ESPN College Football

We're less than 100 days away from the kickoff of the 2013 season. Hooray. Want another reason to celebrate? There's just one more season to go before the BCS officially dies and we get a new, four-team college football playoff.

As the BCS era -- which began with the 1998 regular season -- draws to a close, we're taking a look at the best achievements and worst failures of every league during that time. Here are five highs and lows from the Big Ten:

Low Five:

1. National title drought: There's no getting around this one. The Big Ten has just one crystal football in its trophy case, thanks to Ohio State's overtime victory over Miami in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl. Other than that, the league has been shut out, and the Buckeyes got blown out in both the 2007 and 2008 BCS title games despite entering those contests ranked No. 1. Worse, Ohio State is the only Big Ten team that has even played in a national championship game. Compare that to the SEC, which has had five teams play for it all, or the Big 12, which has had three.

2. Rose Bowl record: OK, you say, so the Big Ten hasn't won a lot of national titles, but the Rose Bowl is the league's true ultimate goal. Well, the news there hasn't been very good, either. Since the dawn of the BCS era, the Big Ten has gone just 3-9 in the Grandaddy, with just one win in Pasadena since the 1999 season: Ohio State's 2010 victory over Oregon. That was the Buckeyes' only Rose Bowl appearance in the BCS era, as their success resulted in them playing in other bowls and often led to the league's second-best team going to California.

3. Non-Ohio State signature brands: We mentioned the lack of national title-game appearances outside of Ohio State. That's where the league's other brand-name schools have to take some blame. Michigan and Penn State have combined for seven BCS bowl appearances, which is good, but neither has made it to the national-title game. The Wolverines lost three out of four Rose Bowls from 2004-2007 and took a major step backward with the Rich Rodriguez hire. The Nittany Lions weren't able to play for a third national title and were sidelined for the final two BCS years because of probation. Nebraska hasn't reached the big stage game since joining the league two years ago, which was the continuation of a BCS drought for the Huskers that has now reached 11 seasons.

4. Scandal makers: The Big Ten takes great pride in its image and integrity, but the league took a serious hit in those areas toward the end of the BCS era. Three major programs -- Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan -- all went on NCAA probation, and the conference's assistance in helping keep several Buckeyes eligible for the 2011 Sugar Bowl wound up blowing up in its face a few months later. It also was poor timing that the Big Ten named its divisions Legends and Leaders right around the same time its supposedly squeaky-clean marquee programs were dealing with NCAA problems.

5. Recent New Year's massacres: Those with short memories may forget that the Big Ten actually performed quite well in its non-BCS bowls against the SEC and other power leagues for much of the BCS era. But more recent results have obscured that fact. New Year's Day 2011 might have been the low-water mark, as the league went 0-5 and got outscored 138-45 in its three games against the SEC. The Big Ten went 1-4 on Jan. 2, 2012, with Michigan State's overtime victory over Georgia saving the day (though Michigan did win the Sugar Bowl the following night). The league was more competitive on New Year's Day 2013 but still needed Northwestern to come through to avoid going 0-5 again. The Big Ten is just 2-7 against the SEC in the last three years, and that has damaged the perception of the conference's overall strength.

High Five

1. Doubling up: The BCS, all in all, has been good to the Big Ten. The league has made 26 BCS bowl appearances, more than any other conference (and one more than the mighty SEC). Until last year, the Big Ten had a streak of seven consecutive years of earning a BCS at-large bid. The conference's large, eager and sun-starved fan bases helped, especially for some teams with less than stellar résumés (i.e., Illinois in 2007, Michigan in 2011). The extra exposure and millions of dollars from those appearances have benefited the Big Ten, even if the league's 12-14 BCS record is a little wanting.

2. Ohio State's BCS run: Let's try and forget the '07 and '08 title games. The Buckeyes still have made an impressive run through the BCS era, with more appearances (nine) than any other school in the country. That number would have reached 10 last year if not for probation. The Buckeyes are also tied with USC for the most wins in BCS games (six), although the 2011 Sugar Bowl victory over Arkansas was later vacated by the NCAA.

3. Wisconsin's Rose parade: No Big Ten team has spent more time in Pasadena during the BCS era than Wisconsin, which has made five Rose Bowls, including the past three in a row. The Badgers own two of the conference's three Rose wins in that time with back-to-back victories in the 1999 and 2000 games. Their three consecutive losses there are disappointing, but it's better to have lost in the Grandaddy than to not have gone at all.

