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B1G Football is BACK! 9 (8+1) Games in 9 Week Window w/ Oct 23/24 Start Date, which is Crucial w/ Dec 19 B1G Title Game & CFP Teams Revealed Dec 20

Story from ESPN:

Big Ten football is back: What you need to know


The conference presidents and chancellors on Wednesday voted to start their season the weekend of Oct. 24 after considering new medical information and testing possibilities presented to them this past weekend.

Here's a look at what went into the decision, and what's still to come out of it:

Could the Big Ten be ready in time for the College Football Playoff?

With a late October start date, the Big Ten can still finish its season and crown a champion in time to be considered for a semifinal spot, but it has to be approved by the playoff's management committee. All 10 of the FBS commissioners and Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick would determine whether the Big Ten can rejoin the CFP. ACC commissioner John Swofford, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey and Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby will carry the most weight in the room, as they will have navigated their leagues through longer schedules. It would be difficult for them to say no, but they probably won't be thrilled with the Big Ten playing a shortened season.

What was the most important factor in the Big Ten voting to play?
The medical information and resources around COVID-19 improved significantly, especially the availability of rapid-testing programs. Big Ten teams had several outbreaks during the summer, and contact tracing had been a significant obstacle without rapid testing in place. Many wondered how schools such as Rutgers, Northwestern, Illinois and Maryland would ever get around their state restrictions to practice in pads and eventually play. The emergence of several reliable rapid-testing options eased concerns about contact tracing, and increased confidence about having minimal interruptions during the regular season, which can't afford too many bumps if the Big Ten wants to be part of the College Football Playoff.

The Full Story:

 
Again, things change daily with this virus. Speaking of days, 36 days ago (Aug 11) the B1G season was unnecessarily canceled.

36 wasted days.

And speaking of how things change daily w/ this virus:

 
No matter what form it takes I'm extremely happy we are going to have a season! I'm also pleased that the powers that be came to their senses and realized going forward with even an abbreviated season is the right call.

what do you think about 9 games in 9 weeks? i think we are playing with fire

Oct 24--Game 1

Dec 12--Game 8

Dec 19--Game 9 (everyone plays B1G Championship weekend)
 
Scott Frost has to be happy with the eight game schedule.

Nebby won't lose 10 games this year.

Could be the first time in 16 years they don't lose 4 or more games. However I could easily still see them do it especially with what Dochterman tweeted about cross overs if he's right they'd get OSU and PSU.
 
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a schedule should be coming shortly. it will be interesting to see if their are 6 division plus 2 cross over games. hopefully we lose tOSU, since we will be playing them in the B1G Title Game. ;)

As I posted above, there is no room for error.

Check out this 10 WEEK timeline, assuming a "bye week floater" in the middle of the season:

Oct 17--Game 1
Oct 24--Game 2
Oct 31--Game 3
Nov 7--Game 4
Nov 14--BYE WEEK/RESERVED FOR RESCHEDULED GAME
Nov 21--Game 5
Nov 28--Game 6
Dec 5--Game 7
Dec 12--Game 8

Dec 19--B1G Championship Game

Dec 20--The FOUR College Football Playoff Teams announced


As I posted yesterday:


A schedule should be coming shortly. hopefully we lose tOSU, since we will be playing them in the B1G Title Game. ;)

And now, there is no room for error.

Check out this NOW 9 WEEK timeline. There are no longer "bye week floaters" in the middle of the season:

Oct 24--Game 1
Oct 31--Game 2
Nov 7--Game 3
Nov 14--Game 4
Nov 21--Game 5
Nov 28--Game 6
Dec 5--Game 7
Dec 12--Game 8

Dec 19--Game 9 for EVERYONE, including the B1G Championship Game

Dec 20--The FOUR College Football Playoff Teams announced
 
What were our 3 cross over games pre covid? MSU, OSU & PSU, correct?

F*ck, any bets on which game gets dropped to get our 8 game schedule?

 
what do you think about 9 games in 9 weeks? i think we are playing with fire

Oct 24--Game 1

Dec 12--Game 8

Dec 19--Game 9 (everyone plays B1G Championship weekend)

2nd and 3rd stringers better be ready to go in. At least they won't have thousands of fans to cause the jitters even worse
 
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Summary of the 9 Game Schedule:

Oct 23/24 Start Date.

6 division games
2 cross over games
1 game during B1G Championship Weekend (all 14 teams are playing)
9 total games







 
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There's no doubt the original plan with an earlier start and multiple bye dates that was subsequently nixed was far superiorto this one. Nonetheless, this one is far superior to the next plan they came up with (postponement).

not sure why they couldn't have made Oct 10 (or at least Oct 17) work, which would have allowed 2 (or 1) bye weeks

Nevertheless, yesterday we knew B1G football was back. We have that, at least.
 
This long delay between now and a 10/24 start date is by design. They could be playing this weekend if they wanted to, this will be an ‘I told you so’ moment When one postponement will be enough to screw up the schedule for the entire league. Throw in the 21 day waiting period to play following a positive test for a player and you can pretty much write the posts now - ‘the conference made this fail by design’

Lets face it. There was no reason to cancel the season on Aug 11, which was 36 days ago.

Remember when Kevin Warren said the decision would not be re-visited? Well, that was not true, fortunately.

And now we are going to get 9 games in 9 weeks completed? I hope it happens, but hope is not a good strategy.

This has been a major f-up since day 1.
 
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