Big Ten Expansion

Well the Big Ten has really never followed its name like right now the Big Ten has 11 teams and next year they will have 12 teams with the addition of Nebraska. There will be two Big Ten divisions consisting of 6 teams in each and resulting in a conference championship which extremely needed in the Big Ten. Don't laugh to hard to hard at the new division names and the new logo is not to hot either. I guess the Big Ten is trying to get hipper? I do not like it to say the least.

Leaders: Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Purdue, Illinois, and Indiana.
Legends: Michigan, Nebraska, Iowa, Northwestern, Michigan State, and Minnesota.

The guaranteed cross divisional rivalries start with Michigan and OSU. On top of that, Wisconsin and Minnesota, and Illinois and Northwestern preserve their annual rivalries. That leaves Penn State, Purdue, and Indiana from Leaders, and Nebraska, Iowa, and Michigan State from the Legends. Penn State will lose that terribly important Land Grant game in favor of a new rivalry with Nebraska. Meanwhile, it's a little known fact, but the Spartans and Hoosiers do have a rivalry, in which they play for the Old Brass Spittoon. That leaves the final protected rivalry as Iowa against their newly hated rival, Purdue. All things considered, I think the Big Ten did a pretty good job. Some rivalry games will no longer be an annual event. Some fans and teams travel expenditures will get much pricier. I think the Big Ten will be much more competitive in the years to come and might be the second best conference behind the SEC.

Mountain West Conference Expansion

So the Mountain West is going to lose 3 teams. First they will lose BYU next year who will become an independent Football team. Next year they also will lose Utah to the Pac 12. In two years MWC will lose TCU to the Big East. MWC will also add a couple teams first joining the conference next year will be Boise State, Fresno State, and Nevada. And in two years Hawaii will be joining the MWC. The MWC had 9 Teams this year in two years they will have 10 so an addition of one. The WAC is one defection short of becoming a complete joke conference, and Hawaii would push them past that ledge. At this point it would not surprise me at all to hear that the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs have accepted an invitation to the Sun Belt. Rating the New MWC will be hard next year it will be very competitive with TCU and Boise State playing each other so I will give it a B for next year, but in two years you lose TCU and gain Hawaii the conference will basically be a bigger WAC so I'll have to give it a D-.

MWC Teams: (Next Year)
United States Air Force Academy
Colorado State University
University of New Mexico
San Diego State University (Will leave in 2012-2013)
Texas Christian University
UNLV
University of Wyoming
Boise State University
Fresno State
University of Nevada

University of Hawaii (Will join in 2012-2013)

New Big East Conference

The Big East did not do much adding to the conference this year. Of course their basketball conference has a plentiful 17 teams and now their football conference will have 9 with the addition of TCU. TCU is coming from the MWC. They will became a football team and basketball team in the Big East. This is an amazing opportunity for TCU to make a BCS bowl every year now, because of that automatic bid now. The Big East will still be a very weak football conference, and I would not be surprised for if maybe the next 10 years TCU is in a BCS bowl possibly a National Championship. TCU will join the league in 2012-2013 NOT 2011-2012 (Next Year) Villanova is being courted to become a football member, having been in the Big East in all other sports for over 30 years. Rumors exist that the Central Florida Knights are first in line of Villanova refuses. Thus the Big East appears set to move to a 10 team league.

New Big East (9 Teams):
West Virginia, Pittsburgh, South Florida, Rutgers, Syracuse, Connecticut, Cincinnati, Louisville, and now TCU

The Old Pac 10 Turns Into The New Pac 12

The Pac-10 conference will become the Pac-12 next football season, after adding Colorado and Utah to the conference. With 12 total teams, the league will be able to play a conference championship football game, after splitting into two divisions.

The 12 Teams Will Be:
Arizona, Arizona State, California, Colorado (New Transfer from Big 12), Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, Washington, Washington State, UCLA, Utah (New Transfer From MWC), USC

The two divisions:
North- California, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, Washington, Washington State
South- Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, UCLA, USC, Utah

I personally like the addition of the two teams to make a conference championship. I also like the new divisions a lot. First I like the rivals that are kept in both divisions. In the north Oregon-Oregon State, Washington-Washington State and in the south Arizona-Arizona State, UCLA-USC. The only thing I do not like is that they put Colorado and Utah, their new additions to the Pac 12, in the same division. Why? What is the purpose? Switch either Cal or Stanford with Colorado or Utah it would not make a difference. Overall I think the Pac 10 will be a quality conference still not at the top for football but not that bad. Utah will finally get a chance to see if they are Pretenders or Contenders. Should be fun.

Big 10 Race

Conference Standings:

1. Michigan State (4-1) 8-1
Remaining Schedule: Minnesota, Purdue, @ Penn St.- Finish 3-0= (7-1) 11-1
2. Ohio State (4-1) 8-1
Remaining Schedule: Penn St., @#16 Iowa, Vs. Michigan- Finish 2-1= (6-2) 10-2
3. Wisconsin (3-1) 7-1
Remaining Schedule: @ Purdue, Indiana, @ Michigan, Northwestern- Finish 4-0= (7-1) 11-1
4. Iowa (3-1) 6-2
Remaining Schedule: @ Indiana, @ Northwestern, #11 Ohio St, @ Minnesota-Finish 4-0= (7-1) 10-2
5. Illinois (3-2) 5-3
Remaining Schedule: @ Michigan, Minnesota, @ Northwestern, @ Fresno St-Finish 4-0=(7-2) 9-3
6. Northwestern (2-2) 6-2
Remaining Schedule: @ Penn st., #16 Iowa, Illinois, @#9 Wisconsin-Finish 0-4= (2-6) 10-2
7. Penn State (2-2) 5-3
Remaining Schedule: Northwestern, @#11 Ohio St., Indiana, #14 Michigan St.-Finish 2-3 (4-5) 7-5
8. Purdue (2-2) 4-4
Remaining Schedule: #9 Wisconsin, Michigan, @#14 Michigan St, Indiana-Finish 0-4 (2-6) 4-8
9. Michigan (1-3) 5-3
Remaining Schedule: Illinois, @ Purdue, #9 Wisconsin, @#11 Ohio St-Finish 1-3 (2-6) 6-6
10. Indiana (0-4) 4-4
Remaining Schedule: #16 Iowa, @#9 Wisconsin, Penn St, @ Purdue-Finish 0-4 (0-8) 4-8
11. Minnesota (0-5) 1-8
Remaining Schedule: @#14 Michigan St, Illinois, #16 Iowa-Finish 0-3 (0-8) 1-11

My Final Standings:
1. Michigan St.
2. Wisconsin
3. Iowa
4. Ohio St.
5. Illinois
6. Penn St
7. Northwestern
8. Purdue
9. Michigan
10. Indiana
11. Minnesota