4. Money, money, money: Sure, the Big Ten lacks national championship rings or a glittering Rose Bowl record. But that hasn't stopped the conference from growing exponentially during the BCS era. Commissioner Jim Delany pioneered the idea of a league-only TV channel, and the Big Ten Network has been hugely profitable. The Big Ten is the richest conference in the land right now and is poised to rake in more dough with its next TV deal.

5. Rise of the middle class: If the Big Ten's signature brands outside of Ohio State failed to make a dent in the BCS title picture, at least some of the other league programs rose up and became contenders. Iowa went to two BCS games and won the 2010 Orange Bowl. Illinois sandwiched Sugar and Rose bowl bids around some otherwise disappointing seasons. Purdue got to the Rose Bowl in 2001. Michigan State is still looking for its first-ever BCS bowl but did win a share of the Big Ten title in 2010 and the inaugural Legends Division crown in 2011. Northwestern has been solid under Pat Fitzgerald and appears to be on an upward trajectory. Wisconsin has ascended into an annual conference power. While not every program has been able to maintain high levels of success, at least the Big Ten wasn't just the Big Two and Little Nine (or Ten, depending on the year) every season.

Good news: We are just 100 days away from the start of college football.

To mark the occasion, we're pulling out a checklist today of things that Big Ten teams need to accomplish between now and the start of the season. It's not quite "The Final Countdown" (cue GOB Bluth), but we are inching ever so close to kickoff. Here's what needs to happen in the next 100 days:

1. Identify a starting quarterback at Iowa, Indiana, Michigan State, Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin: It seems as if there are an unusually high number of Big Ten teams who don't know for sure who their starting quarterbacks will be in the fall. (You could also add Illinois and Minnesota to this list, though it appears likely that Nathan Scheelhaase and Philip Nelson, respectively, would have to lose the job in the summer.) Iowa had a three-man race this spring that will probably come down to Jake Rudock and Cody Sokol in training camp. There's very little separation between Cameron Coffman, Nate Sudfeld and Tre Roberson at Indiana. Connor Cook continues to breathe down the neck of incumbent Andrew Maxwell at Michigan State. Tyler Ferguson claimed the starting job at Penn State during the spring, prompting Steven Bench to transfer, but highly touted recruit Christian Hackenberg will push for immediate time. Purdue will likely decide between senior Rob Henry and true freshman Danny Etling. Joel Stave and Curt Phillips separated themselves from the Wisconsin QB derby this spring, while incoming junior college transfer Tanner McEvoy could expand the race this summer. All these situations should work themselves out in August, but no team wants to be dealing with an unsettled quarterback competition once the season starts.

2. Solidify the defensive front sevens at Nebraska and Ohio State: The Huskers and Buckeyes stand out as two of the top Big Ten contenders in 2013, but both have serious questions at defensive line and linebacker. The issue is more dire at Nebraska, which struggled there last year and is replacing all but one starter from 2012. Summer arrivals, including junior college star Randy Gregory, could make an immediate impact, and players coming back from injury such as linebacker Zaire Anderson and defensive tackle Thad Randle will need to play up to potential. Ohio State is less concerned about its defense after the spring performance of defensive ends Noah Spence and Adolphus Washington, but linebacker Ryan Shazier is still the only returning starter in the front seven. Curtis Grant must finally live up to his talent to provide help to Shazier, and someone must assume John Simon's leadership role.

3. Locate the next great receivers: A few Big Ten teams, such as Nebraska, Penn State and Indiana, don't have to worry too much about who will catch the ball this year. But just about everybody else needs to find playmakers in the passing game. The top of that list includes Iowa, which couldn't generate a downfield passing attack last year; Illinois, which needs receivers to make new coordinator Bill Cubit's spread system work; Michigan State, whose young wideouts must improve on last year's shaky performance; Minnesota, which doesn't have many proven weapons to surround Nelson; and Wisconsin, which still must find a complement to Jared Abbrederis. Ohio State coach Urban Meyer is hoping some incoming freshmen augment a very thin receiver group, while Michigan needs to replace the production of Roy Roundtree. Purdue and Northwestern have lots of speedy options but could use the emergence of a true No. 1 target. Receiver was a weak spot as a whole in the Big Ten in 2012, and hopefully some players will improve through offseason voluntary passing drills.

