As others have said, to most folks around here Maryland to the Big Ten didnt make sense until it happened yet a few of us knew it was bound to happen.

Once again, a few of us speak highly about the very real possibility of the Big Ten and FSU hooking up IF the circumstances are right for it.

Yes, it would take an expansion by the Big Ten that seems to be beyond the comprehension of quite a few posters here but some folks are just going to have to realize that it doesn't have to make sense to them in order for it to possibly happen.

(04-04-2013 01:55 PM)10thMountain Wrote:  I think the SEC's offer is more along the lines of "we go to 16, split into 4 team pods. You get your own pod of:"

UNC
Duke
UVA
VT

And see which offer they like better

The SEC is at 14, so they can't add four to reach 16.

(04-04-2013 01:09 PM)SeaBlue Wrote:  

(04-04-2013 01:04 PM)TexanMark Wrote:  makes no sense (see WVU to B12) unless there is a crisis.

Maryland to B1G made/makes no sense a year ago.

All I see is something from the WVU board saying that's what he said. Any direct link?

I still doesn't.

I absolutely think this makes sense and have said as much since last year.

This is what makes no sense to me:

Florida State probably is the most valuable potential realistic target available to the B1G. However, that was also true before they added Rutgers and Maryland.

I didn't at the time - nor do I still - understand why on Earth the B1G added Rutgers and Maryland when they very possibly could have added Florida State and say, Georgia Tech? RU and UMD would have been there for the B1G's taking at any time they wanted those schools. Conversely, FSU may not be.

I understand that Rutgers is in the NYC DMA and Maryland is in the DC DMA and that there are copious amounts of cable dollars available by grabbing those schools. However, it's not like Atlanta - the nation's 8th largest media market - is small potatoes. And college football is so much more popular in the South than it is in the Mid-Atlantic/Northeast, it's not even close. Also, adding FSU would have likely ensured the entire state of Florida for the BTN.

I do not blame Maryland or Rutgers one bit for accepting the B1G's offer. However, I do think the B1G's decision to add those schools will prove to be historically shortsighted in the long run. They could have had some BIG FISH and instead settled for much, much less.

(04-04-2013 06:35 PM)Dr. Isaly von Yinzer Wrote:  I absolutely think this makes sense and have said as much since last year.

This is what makes no sense to me:

Florida State probably is the most valuable potential realistic target available to the B1G. However, that was also true before they added Rutgers and Maryland.

I didn't at the time - nor do I still - understand why on Earth the B1G added Rutgers and Maryland when they very possibly could have added Florida State and say, Georgia Tech? RU and UMD would have been there for the B1G's taking at any time they wanted those schools. Conversely, FSU may not be.

I understand that Rutgers is in the NYC DMA and Maryland is in the DC DMA and that there are copious amounts of cable dollars available by grabbing those schools. However, it's not like Atlanta - the nation's 8th largest media market - is small potatoes. And college football is so much more popular in the South than it is in the Mid-Atlantic/Northeast, it's not even close. Also, adding FSU would have likely ensured the entire state of Florida for the BTN.

I do not blame Maryland or Rutgers one bit for accepting the B1G's offer. However, I do think the B1G's decision to add those schools will prove to be historically shortsighted in the long run. They could have had some BIG FISH and instead settled for much, much less.

If you are the B1G and you are going to 20 from 12 you pick up the New York and DC markets with two of the six additions.

No brainer really.

(04-04-2013 06:35 PM)Dr. Isaly von Yinzer Wrote:  I do not blame Maryland or Rutgers one bit for accepting the B1G's offer. However, I do think the B1G's decision to add those schools will prove to be historically shortsighted in the long run. They could have had some BIG FISH and instead settled for much, much less.

You can only have so many big fish in one conference before some of them turn into smaller fish.

Right, but not when they did it. Why risk losing out on FSU and GT when RU and UMD would have always been there anyway? Also, why go to 20 teams if you don't have to? The idea that leagues would go to 20 teams did not pop up until after the B1G made its bizarre selections. Then, people had to reverse engineer things to make it make sense so they said, "Oh, this is because leagues are going to go to 20 teams each - not 16 teams like some of you rubes keep saying."

I think people on this board often come up with goofy conclusions that they insist are inevitabilities because they tend to look at this whole thing all backwards. That is, some people tend to look at this like it is some sort of well coordinated, heavily planned game of Risk. As if Mike Slive and Jim Delany - two men who, by all accounts, absolutely loathe each other - have some sort of gentlemen's agreement to divide up programs.

