Remaining top Big 10 games for contenders; how will it play out?

[uihawk82]

I see that Iowa can beat everyone left on their schedule but all games will be tough, all of them. So I dont have them in this list of undefeated and one loss teams. Below is what I think are the games that will make or break. I think Oregon is favored to go undefeated now, OSU @ Penn St is huge and Ryan Day is staring 2 losses straight in the face, Nebby will have a tough road as do some others.

IU @ OSU and vs Mich
Ore @ both Mich and Wisc
Penn St has OSU at home
Ill has Mich at home (maybe they were thinking of this game late in their Purdue game) and @ Ore, a loss
OSU @ PSU and they have IU and Mich at home
OUCH, Neb @ IU, @ OSU, @ USC, @ Iowa
Mich @ ILL, vs Ore, @ IU and @ OSU
Wisky home vs PSU, @ Iowa, home vs Ore, @ Nebby

 

[Mountain Man Hawk]

OSU undefeated the rest of the way
PSU loses once to OSU
Oregon loses once to Wisconsin (the dreaded 2 time zone travel)
Iowa wins out


That leaves a huge log jam of (at least) four 1-loss teams that will be a mess to figure out who goes to the conference championship game.

Iowa goes back to the Outback Bowl for the 10th time in Ferentz’s 26 years where we face Texas A&M.

 

[Hawkfan_08]

OSU undefeated the rest of the way
PSU loses once to OSU
Oregon loses once to Wisconsin (the dreaded 2 time zone travel)
Iowa wins out


That leaves a huge log jam of (at least) four 1-loss teams that will be a mess to figure out who goes to the conference championship game.

Iowa goes back to the Outback Bowl for the 10th time in Ferentz’s 26 years where we face Texas A&M.

That checks.

 

[Mountain Man Hawk]

That checks.

Sort of a tangent but thinking about how the mega conferences make it so much more likely we will have a log jam of 4 or 5 teams that can make a case to be deserving of the conference championship game because of uneven schedules and never facing each other regular season, we could really use a conference playoff.

There isn’t time for a full playoff but something like we did in 2020 where 1vs2, 3vs4, and so on. I always wished we would have kept that beyond the 2020 season and it’s even more needed now where we could go so long between facing some conference opponents.

I would think the media execs would love it as well and there could be a lot of money in it.

 

[rrdd2021]

The problem for Iowa (and Indiana with 1 loss) - even if they win out - will be that they should be the 4th B1G team in the Playoffs. Will they select 4 B1G teams? Stay tuned

 

[onlyTheObvious]

Conferences need an open date before conference title game to schedule semi finals. The rest can just matchup and balance out home away games.

 

[Packer54]

Not playing competitive vs OSU hurt quite a bit if it does come down to us and a couple of other schools for a final spot in the playoffs. Now that can somewhat be rectified if winning out means winning big as well.

 

[amahawk]

OSU undefeated the rest of the way
PSU loses once to OSU
Oregon loses once to Wisconsin (the dreaded 2 time zone travel)
Iowa wins out


That leaves a huge log jam of (at least) four 1-loss teams that will be a mess to figure out who goes to the conference championship game.

Iowa goes back to the Outback Bowl for the 10th time in Ferentz’s 26 years where we face Texas A&M.

Please no.

 

[uihawk82]

Sort of a tangent but thinking about how the mega conferences make it so much more likely we will have a log jam of 4 or 5 teams that can make a case to be deserving of the conference championship game because of uneven schedules and never facing each other regular season, we could really use a conference playoff.

There isn’t time for a full playoff but something like we did in 2020 where 1vs2, 3vs4, and so on. I always wished we would have kept that beyond the 2020 season and it’s even more needed now where we could go so long between facing some conference opponents.

I would think the media execs would love it as well and there could be a lot of money in it.

I am not sure if the Big is thinking of this but if I have they have. I think it would be good if the Big brought in 2 more teams to make it 20 teams and divided the conference into four divisions with 5 teams. Your team would play the other 4 in their division, perhaps 1 locked in rival, and rotate 4 other schools or even go to a 10 game schedule.

Then the winners of each division play in two semifinal games and the winners of those games play each other in the conf championship game. This setup makes it a bit easier to get a chance to get to the league championship team.