4. Strengthen the running game at Michigan, Michigan State, Indiana and elsewhere: It's a cliché to say that you have to run the ball to win, but in the case of the Big Ten, that's always been true. That's why it's so vital for the Wolverines and Spartans -- who both expect to contend in the Legends Division -- to find answers in their rushing attacks. Michigan is replacing its entire starting interior offensive line after struggling to get a running game going outside of Denard Robinson last year. Fitz Toussaint is hoping to bounce back from a disappointing season and a leg injury, while hotshot freshman Derrick Green could get lots of carries right away. Michigan State's efforts to replace workhorse extraordinaire Le'Veon Bell this spring ended up with converted linebacker Riley Bullough emerging as the top back in a mediocre field. Three incoming freshmen will compete for time right away this summer. Indiana coach Kevin Wilson put a heavy emphasis on the running game this spring, hoping for more balance after his team led the league in passing and finished last in rushing last season. Iowa has depth for once at running back but needs to stay healthy there, as the ground game is the key to the Hawkeyes' entire offensive philosophy. Nebraska also can't afford injuries, as Ameer Abdullah and Imani Cross are the lone backs with any experience. Illinois averaged just 3.5 yards per carry as a team last year, a number that must improve. And while Purdue loved what it saw from Akeem Hunt this spring, he still must prove he can be an every-down back after attempting only 42 carries last season.

5. Mesh with new coaches: Wisconsin's Gary Andersen and Purdue's Darrell Hazell are the fresh faces among head coaches in the league, and while they did a great job of connecting with their players this spring, they still need to get their new systems fully in place. The Badgers will be using some new, 3-4 looks on defense, while Hazell wants a more physical and disciplined team than we've seen from the Boilermakers of late. Michigan State has a new offensive playcaller in Dave Warner, while Cubit was one of many staff changes at Illinois. Penn State's John Butler takes over from Ted Roof as the Lions' defensive coordinator. With only 15 spring practices so far to implement their styles, those new coaches have had to rely on a lot of classroom time and players learning on their own. That will have to continue this summer during voluntary workouts and then will intensify when preseason practice begins. For new coaches, it's a race against the calendar -- and the calendar says there are only 100 days until kickoff.

Ohio State already had started paying more competitive salaries for assistant coaches before Urban Meyer arrived in November 2011.

But when Meyer and athletic director Gene Smith sat down to discuss staff pay, Smith soon realized he needed to do more.

"I think Michigan had stepped up with their coordinators," Smith recalled last week during Big Ten spring meetings in Chicago. "So we were already going to that before Urban Meyer came, but we bumped it up a little more. Any time there's change, you have that opportunity."

"Everyone's always focused on head coaches' salaries," Smith continued. "That's always the thing. But really when you look at the changes, it's really been assistants' salaries across the country -- not just in the SEC, but the Big 12, Pac-12, all across the country."

The Big Ten is part of the change, too, as the league is allocating more money toward football assistants than ever before. The Detroit Free Press has an excellent look at Big Ten assistants' salaries, complete with a database that includes 10 of the 12 current members (Northwestern doesn't submit salaries as a private institution, and Penn State doesn't have to because of state laws).

The Free Press found that eight of the 10 schools are paying more for assistants in 2013 than they did in 2012 (only Indiana and Illinois are not). There are some significant total increases, such as Wisconsin (up $558,000), Nebraska (up $518,500), Purdue ($400,000) and Minnesota ($355,000). Staff pay had been an issue at Wisconsin, which lost six assistant coaches following the 2012 Rose Bowl, and at Purdue, which paid less for its staff during the Danny Hope era than any Big Ten school.

The total trend among the 10 schools is an increase of $1,720,852.24 for 2013.

Ohio State and Michigan remain No. 1 and No. 2 in Big Ten staff salary, as the Buckeyes allocate $3.416 million and the Wolverines allocate $2.805 million. Nebraska and Wisconsin make the biggest moves in the league for 2013, as the Huskers rise from sixth to third and the Badgers rise from seventh to fourth.

Illinois, which replaced five assistants from the 2012 team, including co-offensive coordinators Chris Beatty and Billy Gonzales, dropped from third in staff pay ($2.314 million) to eighth ($2.065 million).

The database shows that nearly every Big Ten assistant with "coordinator" in his title -- whether he's the sole coordinator or a co-coordinator -- will earn north of $300,000 for 2013. Only 18 assistants listed will make less than $200,000 in 2013 -- 15 work for Minnesota, Illinois, Purdue and Indiana.


