracting them.

 

[Ope3]

Do you find it hard to believe like when you didn't think there were enough schools to ditch divisions or that the Big 10 would expand prior to 2026?

FOX is calling the shots on this with the Billions they are shelling out. I think the odds are big that 2022 is the swan song for East/West Division set up.

If Iowa AD Gary Barta is correct, I will have to walk back 2022 being the swan song for East-West. 2 more years he envisions. $1 Billion doesn't buy as much as I thought it did, perhaps.

Iowa AD Barta: Big Ten 'not seeking members'

Barta says that while the Big Ten is talking with other schools, he doesn't envision further expansion right now.

theathletic.com

Although Barta said it isn’t finalized, it’s likely the league’s East and West divisions continue for two more seasons.

“I would anticipate through ‘23 that we would stay the way we are and then we would begin building a schedule that includes USC and UCLA, get that ready to go,” Barta said.

 

[Some guy]

If Iowa AD Gary Barta is correct, I will have to walk back 2022 being the swan song for East-West. 2 more years he envisions. $1 Billion doesn't buy as much as I thought it did, perhaps.

Iowa AD Barta: Big Ten 'not seeking members'

Barta says that while the Big Ten is talking with other schools, he doesn't envision further expansion right now.

theathletic.com

Although Barta said it isn’t finalized, it’s likely the league’s East and West divisions continue for two more seasons.

“I would anticipate through ‘23 that we would stay the way we are and then we would begin building a schedule that includes USC and UCLA, get that ready to go,” Barta said.

I think when it’s all said and done, the big ten new contract nets only marginally more than it would have without ucla and usc

 

[#2Gopher]

Yep, 2 years for the west. USC will be a juggernaut with their current recruiting, transfers, NIL, and competent coach.

Hey recruit, come to Minnesota from warm Texas, Florida, or Georgia. The NIL isn’t great and the coeds are cute once you see them out of their puffy coats. The coach is pretty good if you can get over getting harangued by a used car salesman 5 times a day. On the other hand, you can come to sunny California. The coach likes to pass and score a lot. The NIL money is great, the weather is great and the coeds are all aspiring starlets so might score a lot too. Remember to bring plenty of shorts, swimsuits, and flip flops. You might even need an emergency light fleece. That will be pretty hard to compete against. I fear the Gophers might be relegated to the canon fodder group of the Big

When I see posts like this, it does make me wonder why someone would be so negative on another board. No doubt that someone has a shallow life, angry about something, and needs to vent or scream at someone.

When anyone reads this post by Laker, everyone knows it is false. Doesn't accomplish anything. I know that this poster will deny it. But obviously he needs some help in his life to behave this way if he has any feelings toward humanity and life in general.

 

[Urbandale]

This thread isn’t about USC and UCLA being unbeatable, it is about the likely end of the current divisional alignment

They aren’t bringing in USC to have 8 team divisions play 7 with 2 cross division games to play Ohio state 2 out of 8 years and penn state 2 out of 8 years but have yearly games with northwestern and Illinois

It wouldn’t surprise me at all to have four pods, the B1G semifinal games in Indianapolis, and the B1G championship in the Rose Bowl.

 

[Some guy]

It wouldn’t surprise me at all to have four pods, the B1G semifinal games in Indianapolis, and the B1G championship in the Rose Bowl.

It will surprise me if there is a 4 team playoff with only pod winners.

The complaint with the divisions is sometimes it’s 1 vs 4 in the championship game.

In PODs you could have the second best team and third best team in the conference passed over for the 4th, 6th, and 7th best team in the conference if they happen to be POD winners

If there are pods they’ll be for scheduling

 

[Gophers_4life]

We better win it this season then. With the personnel losses after this season, a harder non-conference schedule, and possibly a worse conference schedule (once they figure out the revised conference schedule), I don't see much chance of winning it in 2023

F'in A, let's do it!

Beat Purdue (homecoming). Beat @Illinois. Beat @Nebraska. Beat Iowa!! Beat @Wisconsin!!! The rest should take care of itself.

 

[MGGopher]

It will surprise me if there is a 4 team playoff with only pod winners.

The complaint with the divisions is sometimes it’s 1 vs 4 in the championship game.

