Rating 2019 interdivisional schedules

[eastbaycat99]

West Division (easiest to hardest)

Minnesota: Rutgers, Maryland, PSU
Purdue: Indiana, Maryland, PSU
Nebraska: Rutgers, Maryland, OSU
Illinois: Rutgers, MSU, Mich
Cats: Indiana, MSU, OSU
Iowa: Rutgers, PSU, Mich
Wisky: MSU, Mich, OSU

East Division:
Maryland: Purdue, Minnesota, Nebraska
Rutgers: Illinois, Nebraska, Iowa
PSU: Purdue, Minnesota, Iowa
Mich: Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin
Indiana: Purdue, Nebraska, Cats
MSU: Illinois, Wisconsin, Cats
OSU: Nebraska, Wisconsin, Cats

1) It looks to me like the West will be the stronger division relative to overall record next year.
2) OSU and Wisconsin both have really challenging interdivisional schedules, which should benefit the Cats and PSU/Michigan.
3) with respect to the poorer teams, Indiana and Illinois are screwed.

 

[ThatkidfromHolland]

West Division (easiest to hardest)

Minnesota: Rutgers, Maryland, PSU
Purdue: Indiana, Maryland, PSU
Nebraska: Rutgers, Maryland, OSU
Illinois: Rutgers, MSU, Mich
Cats: Indiana, MSU, OSU
Iowa: Rutgers, PSU, Mich
Wisky: MSU, Mich, OSU

East Division:
Maryland: Purdue, Minnesota, Nebraska
Rutgers: Illinois, Nebraska, Iowa
PSU: Purdue, Minnesota, Iowa
Mich: Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin
Indiana: Purdue, Nebraska, Cats
MSU: Illinois, Wisconsin, Cats
OSU: Nebraska, Wisconsin, Cats

1) It looks to me like the West will be the stronger division relative to overall record next year.
2) OSU and Wisconsin both have really challenging interdivisional schedules, which should benefit the Cats and PSU/Michigan.
3) with respect to the poorer teams, Indiana and Illinois are screwed.

The only arguable ones I see (and idk what side I fall on are

West
Purdue vs Nebraska (depends how much better OSU is than PSU and Indiana compared to Rutgers)

Cats vs Iowa (I could just think MSU is closer To scUM or PSU then they are to OSU)

East

Maryland vs Rutgers (I just think Illinois might be that bad. And Nebraska could improve)

ScUM vs Indiana (how good do we see purdue being? You have kinda toss up with Iowa Wisconsin and NU any given year so this depends on purdue if they're early year purdue I agree. End of year not so much)

 

[PURPLE Book Cat]

Illinois has the easiest schedule. You’re underestimating PSU

 

[ricko654321]

The only arguable ones I see (and idk what side I fall on are

West
Purdue vs Nebraska (depends how much better OSU is than PSU and Indiana compared to Rutgers)

Cats vs Iowa (I could just think MSU is closer To scUM or PSU then they are to OSU)

East

Maryland vs Rutgers (I just think Illinois might be that bad. And Nebraska could improve)

ScUM vs Indiana (how good do we see purdue being? You have kinda toss up with Iowa Wisconsin and NU any given year so this depends on purdue if they're early year purdue I agree. End of year not so much)

I also prob would have put NU’s marginally tougher than Iowa’s but it’s very close. And would say Maryland is slightly tougher than Buttgers. The rest I agree with the OP on.

Anyways, great post OP! Nice topic to consider during the offseason dead time. Also, you make a good point of analysis re Wiscy and OSU tough schedules making it easier for other good teams to snatch their respective divisions.

 

[ThatkidfromHolland]

I also prob would have put NU’s marginally tougher than Iowa’s but it’s very close. And would say Maryland is slightly tougher than Buttgers. The rest I agree with the OP on.

Anyways, great post OP! Nice topic to consider during the offseason dead time. Also, you make a good point of analysis re Wiscy and OSU tough schedules making it easier for other good teams to snatch their respective divisions.

Yeah OP put together a very good list and I would if pressed only change the ones you said. I just could see arguments for the other ones I said. Anyway very good list and post.

 

[eastbaycat99]

Illinois has the easiest schedule. You’re underestimating PSU

You are saying Maryland and PSU combined (Minnesota’s non-Rutgers schedule) is tougher than MSU and Michigan? (illinois’ non-Rutgers schedule)?

 

[pawildcat]

Meanwhile, we've had one game against Rutgers (and won't have one next season) while others in the West have played them as many as three times.