 

[NI hawk]

OSU undefeated the rest of the way
PSU loses once to OSU
Oregon loses once to Wisconsin (the dreaded 2 time zone travel)
Iowa wins out


That leaves a huge log jam of (at least) four 1-loss teams that will be a mess to figure out who goes to the conference championship game.

Iowa goes back to the Outback Bowl for the 10th time in Ferentz’s 26 years where we face Texas A&M.

I am currently predicting Tampa for Iowa. Feels like home.🙂

 

[amahawk]

With a 12-team playoff, maybe it is time to ditch the conference championship games.

 

[Mountain Man Hawk]

With a 12-team playoff, maybe it is time to ditch the conference championship games.

That would mean giving up money, which they have never done before.

There have been several articles written recently stating that the BigTen and SEC are thinking of having their own post season matchups, similar to the BigTen-ACC basketball challenge.

I also read an article that said the days of teams losing money to go to bowl games are done, which makes sense given teams need every last dollar right now to pay players and buy they best team we can afford. I’m not sure when the current contracts with the bowls expire but I don’t expect we will renew those contracts.

 

[Mountain Man Hawk]

That would mean giving up money, which they have never done before.

There have been several articles written recently stating that the BigTen and SEC are thinking of having their own post season matchups, similar to the BigTen-ACC basketball challenge.

I also read an article that said the days of teams losing money to go to bowl games are done, which makes sense given teams need every last dollar right now to pay players and buy they best team we can afford. I’m not sure when the current contracts with the bowls expire but I don’t expect we will renew those contracts.

Here is the article I mentioned. Some fans probably have nostalgia for the bowls and don’t want them to go away I’m actually looking forward to something different. It was a lot of fun going to a Florida bowl on New Years the first few times but now it feels stale, I feel like we’ve done that 20 of the last 25 years, it’s time for something new.


And what of bowl games? It remains uncertain. But, as one leader told Yahoo Sports recently, “the days of schools losing money by playing in bowl games is over.”

With college sports at tipping point, one thing is clear: The SEC and Big Ten are in control of the change that awaits

The SEC and Big Ten's brass held meetings Thursday to discuss the future format of the CFP, football and basketball scheduling arrangements and a post-House settlement way to govern college sports.

sports.yahoo.com

 

[iahawks10]

Conferences need an open date before conference title game to schedule semi finals. The rest can just matchup and balance out home away games.

I’m all for it on BTNCG weekend (Friday and Saturday, possibly lower seeds Thursday). Between Detroit, Indy, Minneapolis, Vegas…

1 vs 2
3vs 4
5 vs 6
And so on. I will definitely take this, but it could complicate things even more.

 

[amahawk]

I think more games equal more injuries. 12 games, CCG and playoffs. Maybe cut back on the regular season.

 

[SolarHawk]

I believe it will be expanded to 16 teams sooner than later. Also, the B1G and SEC will be the top tier and everyone else will be on the outside looking in. I'm also confident the NIL situation will get regulated and some kind of salary cap will be implemented. It's the wild west currently. Major changes still to come.

 

[Mountain Man Hawk]

I think more games equal more injuries. 12 games, CCG and playoffs. Maybe cut back on the regular season.

The trend is definitely to more, not less, games. The NFL just went to a 17 game season and immediately the talk turns to when will it be an 18 game season. The players all want more money (and I don’t blame them) and more games is an easy way to get them more money…

 

[NI hawk]

Here is the article I mentioned. Some fans probably have nostalgia for the bowls and don’t want them to go away I’m actually looking forward to something different. It was a lot of fun going to a Florida bowl on New Years the first few times but now it feels stale, I feel like we’ve done that 20 of the last 25 years, it’s time for something new.


And what of bowl games? It remains uncertain. But, as one leader told Yahoo Sports recently, “the days of schools losing money by playing in bowl games is over.”

With college sports at tipping point, one thing is clear: The SEC and Big Ten are in control of the change that awaits

The SEC and Big Ten's brass held meetings Thursday to discuss the future format of the CFP, football and basketball scheduling arrangements and a post-House settlement way to govern college sports.

sports.yahoo.com

I will still probably go to bowl games in Florida, Nashville, and hopefully Alamo Bowl again someday. It was amazing the turnouts at the Hawkeye Huddles 2001-10. 2021 season Bowl game in Orlando was nothing compared to 2004 season when Iowa played in Orlando. Last 3 Outback Bowls didn't compare with first 3 appearances.