(12-07-2014 05:11 PM)4PhaseDelta Wrote:  to avoid the B12 ever getting fudged over like this ever again...but 4 would improve their odds of their best teams possibly getting in)
....NIU in the mix as a football-only member.
... The B12 does actually have a couple of minor sports that does have members who are primarily in another P5 conference.
.... NIU has the Chicago market.
... Oklahoma in North? get(s) protected rivalries and distributes power

1 -- The B12 did not get "fudged," they fudged themselves. In the summer their commish said they'd have a tiebreaker; the B12 specifically told the selection committee they have "co-champions" thereby defining their two teams (BU / TCU) as already less than equal to the four that made it in (all champions of their respective leagues). Committee chair made a point of saying Ohio State rose up in contrast to TCU or BU "declining." However, TCU and BU out of conference strength of schedule was also weaker.

2 -- explain how adding four teams increases the "odds of their best teams possibly getting in"? The key (accomplished with adding only two) is to have two division winners play for a league title (13th game) on top of playing a better non-conference slate.

3 -- No power conference wants "football only" members.

4 -- The B12 only has affiliate members in one sport: women's rowing. If you were trying to say some B12 schools have other sports that belong to a different P5, that's another topic but it is also not a rationale that improves NIU's chances.

5 -- How do you reconcile everyone's complaints on here with saying NIU has the Chicago market? Let's be honest, B12 status would help us in the Chicago market more than we can help the B12.

6 -- What Oklahoma "rivalries" are "protected" by putting them in the south portion of your split? OU's B12 rivals:? (was originally Nebraska) Oklahoma State and Texas. Ask OU and they'll tell you their rival is Texas, they prefer not to acknowldege Stillwater.

7 -- The "distributes power," notion really shows your lack of insight. TCU and Baylor are 2014 co-champs, Baylor won in 2013, Texas is the historic power and has its own network and doesn't share revenue from it. Plus you conveniently put the B12's two weakest football programs (Iowa State and Kansas) in the same division with us and an un-identified new school -- Seriously? At least make proposals that would actually help the B12.

I am confused. How does a conference where EVERY team played each other, one conference, no 2 divisions penalize themselves?

Because they don't have more than 10 schools? Because they were pillaged by other conferences? Bu that's what conferences did..... played a round robin for the 1st 75 years of college football? Because if they had 16, people would complain who did and didn't get invited? Because this is the way the playoffs are now, a system that 99.6% on here loathe? That B12..12/10..12/16 whatever they would do should have NIU and if they didn't they would suck?

They did NOTHING wrong. Stranger is how OSU exactly got in. This selection was called a month ago how OSU would sneak in. They could not justify putting TCU, just 1 game a ago...a 55-3 win...was #3.... in with a loss to Baylor, on the road who also had one loss, on the road to at that time a hot WVU team. So we'll take one game, UW as a measuring stick, and use that. Was not Baylor's win over KSU important? A top 10 team? And I love the "7-1" I think vs bowl eligible. Are you kidding me? Navy? Rutgers? Maryland? ILLINOIS? Va Tech who had VA hand them the game at the end? So if VA Tech loses to VA, does OSU not get in since VA Tech would have had a losing record?

I think the whole thing is funny and have repeatedly said I could care less about a "champion." I just see any direction it goes being a way to squeeze the non-big 5 out and for the B-5 to split the 100 million or whatever they get for each team in it. If it expands, more $ for them, less meaning to everything else.