 

[eastbaycat99]

Meanwhile, we've had one game against Rutgers (and won't have one next season) while others in the West have played them as many as three times.

Since Cats’ interdivisional schedule had PSU and Michigan home and home the first two years and their constant was set as MSU thereafter, their schedule has been one of the tougher ones. The Cats have had MSU 3 times, PSU 3 times, Michigan 3 times and OSU, Indiana, Rutgers and Maryland one time each. OSU has had probably the easiest, with Nebraska as it’s recurring partner the last 3 years after having home/home with Illinois and Minnesota. Because Nebraska has been down, their’s has been one of the easiest up to next year. They have played Illinois 3 times, Minnesota 3, Nebraska 3, and Purdue, Wisconsin, Iowa and NU 1 time each. They won all 9 against the Illini, Gophers and Huskers, but have been 2-2 against the other 4, with one score wins over the Badgers and Cats and bad losses to Iowa and Purdue.

 

[ricko654321]

Meanwhile, we've had one game against Rutgers (and won't have one next season) while others in the West have played them as many as three times.

over the current 6 year cycle, each team is matched up against 1 other team every year, and plays each of the other non-division teams 2 times total over the 6 years (once home, once away). Eastbay's response below is regarding the 2 years before this cycle, when we had 12 teams. the only team that's getting Rutgers repeatedly is Illinois, which let's be real is not at all a threat to win the division so who cares. the matchups are as follows - we have a reasonable one in MSU which I feel is a good fit for our team's general quality.

OSU Nebraska
Michigan Wisconsin
MSU NU
PSU Iowa
Indiana Purdue
Maryland Minnesota
Rutgers Illinois

 

[drosejr]

over the current 6 year cycle, each team is matched up against 1 other team every year, and plays each of the other non-division teams 2 times total over the 6 years (once home, once away). Eastbay's response below is regarding the 2 years before this cycle, when we had 12 teams. the only team that's getting Rutgers repeatedly is Illinois, which let's be real is not at all a threat to win the division so who cares. the matchups are as follows - we have a reasonable one in MSU which I feel is a good fit for our team's general quality.

OSU Nebraska
Michigan Wisconsin
MSU NU
PSU Iowa
Indiana Purdue
Maryland Minnesota
Rutgers Illinois

After MSU goes away in 2021, Maryland becomes our annual inter divisional opponent. Looks easier at this point, but 4 years is a long time.

 

[ricko654321]

After MSU goes away in 2021, Maryland becomes our annual inter divisional opponent. Looks easier at this point, but 4 years is a long time.

Yeah that does appear easier... and it is nice for me I guess as Maryland is closer... but I kinda like our mini rivalry with MSU, thought they were a perfect match. I wouldn’t have minded getting PSU. Michigan or OSU would be tough, whereas Indiana Rutgers would just be blah, so Maryland isn’t a bad outcome. Depends on how they recover from their current issues though.

 

[freewillie07]

After MSU goes away in 2021, Maryland becomes our annual inter divisional opponent. Looks easier at this point, but 4 years is a long time.

I’m sure this has been explained before... but why is this the case? Surely NU has been closer to the top of the West in recent years than Maryland has been to the top of the East?

 

[nycat33]

I’m sure this has been explained before... but why is this the case? Surely NU has been closer to the top of the West in recent years than Maryland has been to the top of the East?

It’s done by random selection

 

[drosejr]

I’m sure this has been explained before... but why is this the case? Surely NU has been closer to the top of the West in recent years than Maryland has been to the top of the East?

I’m not sure how the B1G determines the fixed crossovers, but we are protected against Michigan and Ohio State. That might have been Shapiro/Phillip’s bargaining position when Maryland and Rutgers joined, and these crossovers started.

 

[ricko654321]

It’s done by random selection

Well they claimed it was random this time around (ie for the next cycle). Aside from Indiana Purdue they said they just picked out of buckets with the caveat that it couldn’t be the same as prior year.

It most assuredly was not random last time around. It was clearly intentionally designed to match like for like in terms of quality of football teams. Which I don’t have a problem with.

 

[eastbaycat99]

over the current 6 year cycle, each team is matched up against 1 other team every year, and plays each of the other non-division teams 2 times total over the 6 years (once home, once away). Eastbay's response below is regarding the 2 years before this cycle, when we had 12 teams. the only team that's getting Rutgers repeatedly is Illinois, which let's be real is not at all a threat to win the division so who cares. the matchups are as follows - we have a reasonable one in MSU which I feel is a good fit for our team's general quality.

