Schedule

[ColoradoHusk]

Iowa has played Ohio St 2x since we joined the B10 - we are now at 7x...that isn't a coincidence. Either way we need to start holding up our side of the bargain and win some damn football games. 

It's baffling why the Big Ten has gone with competitively imbalanced cross-over game schedules.  I know why they do it (TV $), but certain teams are penalized by it.  But, you are correct in that NU needs to start living up to their brand name, and be competitive in the cross-over games.

 

[nic]

I mentioned this earlier. The only decision to make for the 8 game was whether to keep @Rutgers or @OSU. TV $ dictated O$U. No-brainer. I do agree however that the 5 year commit to a cross over is too long. 2 for home and home with 3 teams is best. I prefer the variety unless a rivalry breaks out. Miss the old Legands/Leaders divisions other than the names.

 

[Frustrated]

Another way of looking at it - we've played them two fewer times than their arch-rival Michigan in that span, and more than any other West opponent. And that includes the Leaders & Legends years when Illinois, Wisconsin & Purdue were in the same division as the Buckeyes.

Wisconsin has played OSU 8X since we joined the conference and has 4 more scheduled through 2025.  Granted a few of those games were Championship games.  But it doesn't seem fair to describe us as a victim.  The conference scheduling operates the same for all teams.

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

Everybody keeps missing the point:

You join a conference to benefit yourself, not everybody else.  There was no good reason ever expressed that I read as to why the Big Ten said NO to NU going on its own when the first cancel vote was taken with no plans otherwise and after the Big Ten summarily cancelled our non-con games.  

That punished NU for being a member while doing nothing to benefit the parnership / conference.   Why?

You're a lawyer. Take five minutes -- or a quick 30 seconds -- and see if you can walk through a logical, defensible and possibly contractual scenario. 

 

[knapplc]

Wisconsin has played OSU 8X since we joined the conference and has 4 more scheduled through 2025.  Granted a few of those games were Championship games.  But it doesn't seem fair to describe us as a victim.  The conference scheduling operates the same for all teams.

Right. You don't count the championship games because they're not intentionally scheduled.

I'm not describing us as a victim. I'm saying the schedule is unequal. And it undeniably is, and that has an adverse affect on a team trying to rebuild.

The best way to fix that, on our end, is to not be in rebuilding mode for ten straight years. That's on us. But we should not have to have such a competitive disadvantage compared to our division mates.

Both of those things can be true at the same time without us being a victim.

 

[Undone]

We just aren't holding up our end with winning divisional games, though. It's obvious that Wisconsin dodges Ohio State, but getting that 'L' from Ohio State gets wiped away and forgotten if we just beat Wisconsin & Iowa consistently.

But instead, those two teams have mopped the floor with us. Have to change that.

 

[ColoradoHusk]

Wisconsin has played OSU 8X since we joined the conference and has 4 more scheduled through 2025.  Granted a few of those games were Championship games.  But it doesn't seem fair to describe us as a victim.  The conference scheduling operates the same for all teams.

Wisconsin was also in the same division as Ohio State for a few of those games.  I can't remember how long the Legends and Leaders were around.  But, since the Big Ten went to East vs. West, Wisconsin hasn't been scheduled against Ohio State very often.  As Knapplc mentioned, it's the inequality of cross-divisional games which are scheduled.  

 

[BIG ERN]

Wisconsin was also in the same division as Ohio State for a few of those games.  I can't remember how long the Legends and Leaders were around.  But, since the Big Ten went to East vs. West, Wisconsin hasn't been scheduled against Ohio State very often.  As Knapplc mentioned, it's the inequality of cross-divisional games which are scheduled.  

Wisconsin played Ohio St 3x in the title game and was also in their division for 3 years...either way I don't see that as a major difference than what we have. This still has NOTHING with us playing Ohio St....we were already going to in 2020. It's the fact we were the most vocal team and the B10 on purpose put us week 1 @ Ohio St. It's just a petty move. Deal with it and come out swinging Oct 24th 

 

[ColoradoHusk]

We just aren't holding up our end with winning divisional games, though. It's obvious that Wisconsin dodges Ohio State, but getting that 'L' from Ohio State gets wiped away and forgotten if we just beat Wisconsin & Iowa consistently.