However, there is nothing in this entire process - or in college football history - that suggests to me that any of this is planned out or coordinated. Rather it is a bunch of entities that view each other not as partners but rather as competitors. Their moves are all done to defend themselves from what they see as encroachment or potential encroachment by one of the others. That's what Delany was doing with RU and UMD, IMHO. He was worried about forever losing NYC to the ACC - especially after ND came aboard. At least that's what I think his reasoning was. I also think his fears were unfounded.

I don't believe that Florida State has its eyes on the B1G or the B12. I think FSU has eyes for the SEC and are desperate to do anything they can to draw interest from that league. I think the SEC has always been and will always be the Seminoles' end game. Nobody's buying the B12 thing anymore (primarily because people can calculate math) so now it's the B1G. Blah, blah, blah.

Similarly, I think Notre Dame has always been and will always be the Big Ten's end game. As such, I think all of this talk of 20 teams conferences and North Carolina this week, Virginia the next, Georgia Tech the week after that and Florida State this week is a bunch of, well, horseschitt.

(04-04-2013 06:52 PM)Lurker Above Wrote:  

(04-04-2013 06:35 PM)Dr. Isaly von Yinzer Wrote:  I absolutely think this makes sense and have said as much since last year.

This is what makes no sense to me:

Florida State probably is the most valuable potential realistic target available to the B1G. However, that was also true before they added Rutgers and Maryland.

I didn't at the time - nor do I still - understand why on Earth the B1G added Rutgers and Maryland when they very possibly could have added Florida State and say, Georgia Tech? RU and UMD would have been there for the B1G's taking at any time they wanted those schools. Conversely, FSU may not be.

I understand that Rutgers is in the NYC DMA and Maryland is in the DC DMA and that there are copious amounts of cable dollars available by grabbing those schools. However, it's not like Atlanta - the nation's 8th largest media market - is small potatoes. And college football is so much more popular in the South than it is in the Mid-Atlantic/Northeast, it's not even close. Also, adding FSU would have likely ensured the entire state of Florida for the BTN.

I do not blame Maryland or Rutgers one bit for accepting the B1G's offer. However, I do think the B1G's decision to add those schools will prove to be historically shortsighted in the long run. They could have had some BIG FISH and instead settled for much, much less.

If you are the B1G and you are going to 20 from 12 you pick up the New York and DC markets with two of the six additions.

No brainer really.

Well why did they pass on Syracuse and Pitt then? Especially the Cuse... I am asking because it would seem like Rutgers don't get you the NY market. Maryland makes sense for DC.

(04-04-2013 03:55 PM)AntiG Wrote:  

(04-04-2013 03:45 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  Would really like to see a link to those quotes. Regardless, as to whether it "makes sense", from a pure financial perspective, FSU is the single most valuable possible non-SEC/Pac-12 addition to the Big Ten outside of the University of Texas. In fact, the money between what FSU would bring and the next ones on the list (e.g. UNC, GT, UVA) isn't even close. The only hangup for the Big Ten with FSU would be academics. That's not a small matter, but I'm telling you, FSU fits every single other financial, demographic, TV market, national branding and football recruiting metric that the conference could possible want. Also note that the state of Florida is the #1 home for Big Ten grads that isn't within the current Big Ten footprint. I'm not saying that it will happen (I've long thought that the ACC is stronger than what people give them credit for), but I think it would be naive to think that there's at least some mutual interest between FSU and B1G simply because the dollars are so massive. I find it more likely than UNC ever joining either the B1G or SEC.

When it comes to expansion, the B1G are really targetting the following:
- Texas
- Notre Dame
- one of the two top Florida state schools
- UNC

Everything else in terms of leaked interest has been basically other schools to acquire to help facilitate the targets in joining up.

OU & KU remors = destabilize the Big 12 and get Texas to jump as well.

UNC & Miami rumors = attempt to get FSU to grab the bait first

UVA/GT rumors = destabilize the ACC to get UNC and FSU

Duke rumors = a nice prize to go along with UNC

All of the above combined = attempt to get Notre Dame to finally commit

If the B1G could get its way ideally, they'd expand to 22 or 24 and add ND, Texas, KU, OU, FSU, Duke, UVA, GT along with BC and Syracuse to close out the Northeast tv market

Syracuse & BC do not "close out" the Northeast market. UConn gets TV numbers as good (or better) than Syracuse or BC.

