Annual Favorite Topic: Comparative Difficulty of Division Crossover Schedule

[eastbaycat99]

Every year some teams get a relatively easy one while some get the toughest teams of the other division. The expansion to a nine game conference schedule with 3 crossovers, while increasing the frequency of scheduling any given cross over team, in some ways can magnify the uneven schedule, since a third of conference games for one divisional competitor could be completely different from those of another. Does anyone have a link that explains the method used for the specific schedule year to year? Why, for example, do the Cats play MSU again while they have never played Rutgers? Why does Nebraska get OSU in consecutive years?

Anyway, this year, as far as the Western Division is concerned, of the preseason top 5 teams, I think Iowa gets the toughest draw (MSU, OSU, PSU), followed by UNL (OSU, PSU, Rutgers), the Cats (PSU, MSU, Maryland), Minnesota (Mich, MSU, Maryland) and Wisconsin (Michigan, Maryland, Indiana). Just by way of piling on the previous observation, imagine if Wisconsin had Rutgers instead of Michigan, compared to the draw Iowa has.

Overall, Iowa and PSU would seem to get the short end, though it seemed last year that the Cats drew it with OSU and MSU, and then MSU fell apart.

From the East Division perspective, PSU draws the Cats, Iowa and Nebraska while OSU has Nebraska, Iowa and Illinois (advantage OSU), and Michigan has Wisconsin, Minnesota and Purdue (a push, I think).

 

[Catreporter]

We play MSU for the next five years. I assume every BIG team has one crossover series like that under the new 9-game league sked.

 

[eastbaycat99]

We play MSU for the next five years. I assume every BIG team has one crossover series like that under the new 9-game league sked.

I had not realized that (beyond Purdue/Indiana). The schedule is set through 2019, and the Cats have MSU, Wisconsin has Michigan, Nebraska OSU, Iowa PSU, Minnesota Maryland and Illinois Rutgers through 2019.

It does look like a seeded approach. Personally I hate it and would rather just have a rotation through the other division.

 

[michnittlion]

Scheduling formula is as follows:

B1G East Group 1 = OSU, U-M, PSU
B1G East Group 2 = MSU, Rutgers, Maryland
B1G East Group 3 = Indiana

B1G West Group 1 = Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska
B1G West Group 2 = Minnesota, Illinois, Northwestern
B1G West Group 3 = Purdue

In each 6 year cycle (the first one runs from 2016-2021), a team from Group 2's cross-division games will be:

1) 1 team from the opposing Group 2 that they will play all 6 years.
2) Rotates 1 team from the opposing Group 1 - playing a H-H with each over 6 years.
3) Rotates 1 team among Indiana/"remaining Group 2" - playing a H-H with each over 6 years.

For Group 1 teams - see above, just replace Group 1 and Group 2.

For IU & Purdue - they get each other, then play a H-H with everyone else over 6 years, annually playing 1 team from Group 1 and 1 team from Group 2.

The "play all 6 years" games (for the 2016-2021 cycle) are:

Ohio State v Nebraska
Michigan v Wisconsin
Penn State v Iowa
Michigan State v Northwestern
Rutgers v Illinois
Maryland v Minnesota
Indiana v Purdue

Drawing 2013 & 2015 B1G Champion MSU? Definitely a rough draw for Northwestern, despite the win last year.

 

[eastbaycat99]

Scheduling formula is as follows:

B1G East Group 1 = OSU, U-M, PSU
B1G East Group 2 = MSU, Rutgers, Maryland
B1G East Group 3 = Indiana

B1G West Group 1 = Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska
B1G West Group 2 = Minnesota, Illinois, Northwestern
B1G West Group 3 = Purdue

In each 6 year cycle (the first one runs from 2016-2021), a team from Group 2's cross-division games will be:

1) 1 team from the opposing Group 2 that they will play all 6 years.
2) Rotates 1 team from the opposing Group 1 - playing a H-H with each over 6 years.
3) Rotates 1 team among Indiana/"remaining Group 2" - playing a H-H with each over 6 years.

For Group 1 teams - see above, just replace Group 1 and Group 2.

For IU & Purdue - they get each other, then play a H-H with everyone else over 6 years, annually playing 1 team from Group 1 and 1 team from Group 2.

The "play all 6 years" games (for the 2016-2021 cycle) are:

Ohio State v Nebraska
Michigan v Wisconsin
Penn State v Iowa
Michigan State v Northwestern
Rutgers v Illinois
Maryland v Minnesota
Indiana v Purdue

Drawing 2013 & 2015 B1G Champion MSU? Definitely a rough draw for Northwestern, despite the win last year.

Thanks. Looks like a schedule made for tv (revenue)!

 

[phatcat]

I already have the Rutgers game on my 2018 schedule. Hopefully, nobody schedules a wedding like they did on top of the MD game this year. Dammit

 

[Deeringfish]

I already have the Rutgers game on my 2018 schedule. Hopefully, nobody schedules a wedding like they did on top of the MD game this year. Dammit

Can't you stream the wedding to your phone and still go to the game?
I'm pretty sure the technology is there once we get our priorities straight.

The way TV revenues are going, I think Saturday weddings will soon be a thing of the past.

Now that I think of it, The Fourth of July would be so much better if it were the start of football season.

Aah to dream.