But instead, those two teams have mopped the floor with us. Have to change that.

Agreed.  The biggest reason for NU's lack of success in the Big Ten is the lack of success in the Big Ten West.  NU needs to turn that around by dominating Northwestern, Illinois, and Purdue and winning 2/3 or 3/4 from Iowa and Minnesota, and splitting games against Wisconsin.

 

[knapplc]

Wisconsin played Ohio St 3x in the title game and was also in their division for 2 years...either way I don't see that as much of a difference than what we have. This still has NOTHING with us playing Ohio St....we were already going to in 2020. It's the fact we were the most vocal team and the B10 on purpose put us week 1 @ Ohio St. It's just a petty move. Deal with it and come out swinging Oct 24th 

I legit think that was done for ratings, and to guarantee that one of the marquee games was up-front so it would be more likely to be played.

Too many games are getting postponed due to outbreaks. They just want to get this game in, same with the Wiscy game and the Penn State game. Iowa is back to Black Friday this way, and we finish with our new rival, Minnesota (if that game is played). 

 

[knapplc]

Agreed.  The biggest reason for NU's lack of success in the Big Ten is the lack of success in the Big Ten West.  NU needs to turn that around by dominating Northwestern, Illinois, and Purdue and winning 2/3 or 3/4 from Iowa and Minnesota, and splitting games against Wisconsin.

Yes, this. And hopefully next year, (if not this year) we start doing that. Frost's third year, he's got his guys, but he doesn't have depth. Next year we should have experience all over the field and be deeper than ever. 

And then look out.   :zoom

 

[Crusader Husker]

Agreed.  The biggest reason for NU's lack of success in the Big Ten is the lack of success in the Big Ten West.  NU needs to turn that around by dominating Northwestern, Illinois, and Purdue and winning 2/3 or 3/4 from Iowa and Minnesota, and splitting games against Wisconsin.

It is Nebraska's fault that Wisky, Iowa and Minny have any traction.  We need to beat these guys and restore the order, I mean, renew the order!

 

[Husker in WI]

Again, we've known Ohio State was our locked 2016-2021 locked East opponent for years. 2022-2025 we're scheduled for them once - I don't think conference schedules are out past that yet. We wanted OSU as much as possible, and it's not the conference's fault we made one of the worst coaching hires in all of college football right before the annual games kicked in. I think a temporary locked crossover opponent is dumb, but it was basically as a favor to us to have it be OSU. 

 

[Huskers93-97]

Right. You don't count the championship games because they're not intentionally scheduled.

I'm not describing us as a victim. I'm saying the schedule is unequal. And it undeniably is, and that has an adverse affect on a team trying to rebuild.

The best way to fix that, on our end, is to not be in rebuilding mode for ten straight years. That's on us. But we should not have to have such a competitive disadvantage compared to our division mates.

Both of those things can be true at the same time without us being a victim.

This is absolutely correct. We are trying to re-build to what we once were. Winning battles for recruits would be much easier if we won more games- if we had a better shot at making it to the conference title game for exposure would help. Even if we know we wont beat Ohio State in that game. But when we constantly finish like 3rd or 4th in a weak division it doesnt help our moral or recruiting. 

On the flip side if we get our s#!t figured out and field a top notch team again every year. We should handle the west division- so even if we lose a cross over to Ohio State we should in theory still win the West most years. But we need to get to that point

 

[Mavric]

It's baffling why the Big Ten has gone with competitively imbalanced cross-over game schedules.  I know why they do it (TV $), but certain teams are penalized by it.  But, you are correct in that NU needs to start living up to their brand name, and be competitive in the cross-over games.

IIRC, one big factor is when they re-did the divisions with the addition of Maryland and Rutgers, they "drew names out of a hat" for a "protected" crossover game.  We drew Ohio State.

Second, from an objective standpoint rematches in the CCG are generally less interesting.  So it probably makes sense not to pit the expected top teams from the divisions against each other any more than necessary to try to avoid that.  Thus, my SOLUTION remains the same.