If the Big 10 takes Virginia and either North Carolina or Duke the SEC will counter with Virginia Tech and either N.C. State, U.N.C. or Duke.

If the Big 10 goes after Georgia Tech and Florida State the SEC will counter by going after Pittsburgh and Syracuse.

If Delany invades the South looking for new markets Slive will not allow the development of a market gap and will add Pennsylvania and New York to the SEC footprint. The SEC might even give Connecticut a look under those circumstances or perhaps even Boston College if a deal could be struck with the Irish.

The wild speculation will be met with wild speculation by posters. But a broad move by Delany will be met with an equally broad move by Slive. Shoot, Swarbrick visited Birmingham a few weeks ago. Who knows what the networks are cooking up.

But a Big 10 Eastern Division would likely be 5 teams North Carolina/Duke, Virginia, Georgia Tech, F.S.U./Miami, and Maryland.
I could see F.S.U. working with that arrangement just fine.

For those who think that the SEC would never move to New England imagine a Northern Division with Virginia Tech, U.N.C./Duke or N.C. State, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and Connecticut.
The football would be okay and the basketball a real coup for the SEC. Add to that a Notre Dame team that would play those 5 teams only in that one division to be eligible for an SEC playoff from that division while being free to schedule whomever for the other 7 games and it would be a helluva thumb in the eye of Delany.

We've established that this is just about money. We have established therefore that with the right offer almost anything is possible. So if the ACC really does get raided (still a big if) I won't be shocked at how any of this pans out. Why should I? Just look at what goes on in the rest of the nation these days.

The tripartite Chinese curse is most appropriate here:
1. May you live in interesting times.
2. May those in authority over you take notice of you.
3. May every desire of your heart come true.

Interesting times are almost always bad.

When authority notices you they either eliminate you due to incompetence, or eliminate you because you are too competent and therefore a threat.

Unchecked desires almost always destroys you in the end.

So in light of that why the heck not send F.S.U. to the Big 10 and Syracuse to the SEC.

Big T2e0n:

Minnesota/Wisconsin
Iowa/Nebraska
Illinois/Northwestern
Florida State/Georgia Tech
North Carolina/Duke
Virginia/Maryland
Rutgers/Penn State
Ohio State/Michigan
Michigan State/Notre Dame
Indiana/Purdue

(04-04-2013 08:16 PM)UConn-SMU Wrote:  

(04-04-2013 03:55 PM)AntiG Wrote:  

(04-04-2013 03:45 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  Would really like to see a link to those quotes. Regardless, as to whether it "makes sense", from a pure financial perspective, FSU is the single most valuable possible non-SEC/Pac-12 addition to the Big Ten outside of the University of Texas. In fact, the money between what FSU would bring and the next ones on the list (e.g. UNC, GT, UVA) isn't even close. The only hangup for the Big Ten with FSU would be academics. That's not a small matter, but I'm telling you, FSU fits every single other financial, demographic, TV market, national branding and football recruiting metric that the conference could possible want. Also note that the state of Florida is the #1 home for Big Ten grads that isn't within the current Big Ten footprint. I'm not saying that it will happen (I've long thought that the ACC is stronger than what people give them credit for), but I think it would be naive to think that there's at least some mutual interest between FSU and B1G simply because the dollars are so massive. I find it more likely than UNC ever joining either the B1G or SEC.

When it comes to expansion, the B1G are really targetting the following:
- Texas
- Notre Dame
- one of the two top Florida state schools
- UNC

Everything else in terms of leaked interest has been basically other schools to acquire to help facilitate the targets in joining up.

OU & KU remors = destabilize the Big 12 and get Texas to jump as well.

UNC & Miami rumors = attempt to get FSU to grab the bait first

UVA/GT rumors = destabilize the ACC to get UNC and FSU

Duke rumors = a nice prize to go along with UNC

All of the above combined = attempt to get Notre Dame to finally commit

If the B1G could get its way ideally, they'd expand to 22 or 24 and add ND, Texas, KU, OU, FSU, Duke, UVA, GT along with BC and Syracuse to close out the Northeast tv market

Syracuse & BC do not "close out" the Northeast market. UConn gets TV numbers as good (or better) than Syracuse or BC.

And Rutgers does? OK then...why not UCONN?