Some notes:

• Although Wisconsin paid former offensive coordinator Paul Chryst good coin, the school has increased its commitment for Gary Andersen's staff, not only with the coordinators but with some coveted position coaches like running backs coach Thomas Hammock ($300,000).
• All of Nebraska's assistants are earning $200,000 or more for 2013, but there's a huge drop-off between Beck and the next highest-paid assistant (defensive coordinator John Papuchis at $310,000).
• Michigan State has a similar drop off between Narduzzi and co-offensive coordinators Dave Warner ($270,000) and Jim Bollman ($260,000). Warner will be the primary offensive play-caller and has been on Mark Dantonio's staff since 2006, while Bollman is a newcomer.
• Although Michigan is paying top dollar for its coordinators, the school gets its assistants for a relative bargain. Receivers coach/recruiting coordinator Jeff Hecklinski will earn $225,000 in 2013, while the others all will earn $205,000. Ohio State, meanwhile, pays all but one of its assistants $286,000 or more.
• The Big Ten's three lowest-paid assistants all are in their first years: Illinois wide receivers coach Mike Bellamy ($125,000) and Purdue linebackers coach Marcus Freeman and running backs coach Jafar Williams (both at $120,000).
• Although schools like Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa ($325,000) pay their coordinators the exact same amount, others have slight differences in salary. Purdue's Shoop makes $5,000 more than defensive coordinator Greg Hudson. Minnesota defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys ($340,000) makes $5,000 more than offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover. Wonder if that leads to any underlying jealousy?
• Most Big Ten schools have assistant salaries in round numbers, but there are some interesting totals from Indiana, which pays co-offensive coordinators Seth Littrell and Kevin Johns $255,500.04 and new recruiting coordinator/assistant defensive line coach James Patton $173,740.08. Never know when that change can come in handy.

The Big Ten still lacks some of the OMG totals seen in the SEC -- LSU is paying new offensive coordinator Cam Cameron $3.4 million in the next three years -- but the overall trend puts the league more on par with what we're seeing nationally.

The Big Ten released its 2014 league schedule earlier Thursday, completing what its architect Mark Rudner called a "long, arduous process" of crafting a slate with two new teams, two new divisions and a second open week.

ESPN.com caught up with Rudner, the Big Ten's senior associate commissioner for television administration, to discuss how the 2014 schedule came together.

It's important to note the Big Ten compiled the 2014 slate based upon principles green-lighted by its athletic directors.

They are:

• Nonconference games that had been previously contracted were protected. For example, Northwestern visits Notre Dame on Nov. 15, 2014, so the Big Ten made sure not to schedule the Wildcats on that day. Also, Penn State and Rutgers had a previously scheduled non-league game for Sept. 13, 2014, which became a conference game with Rutgers joining the Big Ten. The date wasn't changed.
• No more than two consecutive road games
• Each team must play two home games and two road games in each half of the season

It's not as if athletic directors ask the league not to schedule multiple rivalry games on the road every year.

"Once you do that," Rudner said, "you're at risk of never having a schedule."

There has been some reaction to Michigan facing in-state rival Michigan State in road games in consecutive seasons (2013, 2014) and Purdue visiting Indiana for the Bucket game the same two years. The Wolverines never have played the Spartans in East Lansing in back-to-back years and haven't hosted MSU in consecutive years since 1967-68.

Although it'll be new for Michigan, such back-to-backs are fairly common when a scheduling model changes. Between 2010-11, there were 13 instances of back-to-back matchups, including rivalry games like Iowa-Minnesota (both games in Minneapolis) and Penn State-Ohio State (both games in Columbus) and other good matchups like Wisconsin-Michigan State (both games in East Lansing).

"It's unavoidable," Rudner said. "It happened five times in 2008-2009. So it's not foreign, it's not ideal, but it's unavoidable. When you're introducing new institutions and you dole out home and road games, it just happens."

Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany has said "parity-based scheduling," where teams will face one another more often in crossovers based on historical success,will begin in 2016, will begin once the league goes to a nine-game conference schedule. Rudner said the league asked the ADs if they wanted to start the nine-game schedules in 2014 but they couldn't because of so many signed contracts for non-conference games. If they had, the 2014 would have incorporated parity scheduling.

The 2014 slate ultimately features none of it, as the traditional powers in each division -- Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State in the East, and Nebraska, Wisconsin and Iowa in the West -- don't play at all.

"I don't think it's going to hurt us," Rudner said. "Brand is strong enough. There are enough games that are strong that'll drive television interest. Short of a full round-robin, which nobody in our conference wanted to do, you're going to have these sort of issues."

