3-6-6 format with UCLA/USC
Ohio State: Michigan, Penn State, Illinois
Michigan: Ohio State, Michigan State, Minnesota
Penn State: Ohio State, Maryland, Rutgers
Michigan State: Michigan, Indiana, USC
Maryland: Penn State, Rutgers, Indiana
Rutgers: Penn State, Maryland, Northwestern
Indiana: Purdue, Michigan State, Maryland
Purdue: Indiana, Illinois, UCLA
Illinois: Northwestern, Ohio State, Purdue
Northwestern: Illinois, Rutgers, USC
Wisconsin: Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska
Minnesota: Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan
Iowa: Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin
Nebraska: Iowa, Wisconsin, UCLA
UCLA: USC, Nebraska, Purdue
USC: UCLA, Michigan State, Northwestern
USC vs. Northwestern - Two private schools
USC vs. Michigan State - Trojans vs. Spartans
UCLA vs. Purdue - I know wrong sport but John Wooden connection
UCLA vs. Nebraska - Send Nebraska out west, closer trip for UCLA, Nebraska has fewer connections to the original Big Ten members
Northwestern has two "long distance" rivalry games, USC and Rutgers, but they're loaded so they can afford it.
(07-01-2022 06:20 AM)schmolik Wrote: [ -> ]Assuming no additions and the format is 3-6-6, will UCLA and USC be teams the current 14 teams want to have as "permanent" rivals or not want? Would Nebraska and/or Iowa make sense for them because they are the closest geographically? How about Northwestern vs. USC (two private schools)?
IMHO, if 3-6/6 ends up being the result:
Neb/Iowa/Wisc/Minn play round robin for their 3 protected games
Illinois/NW/Indiana/Purdue play round robin for their 3 protected games
That leaves a pool of:
Michigan
Mich St
Ohio St
Penn St
Rutgers
Maryland
USC
UCLA
I think you have to match Ohio St and Michigan with 1 CA School apiece but there’s definitely some fluidity to work with.
(07-05-2022 04:10 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote: [ -> ] (07-01-2022 06:20 AM)schmolik Wrote: [ -> ]Assuming no additions and the format is 3-6-6, will UCLA and USC be teams the current 14 teams want to have as "permanent" rivals or not want? Would Nebraska and/or Iowa make sense for them because they are the closest geographically? How about Northwestern vs. USC (two private schools)?
IMHO, if 3-6/6 ends up being the result:
Neb/Iowa/Wisc/Minn play round robin for their 3 protected games
Illinois/NW/Indiana/Purdue play round robin for their 3 protected games
That leaves a pool of:
Michigan
Mich St
Ohio St
Penn St
Rutgers
Maryland
USC
UCLA
I think you have to match Ohio St and Michigan with 1 CA School apiece but there’s definitely some fluidity to work with.
Using this as a starting point, I think you break Nebraska-Wisconsin and Northwestern-Indiana to add UW-NWU, USC-UNL, and IU-MSU.
Add the permanent rivals from ‘93-‘10, USC-UCLA, Rutgers-Maryland, and you are left with:
UCLA (2), Rutgers (2), Maryland (2), Ohio State (1), Penn State (1), Michigan (1), and USC (1).
2 of PSU/UM/OSU will be paired with Rutgers and Maryland and all the other permanents will be cross-continent. My vote:
USC-OSU
PSU-RU
UM-UMD(could go either way on this and previous)
UCLA-RU
UCLA-UMD
(07-05-2022 04:10 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote: [ -> ] (07-01-2022 06:20 AM)schmolik Wrote: [ -> ]Assuming no additions and the format is 3-6-6, will UCLA and USC be teams the current 14 teams want to have as "permanent" rivals or not want? Would Nebraska and/or Iowa make sense for them because they are the closest geographically? How about Northwestern vs. USC (two private schools)?
IMHO, if 3-6/6 ends up being the result:
Neb/Iowa/Wisc/Minn play round robin for their 3 protected games
Illinois/NW/Indiana/Purdue play round robin for their 3 protected games
That leaves a pool of:
Michigan
Mich St
Ohio St
Penn St
Rutgers
Maryland
USC
UCLA
I think you have to match Ohio St and Michigan with 1 CA School apiece but there’s definitely some fluidity to work with.
Revisiting this earlier post, I think the trio of Penn St/Maryland/Rutgers plays round robin, leaving each with a vacancy.
Michigan is going to play Ohio St and Mich St leaving TSUN with 1 opening and 2 apiece for the other 2.
USC and UCLA are obviously going to play each other but who else beyond that is up for debate so that leaves:
Rutgers: 1
Maryland: 1
Penn St: 1
Ohio St: 2
Mich: 1
Mich St: 2
USC: 2
UCLA: 2
Penn St took 1 for the team by taking 2 crummy opponents so I think they get preference for their 3rd and take Ohio St.
I’d pair UCLA with Ohio St (relive some epic 60s and 70s Rose Bowls) and USC with Michigan.
Mich St gets Maryland just to help fill things out.
And that leaves these remaining pairs:
USC vs Mich St (this rivalry gets dropped and both get the Irish the instant ND joins)
UCLA vs Rutgers (LA vs NYC)
Summarizing FightingMuskie's proposal:
Ohio State: Michigan, Penn State, UCLA
Michigan: Ohio State, Michigan State, USC
Penn State: Ohio State, Maryland, Rutgers
Michigan State: Michigan, Maryland, USC
Maryland: Penn State, Rutgers, Michigan State
Rutgers: Penn State, Maryland, UCLA
Indiana: Purdue, Illinois, Northwestern
Purdue: Indiana, Illinois, Northwestern
Illinois: Northwestern, Indiana, Purdue
Northwestern: Illinois, Indiana, Purdue
Wisconsin: Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska
Minnesota: Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska
Iowa: Wisconsin, Minnesota, Nebraska
Nebraska: Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa
UCLA: USC, Ohio State, Rutgers
USC: UCLA, Michigan, Michigan State
I like mine better for more variety but I would accept this proposal if there are no objections. I would like Illinois to get Ohio State but would give them up for conference unity.
Rose Bowls:
Ohio State and UCLA played in just one Rose Bowl, 1976. Michigan-USC Rose Bowls: 1948??? (Was anyone reading this born?), 1970, 1977, 1979, 1989, 1990 (Bo Schembechler's last game), 2004, 2007 (8 total). Michigan only played UCLA in Pasadena in 1982. USC and Ohio State played in "enemy territory" in 1955, 1969, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1980, and 1985 (7 total).
UCLA only played in 12 Rose Bowl games total. UCLA has actually played Michigan State in the most Rose Bowls, three (1953, 1955, and 1966). Their two most recent Rose Bowls were both vs. Wisconsin (1994 and 1999). USC has played in 34 Rose Bowls. by far the most. Michigan has played in 20, Ohio State 16.
Much like FSU-Syracuse, I would not be surprised if there is a Big Ten athletic department or two that would put USC/UCLA as one of their preferred 3 annuals, even at the expense of a secondary Midwest rival. Probably won’t be too hard to “work them in.”