(04-04-2013 08:08 PM)USAFMEDIC Wrote:  

(04-04-2013 06:52 PM)Lurker Above Wrote:  

(04-04-2013 06:35 PM)Dr. Isaly von Yinzer Wrote:  I absolutely think this makes sense and have said as much since last year.

This is what makes no sense to me:

Florida State probably is the most valuable potential realistic target available to the B1G. However, that was also true before they added Rutgers and Maryland.

I didn't at the time - nor do I still - understand why on Earth the B1G added Rutgers and Maryland when they very possibly could have added Florida State and say, Georgia Tech? RU and UMD would have been there for the B1G's taking at any time they wanted those schools. Conversely, FSU may not be.

I understand that Rutgers is in the NYC DMA and Maryland is in the DC DMA and that there are copious amounts of cable dollars available by grabbing those schools. However, it's not like Atlanta - the nation's 8th largest media market - is small potatoes. And college football is so much more popular in the South than it is in the Mid-Atlantic/Northeast, it's not even close. Also, adding FSU would have likely ensured the entire state of Florida for the BTN.

I do not blame Maryland or Rutgers one bit for accepting the B1G's offer. However, I do think the B1G's decision to add those schools will prove to be historically shortsighted in the long run. They could have had some BIG FISH and instead settled for much, much less.

If you are the B1G and you are going to 20 from 12 you pick up the New York and DC markets with two of the six additions.

No brainer really.

Well why did they pass on Syracuse and Pitt then? Especially the Cuse... I am asking because it would seem like Rutgers don't get you the NY market. Maryland makes sense for DC.

The thing that a lot of people dont understand is that Rutgers, being in Northern New Jersey is apart of the NYC tv market. So when all those folks from NJ are watching Rutgers, it shows up in strong numbers in the NYC tv market, even though not nearly as many New Yorkers maybe tuned in. I dont have any numbers to prove it but I believe that SU has a good following in NYC, not New Jersey. Keep in mind that Syracuse is in Upstate NY, about three and a half hours from NYC.
Syracuse will definitly get you Upstate NY, which has a larger population than 38 States.

But if you are the Big 10 and you have a team that pulls in decent ratings in NYC, even though most of the eyes tuned in are actually in NJ, this is a strong selling point to show advertisers. I believe that Rutgers will get the Big 10 Network on cable systems in NJ, but not sure about NYC. I dont know how it will all play out, but I believe inviting Rutgers and Maryland was a great strategic move if a conference has its own tv network.

(04-04-2013 01:28 PM)AntiG Wrote:  

(04-04-2013 01:04 PM)TexanMark Wrote:  FSU

I'm sure is keeping its options open...however, FSU going to the B1G makes no sense (see WVU to B12) unless there is a crisis.

Actually it makes plenty of sense. SEC already has Florida covered and is looking to expand to other states that they don't already have a presence in yet (North Carolina, Virginia, Oklahoma, Kansas) while the B1G wants to expand down the coast and eventually into Florida.

B1G makes more money than any other conference, especially after they renegotiate in a few years.

But why would the SEC let the B1G into their backyard at all? I also believe that FSU would lose any recruiting power they have now in Florida.

(04-04-2013 08:16 PM)UConn-SMU Wrote:  

(04-04-2013 03:55 PM)AntiG Wrote:  

(04-04-2013 03:45 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  Would really like to see a link to those quotes. Regardless, as to whether it "makes sense", from a pure financial perspective, FSU is the single most valuable possible non-SEC/Pac-12 addition to the Big Ten outside of the University of Texas. In fact, the money between what FSU would bring and the next ones on the list (e.g. UNC, GT, UVA) isn't even close. The only hangup for the Big Ten with FSU would be academics. That's not a small matter, but I'm telling you, FSU fits every single other financial, demographic, TV market, national branding and football recruiting metric that the conference could possible want. Also note that the state of Florida is the #1 home for Big Ten grads that isn't within the current Big Ten footprint. I'm not saying that it will happen (I've long thought that the ACC is stronger than what people give them credit for), but I think it would be naive to think that there's at least some mutual interest between FSU and B1G simply because the dollars are so massive. I find it more likely than UNC ever joining either the B1G or SEC.

When it comes to expansion, the B1G are really targetting the following:
- Texas
- Notre Dame
- one of the two top Florida state schools
- UNC

Everything else in terms of leaked interest has been basically other schools to acquire to help facilitate the targets in joining up.

OU & KU remors = destabilize the Big 12 and get Texas to jump as well.