In PODs you could have the second best team and third best team in the conference passed over for the 4th, 6th, and 7th best team in the conference if they happen to be POD winners

If there are pods they’ll be for scheduling

That's a good point. With 16 teams, how about this:

• 4 pods for scheduling and predictability purposes
• Play everyone in your pod every year (3 games)
• Play all teams in another pod every 3 years on a rotating basis (4 games). The NFL does this by matching up divisions.
• Play another team not already scheduled (this is where teams with many rivals could preserve games against those not in their pod).
• For the 9th conference game, do it like 2020 by matching up teams that finished close in the standings that season. This will also serve as semifinal week with #1 playing #4 (based on conference record and tiebreakers) and #2 playing #3. The winners meet in the B1G Championship and everyone else is done and waiting for bowl matchups as usual.

Probably too convoluted, but you likely keep all the traditional rivals, play every B1G team over the course of 3 years, and setup a fun final week with the best 4 teams in the semifinals regardless of pod.

 

[Gophers_4life]

That's a good point. With 16 teams, how about this:

• 4 pods for scheduling and predictability purposes
• Play everyone in your pod every year (3 games)
• Play all teams in another pod every 3 years on a rotating basis (4 games). The NFL does this by matching up divisions.
• Play another team not already scheduled (this is where teams with many rivals could preserve games against those not in their pod).
• For the 9th conference game, do it like 2020 by matching up teams that finished close in the standings that season. This will also serve as semifinal week with #1 playing #4 (based on conference record and tiebreakers) and #2 playing #3. The winners meet in the B1G Championship and everyone else is done and waiting for bowl matchups as usual.

Probably too convoluted, but you likely keep all the traditional rivals, play every B1G team over the course of 3 years, and setup a fun final week with the best 4 teams in the semifinals regardless of pod.

The potential problem with this is that it doesn't protect enough rivalries. If Michigan and Ohio State don't end up in the same pod, well obviously then you just destroyed having "The Game" annually. What if Minn, Wisc, and Iowa don't end up in the same pod? Then the Axe and Floyd don't get played every year. That's not that far fetched when you consider UCLA and USC have to go in some pod, right? Wouldn't USC,UCLA,Neb,Iowa make sense?

The reverse "problem" (I disagree that this is as big an issue, but some will think that it is and that's fine) when you try to protect some of those rivalries (say they have 2 locked in games, instead of your last two bullet points) is that then the schedules are going to get unbalanced in some sense (strength of scheduling most likely).

You wouldn't be able to have your first two bullet points so neatly, when there is a variance of how the two protected would be spread out among other pods.


My (non-existent) vote is to protect the rivalries at the cost of perfect "balance".

 

[Gophers_4life]

Probably the easiest thing to start from is: what are the games that have to be played every year?

USC UCLA
Minn Wisc
Minn Iowa
Purdue IU
Michigan Ohio St

There are obviously more. But you start with a list like that, and perhaps you see if, somehow, you can work out a pod structure that saves all of those within the pods?


Then you could do like you were saying. It wouldn't matter because those would be pod games. But I don't think it can be done, unless you get really wacky with the pods (Rutgers and USC/UCLA in the same pod??)

 

[Gophers_4life]

Well, one very simple way you could do it is -- shock, horror -- keep two division. Kick IU and Purdue over to the East, add UCLA and USC to the West.

Play everyone in your division (7 games) and cycle through the other division 2 teams at a time (similar to now but no locked in game). In four years, a player in a West team will have played every East school.


But then you could make the rules so that it is still possible for two teams from the same division to make the Championship. That was the whole beef with getting rid of divisions.

 

[Ope3]

I think when it’s all said and done, the big ten new contract nets only marginally more than it would have without ucla and usc

While I have said previously something to the effect that the answer to all questions is money, in this case I think in addition to the marginal net gain this was about preventing USC/UCLA from going to the SEC or elsewhere. At least for the short term. Over the long haul, perhaps BTN reaches tens of millions of additional subscribers in LA and beyond.

Personally I don't know how to react. I accepted the Big 10 going to 12 teams (though I was really less than thrilled about it). 14 was even worse, though it did help the Gophers out by prompting East-West Divisions and kept it somewhat regional.

Now skipping over the Rocky Mountains to add the 2 Los Angeles teams destroying the Rose Bowl matchup in the process, just tough to fathom for someone that grew up in the 70s & 80s, even though I felt it was going to happen. I spent 1995-97 in LA. Enjoyed it and have been to several Bruins & Trojan games. Having the Gophers go there every once in a while seems appealing, but big picture...bleah.