OSU Nebraska
Michigan Wisconsin
MSU NU
PSU Iowa
Indiana Purdue
Maryland Minnesota
Rutgers Illinois

Just a small correction: the rotation system now in use came in when the conference schedule expanded to 9 games. The first 2 years of the current divisional alignment had only 2 crossover games, but there were 7 teams in each division.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

Just a small correction: the rotation system now in use came in when the conference schedule expanded to 9 games. The first 2 years of the current divisional alignment had only 2 crossover games, but there were 7 teams in each division.

Why do we need a rival game? I realize the math doesn’t work to play everyone the same amount of times, but it still gets close to the parity in schedule that many desire.

 

[NUCat320]

I also prob would have put NU’s marginally tougher than Iowa’s but it’s very close. And would say Maryland is slightly tougher than Buttgers. The rest I agree with the OP on.

Anyways, great post OP! Nice topic to consider during the offseason dead time. Also, you make a good point of analysis re Wiscy and OSU tough schedules making it easier for other good teams to snatch their respective divisions.

NU is home against MSU and OSU (on Friday - which I think keeps visiting attendance down a little) and at Indiana.

Iowa is home (week 2) against Rutgers and Penn State, then at Michigan.

I think both teams have slim shots of going 3-0, but NU is more likely to go 2-1. But that’s also because NU is better.

Io_wa might go 0 for October: at Michigan, v. PSU, v Purdue, at Northwestern.

(Who am I kidding Brohm is all hype and they’ll beat Purdue to a bloody pulp.)

 

[pawildcat]

over the current 6 year cycle, each team is matched up against 1 other team every year, and plays each of the other non-division teams 2 times total over the 6 years (once home, once away). Eastbay's response below is regarding the 2 years before this cycle, when we had 12 teams. the only team that's getting Rutgers repeatedly is Illinois, which let's be real is not at all a threat to win the division so who cares. the matchups are as follows - we have a reasonable one in MSU which I feel is a good fit for our team's general quality.

OSU Nebraska
Michigan Wisconsin
MSU NU
PSU Iowa
Indiana Purdue
Maryland Minnesota
Rutgers Illinois

That's the current cycle. As some have pointed out, that changed when we went to the nine-game league schedule. Still doesn't change the fact that it took us a long time to get Rutgers in its current slumping cycle.

 

[pawildcat]

Yeah that does appear easier... and it is nice for me I guess as Maryland is closer... but I kinda like our mini rivalry with MSU, thought they were a perfect match. I wouldn’t have minded getting PSU. Michigan or OSU would be tough, whereas Indiana Rutgers would just be blah, so Maryland isn’t a bad outcome. Depends on how they recover from their current issues though.

It is also a nice draw for me as I live about two miles from the Maryland border. A lot will depend on how well Locksley can recruit at Maryland. There's always some good talent in the Delmarva area.

 

[ricko654321]

That's the current cycle. As some have pointed out, that changed when we went to the nine-game league schedule. Still doesn't change the fact that it took us a long time to get Rutgers in its current slumping cycle.

We've played Rutgers once in the first 3 years of this cycle. So have all our main competitors (Wisconsin, Nebraska, Iowa). They only one who has played them repeatedly is Illinois. If anyone has grounds to complain about scheduling, it's Nebraska and Wisconsin, not us.

Now, I'll give you that in the 2 years prior we had the crappiest deal with Mich and PSU (while Rutgers played Wiscy and Neb, and OSU played also-rans IL and MN). But in this cycle, our schedule has been exactly at the difficulty level it should be IMO. If you want to be an upper tier team, then we should expect to play and beat the upper tier teams. We had MSU and Mich on our schedule this past year and went 8-1!

 

[Turk]

West Division (easiest to hardest)

Minnesota: Rutgers, Maryland, PSU
Purdue: Indiana, Maryland, PSU
Nebraska: Rutgers, Maryland, OSU
Illinois: Rutgers, MSU, Mich
Cats: Indiana, MSU, OSU
Iowa: Rutgers, PSU, Mich
Wisky: MSU, Mich, OSU

East Division:
Maryland: Purdue, Minnesota, Nebraska
Rutgers: Illinois, Nebraska, Iowa
PSU: Purdue, Minnesota, Iowa
Mich: Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin
Indiana: Purdue, Nebraska, Cats
MSU: Illinois, Wisconsin, Cats
OSU: Nebraska, Wisconsin, Cats

1) It looks to me like the West will be the stronger division relative to overall record next year.
2) OSU and Wisconsin both have really challenging interdivisional schedules, which should benefit the Cats and PSU/Michigan.
3) with respect to the poorer teams, Indiana and Illinois are screwed.