UNC & Miami rumors = attempt to get FSU to grab the bait first

UVA/GT rumors = destabilize the ACC to get UNC and FSU

Duke rumors = a nice prize to go along with UNC

All of the above combined = attempt to get Notre Dame to finally commit

If the B1G could get its way ideally, they'd expand to 22 or 24 and add ND, Texas, KU, OU, FSU, Duke, UVA, GT along with BC and Syracuse to close out the Northeast tv market

Syracuse & BC do not "close out" the Northeast market. UConn gets TV numbers as good (or better) than Syracuse or BC.

In BC's case, you may be correct. But regarding Syracuse, I believe this to be incorrect. In fact, over on the Acc Board, one astute poster had the tv fb numbers comparing Cincy and Uconn just today. It simply is not good for Uconn, with Cinci doubling Uconns tv audiance. Uconns numbers were so miniscule, that one could believe that the only people who watch Uconn fb are in the State of Connecticut. There is a reason that SU had more games on national tv (Espn, Espn2, ABC) than any other BE team except Pitt, who had the same number of nationally televised games.

For basketball, SU has had the highest rated games on average in the BE the last few years, and Syracuse, by far draws the largest road game crowds of any BE team.

Still no link?

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

(04-04-2013 08:47 PM)cuseroc Wrote:  

(04-04-2013 08:16 PM)UConn-SMU Wrote:  

(04-04-2013 03:55 PM)AntiG Wrote:  

(04-04-2013 03:45 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  Would really like to see a link to those quotes. Regardless, as to whether it "makes sense", from a pure financial perspective, FSU is the single most valuable possible non-SEC/Pac-12 addition to the Big Ten outside of the University of Texas. In fact, the money between what FSU would bring and the next ones on the list (e.g. UNC, GT, UVA) isn't even close. The only hangup for the Big Ten with FSU would be academics. That's not a small matter, but I'm telling you, FSU fits every single other financial, demographic, TV market, national branding and football recruiting metric that the conference could possible want. Also note that the state of Florida is the #1 home for Big Ten grads that isn't within the current Big Ten footprint. I'm not saying that it will happen (I've long thought that the ACC is stronger than what people give them credit for), but I think it would be naive to think that there's at least some mutual interest between FSU and B1G simply because the dollars are so massive. I find it more likely than UNC ever joining either the B1G or SEC.

When it comes to expansion, the B1G are really targetting the following:
- Texas
- Notre Dame
- one of the two top Florida state schools
- UNC

Everything else in terms of leaked interest has been basically other schools to acquire to help facilitate the targets in joining up.

OU & KU remors = destabilize the Big 12 and get Texas to jump as well.

UNC & Miami rumors = attempt to get FSU to grab the bait first

UVA/GT rumors = destabilize the ACC to get UNC and FSU

Duke rumors = a nice prize to go along with UNC

All of the above combined = attempt to get Notre Dame to finally commit

If the B1G could get its way ideally, they'd expand to 22 or 24 and add ND, Texas, KU, OU, FSU, Duke, UVA, GT along with BC and Syracuse to close out the Northeast tv market

Syracuse & BC do not "close out" the Northeast market. UConn gets TV numbers as good (or better) than Syracuse or BC.

In BC's case, you may be correct. But regarding Syracuse, I believe this to be incorrect. In fact, over on the Acc Board, one astute poster had the tv fb numbers comparing Cincy and Uconn just today. It simply is not good for Uconn, with Cinci doubling Uconns tv audiance. Uconns numbers were so miniscule, that one could believe that the only people who watch Uconn fb are in the State of Connecticut. There is a reason that SU had more games on national tv (Espn, Espn2, ABC) than any other BE team except Pitt, who had the same number of nationally televised games.

For basketball, SU has had the highest rated games on average in the BE the last few years, and Syracuse, by far draws the largest road game crowds of any BE team.

And just like Mizzou, it all totally worked out for the Cuse. ACC's not going anywhere. They have just lost one school for political/economic reasons... not really a BE type trend. JMHO of course.

(04-04-2013 08:22 PM)JRsec Wrote:  If the Big 10 takes Virginia and either North Carolina or Duke the SEC will counter with Virginia Tech and either N.C. State, U.N.C. or Duke.

If the Big 10 goes after Georgia Tech and Florida State the SEC will counter by going after Pittsburgh and Syracuse.

If Delany invades the South looking for new markets Slive will not allow the development of a market gap and will add Pennsylvania and New York to the SEC footprint. The SEC might even give Connecticut a look under those circumstances or perhaps even Boston College if a deal could be struck with the Irish.