A few other schedule notes:

• Rudner and his staff didn't have a directive to schedule mostly division games in November, but it worked out that way as most teams will play exclusively in their division or play only one crossover in the season's decisive month. "Ideally, that's what we would like to do," Rudner said. "It makes a lot of sense to play division games late in the season, toward a championship."
• The Big Ten doesn't look at long-term trends of how often teams open league play on the road when crafting schedules. Athletic directors haven't asked it to a be a principle of building schedules. "It's never been important to them," Rudner said. "What they want to avoid is long road trips and making sure there's balance, home and away, in each half of the season. The rest of it, they can live with. Not everybody plays the same kind of schedule, but they do it based on those principles. They look at it and say, 'That's fair. Let's do it.'" Penn State, by the way, will open league play on the road for the fifth straight year and for the ninth time in the past 11 seasons.
• That new members Maryland and Rutgers host traditional powers Ohio State and Michigan on the same day (Oct. 4) was pure coincidence, Rudner said.

The 2015 Big Ten schedule, which should be released by the end of the month, will feature the same matchups at the opposite locations. The league has to maneuver around some previously scheduled non-league games before finalizing the slate.

Michigan State has finished second in several recruiting battles in recent weeks. Now the Spartans have lost one of their own.

Jay Harris, a wide receiver from Exton, Pa., who signed in February with Michigan State, has decided not to play football and instead pursue a career as a rapper. RecruitingNation rated Harris as a three-star prospect and the 17th best player in Pennsylvania in the 2013 class.

From the Philadelphia Inquirer:

"I've been thinking about doing this for a couple of years now," said Harris, who perfoms under the name Jay DatBull.

His first single "DatBull 4 Life," was uploaded to YouTube in late April and has surpassed 50,000 views.

Harris said he made his decision to forgo football about a week before the video debuted. He knew people would watch it, Harris said, but not that many in such a short time. A mixtape is slated for a June 1 release and Harris said he plans to work with a professional producer this summer.

A Michigan State spokesman told the newspaper it was a mutual decision for Harris not to come to East Lansing.

Wonder what it was like when Harris broke the news to his family.

"So, mom, forget about that full-ride to a Big Ten college. I'm going to be rapper, instead. Happy Mother's Day!"

Maybe things would have been different if Harris performed under the name, JaySpartan.

The video, by the way, likely wouldn't have gone over well with Michigan State's coaches or administrators. It begins with Harris lighting up -- while I'm no expert, I don't think it's tobacco -- and rapping, "I'm DatBull, for life, I'll take your wife." There's much more -- a reference to ballet dancing -- but this is a family blog, and I have a feeling Harris' song will get a few more page views after today's news.

The 5-11, 162-pound Harris committed to Michigan State last June but told the Inquirer it was a "halfhearted" pledge.

Best of luck to Jay DatBull. Maybe Michigan State can play his next YouTube hit at a game this season.

Or maybe not.

You can bemoan the Big Ten's recent lack of elite talent at some positions like quarterback and wide receiver. But one spot where the league has been traditionally strong is at defensive tackle.

That has been arguably the conference's deepest and strongest position in the past two years, filled with stars like Devon Still, Mike Martin, Jerel Worthy, Jordan Hill, Kawann Short and Johnathan Hankins, to name a few. In an otherwise slow NFL draft for the league, the Big Ten saw four defensive tackles get selected last month, including two underclassmen (Hankins and Akeem Spence). In 2012, the conference had five defensive tackles get drafted.

That's why it's notable that, heading into the 2013 season, the Big Ten has no established stars on the defensive interior. Several schools lost top players to either graduation or the draft, including Ohio State (both starters, Hankins and Garrett Goebel are gone), Penn State (Hill), Purdue (Short), Michigan (Will Campbell), Indiana (Adam Replogle and Larry Black Jr.), Illinois (Akeem Spence and Glenn Foster), Nebraska (Baker Steinkuhler), Northwestern (Brian Arnfelt) and Michigan State (Anthony Rashad White).