If you include another factor, like home field advantage, then the Cats move up on the Interdivisional 'easiest' scale by virtue of getting MSU and OSU at home.

Our divisional games may actually be harder than OSU at home next year since OSU is in transition in every way. Nebraska and Wisconsin away will be red circled. Traveling to those games will be very interesting for us fans.

 

[gocatsgo2003]

If you include another factor, like home field advantage, then the Cats move up on the Interdivisional 'easiest' scale by virtue of getting MSU and OSU at home.

Our divisional games may actually be harder than OSU at home next year since OSU is in transition in every way. Nebraska and Wisconsin away will be red circled. Traveling to those games will be very interesting for us fans.

OSU still has more good players than pretty much everyone else in the conference. Tends to help with winning games.

 

[Gladeskat]

If you include another factor, like home field advantage, then the Cats move up on the Interdivisional 'easiest' scale by virtue of getting MSU and OSU at home.

Our divisional games may actually be harder than OSU at home next year since OSU is in transition in every way. Nebraska and Wisconsin away will be red circled. Traveling to those games will be very interesting for us fans.

I worry less about our away games than our home games. We are a beast on the road and have been for over a decade.

 

[ricko654321]

OSU still has more good players than pretty much everyone else in the conference. Tends to help with winning games.

Yeah... they may be in transition, but they still have an absurd amount of talent. If Justin Fields transfer is approved, I think they are the clear favorite in the East, notwithstanding the fact that Michigan will inevitably get a lot of hype as they do every year that "this may be the year" Harbaugh finally gets over the hump. Even without Fields I think they are prob the #1 team in the East, but maybe on more of a plurality outcome basis rather than clear favorite.

His point is reasonable though that @Wisconsin (and possibly @Neb) is close to home OSU in terms of difficulty of games... but I don't think quite there. Wisconsin still doesn't have a good QB, and we haven't seen Nebraska put together a decent defense in quite some time - so that's sort of an "until proven otherwise" thing for me.

 

[pawildcat]

We've played Rutgers once in the first 3 years of this cycle. So have all our main competitors (Wisconsin, Nebraska, Iowa). They only one who has played them repeatedly is Illinois. If anyone has grounds to complain about scheduling, it's Nebraska and Wisconsin, not us.

Now, I'll give you that in the 2 years prior we had the crappiest deal with Mich and PSU (while Rutgers played Wiscy and Neb, and OSU played also-rans IL and MN). But in this cycle, our schedule has been exactly at the difficulty level it should be IMO. If you want to be an upper tier team, then we should expect to play and beat the upper tier teams. We had MSU and Mich on our schedule this past year and went 8-1!

True, but I don't want other upper tier teams playing the bottom of the league when we're playing the top echelon. And yes we had MSU and Michigan on our schedule, and Michigan was the "1" in the 8-1, and it was 8-2 after OSU in the title game.

 

[DaCat]

Yeah... they may be in transition, but they still have an absurd amount of talent. If Justin Fields transfer is approved, I think they are the clear favorite in the East, notwithstanding the fact that Michigan will inevitably get a lot of hype as they do every year that "this may be the year" Harbaugh finally gets over the hump. Even without Fields I think they are prob the #1 team in the East, but maybe on more of a plurality outcome basis rather than clear favorite.

His point is reasonable though that @Wisconsin (and possibly @Neb) is close to home OSU in terms of difficulty of games... but I don't think quite there. Wisconsin still doesn't have a good QB, and we haven't seen Nebraska put together a decent defense in quite some time - so that's sort of an "until proven otherwise" thing for me.

dOSU does have an absurd, no obscene, amount of talent but they looked vulnerable at times last year especially in the shellacking at the hands of Purdue and their near-loss to Maryland. With the Urban decay, and a new coach, I am expecting some growing pains for them next season.

 

[ricko654321]

True, but I don't want other upper tier teams playing the bottom of the league when we're playing the top echelon. And yes we had MSU and Michigan on our schedule, and Michigan was the "1" in the 8-1, and it was 8-2 after OSU in the title game.

Right, but that was 4-5 years ago. It would have evened out over that cycle, except they broke the cycle 2 years in to restructure things.

And re this year, so what -- Wisconsin had to play Michigan too (and PSU) and Nebraska had to play OSU (and MSU). The only reason we played OSU to go "8-2" is because we won the division, are you complaining that that is a bad thing?? Unless you think "fair" is that we play bottom-feeders and our rivals play good teams every year, I really fail to see how the current system has been anything but fair, or even marginally beneficial for us relative to our key rivals in the division.