The wild speculation will be met with wild speculation by posters. But a broad move by Delany will be met with an equally broad move by Slive. Shoot, Swarbrick visited Birmingham a few weeks ago. Who knows what the networks are cooking up.

But a Big 10 Eastern Division would likely be 5 teams North Carolina/Duke, Virginia, Georgia Tech, F.S.U./Miami, and Maryland.
I could see F.S.U. working with that arrangement just fine.

For those who think that the SEC would never move to New England imagine a Northern Division with Virginia Tech, U.N.C./Duke or N.C. State, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and Connecticut.
The football would be okay and the basketball a real coup for the SEC. Add to that a Notre Dame team that would play those 5 teams only in that one division to be eligible for an SEC playoff from that division while being free to schedule whomever for the other 7 games and it would be a helluva thumb in the eye of Delany.

We've established that this is just about money. We have established therefore that with the right offer almost anything is possible. So if the ACC really does get raided (still a big if) I won't be shocked at how any of this pans out. Why should I? Just look at what goes on in the rest of the nation these days.

The tripartite Chinese curse is most appropriate here:
1. May you live in interesting times.
2. May those in authority over you take notice of you.
3. May every desire of your heart come true.

Interesting times are almost always bad.

When authority notices you they either eliminate you due to incompetence, or eliminate you because you are too competent and therefore a threat.

Unchecked desires almost always destroys you in the end.

So in light of that why the heck not send F.S.U. to the Big 10 and Syracuse to the SEC.

I understand and agree. I expect interesting times in the future of CFB. Fortunately for a lot of us, we will sooner or later free up some valuable time in our lives...

(04-04-2013 08:56 PM)miko33 Wrote:  

(04-04-2013 08:22 PM)JRsec Wrote:  If the Big 10 takes Virginia and either North Carolina or Duke the SEC will counter with Virginia Tech and either N.C. State, U.N.C. or Duke.

If the Big 10 goes after Georgia Tech and Florida State the SEC will counter by going after Pittsburgh and Syracuse.

If Delany invades the South looking for new markets Slive will not allow the development of a market gap and will add Pennsylvania and New York to the SEC footprint. The SEC might even give Connecticut a look under those circumstances or perhaps even Boston College if a deal could be struck with the Irish.

The wild speculation will be met with wild speculation by posters. But a broad move by Delany will be met with an equally broad move by Slive. Shoot, Swarbrick visited Birmingham a few weeks ago. Who knows what the networks are cooking up.

But a Big 10 Eastern Division would likely be 5 teams North Carolina/Duke, Virginia, Georgia Tech, F.S.U./Miami, and Maryland.
I could see F.S.U. working with that arrangement just fine.

For those who think that the SEC would never move to New England imagine a Northern Division with Virginia Tech, U.N.C./Duke or N.C. State, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and Connecticut.
The football would be okay and the basketball a real coup for the SEC. Add to that a Notre Dame team that would play those 5 teams only in that one division to be eligible for an SEC playoff from that division while being free to schedule whomever for the other 7 games and it would be a helluva thumb in the eye of Delany.

We've established that this is just about money. We have established therefore that with the right offer almost anything is possible. So if the ACC really does get raided (still a big if) I won't be shocked at how any of this pans out. Why should I? Just look at what goes on in the rest of the nation these days.

The tripartite Chinese curse is most appropriate here:
1. May you live in interesting times.
2. May those in authority over you take notice of you.
3. May every desire of your heart come true.

Interesting times are almost always bad.

When authority notices you they either eliminate you due to incompetence, or eliminate you because you are too competent and therefore a threat.

Unchecked desires almost always destroys you in the end.

So in light of that why the heck not send F.S.U. to the Big 10 and Syracuse to the SEC.

I understand and agree. I expect interesting times in the future of CFB. Fortunately for a lot of us, we will sooner or later free up some valuable time in our lives...

"For those who think that the SEC would never move to New England imagine a Northern Division with Virginia Tech, U.N.C./Duke or N.C. State, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and Connecticut."

That would sure take the monkey off Mizzou's back for all the "we don't belong" chatter.....lol

So Big 10 moves "south" with Florida State and Georgia Tech...seems more and more like the plan is to go to 18...

Considering that the Big 10 is the biggest academic (as well as $$$) fish, why wouldn't those two move together as a package deal?