That's a big talent drain for one position. None of the returning defensive tackles in the league have ever made first- or second-team All-Big Ten. The top veteran tackles in the conference look like this (in alphabetical order):

• Beau Allen, Wisconsin, senior: An underrated player, the 330-pound Allen has what you'd call a low center of gravity, with calves that look like a normal man's thighs. He's a big reason why the Badgers were able to keep teams from running the ball effectively up the middle last year.
• Bruce Gaston, Purdue, senior: Overshadowed at times by Short, Gaston has the ability to disrupt things up front as well and will be asked to do more this season. He was slowed by injuries last year.
• Ra'Shede Hageman, Minnesota, senior: As athletically gifted as any Big Ten D-tackle, the 6-foot-6, 310-pound Hageman started to figure things out last season and had a strong spring. He looks like a guy who can take his game to the elite level if he stays focused and driven.
• DaQuan Jones, Penn State, senior: The 330-pounder is hoping to break out as a senior the way Hill and Devon Still did the past two years. He's been more of a run-stopper than a big-time playmaker so far in his career.
• Quinton Washington, Michigan, senior: He moved into a starter's role last year and will be the most experienced tackle on the Wolverines following Campbell's graduation. With the Michigan coaching staff's expertise on defensive line play, he could take a step forward this year.

All of those guys have been solid contributors, but hardly superstars. They're also all seniors, so maybe they'll go out with a bang.

Or maybe it's younger guys who emerge as the next wave of great Big Ten defensive tackles. Iowa's Carl Davis had a huge spring game and has always had talent but not health. Injuries have also held back Nebraska's Thad Randle and Ohio State's Michael Bennett. Michigan State's Lawrence Thomas, Michigan's Ondre Pipkins, Nebraska's Aaron Curry and Penn State's Austin Johnson could be on the rise. Recruiting and developing stud defensive tackles may be one of the hardest things to do in football, however.

On paper, the Big Ten defensive tackle situation looks to be down from the past couple of years. But new stars are sure to step forward in the fall. Several of them will have to do if the league's recent strong tradition at the position is to continue.

After Notre Dame finalized its arrangement with the ACC last fall, it decided to suspend its annual series against Michigan. It begs the question: What will become of Notre Dame's other two Big Ten rivalries against Purdue and Michigan State?

All three schools have decisions to make. The Big Ten's move to a nine-game conference schedule beginning in 2016 makes it harder for Purdue and Michigan State to play Notre Dame annually in a home-road alternation. For example, Michigan State's 2017 slate includes a home game against Alabama, a road game against Notre Dame and five Big Ten road games, limiting the school to just six home dates, one below its stated minimum to meet the budget. Purdue also says it needs to play seven home games per season, and its Notre Dame home-road schedule doesn't match up with when it will play five Big Ten home games and five Big Ten road games. "We're off cycle," Purdue athletic director Morgan Burke told The (Lafayette) Journal and Courier.

Notre Dame has its own scheduling concerns with guaranteed ACC opponents every year and a desire to play a true national schedule.

Although Michigan-Notre Dame gained the most national attention in recent years, both Purdue and Michigan State have more historic rivalries with the Irish. Purdue and Notre Dame first met in 1896 have played every season since 1946. Michigan State and Notre Dame first met in 1897 and have played in all but two seasons since 1959.

What will happen to these two series? We gave our takes on the three teams.

Adam Rittenberg on Purdue

The buzz around much of the Big Ten is to cut ties with Notre Dame altogether. The Irish didn't want to be in the Big Ten. They got a deal from the ACC they'd NEVER get from the Big Ten. So why should Big Ten teams keep playing Notre Dame? While it seems easy to tell Notre Dame what it can do with that Shillelagh, it's not so simple for a program like Purdue. In fact, I think the Boilers should do whatever they can to keep the Irish on the annual schedule as often as possible.

Purdue fans might skewer me for this, but Purdue needs Notre Dame more than Notre Dame needs Purdue. Why? National attention. When Purdue plays Notre Dame, the Boilers get the national spotlight. When Notre Dame visits Ross-Ade Stadium, ABC/ESPN immediately chooses the game for prime time. When else does that happen for Purdue?

The Notre Dame game resonates for Purdue fans. It fills the stands at Ross-Ade Stadium, which has looked like a ghost town on fall Saturdays in recent years. When Purdue beats Notre Dame, people pay attention. Sure, Purdue can add some other strong non-league opponents. I liked the Oregon series from a few years back. But playing Notre Dame and beating Notre Dame has tremendous value for Purdue, its program and its recruiting efforts.

Burke says Purdue can't have six home games for budgetary reasons. Well, Michigan had six home games last year, so it can happen from time to time. I'm OK with Purdue taking a short break from Notre Dame here and there, but the Boilers would be foolish to completely cut ties with their in-state rival. This series is good for Purdue fans and good for the program. Purdue should fight to keep it going.

Brian Bennett on Michigan State

Much like with Purdue, there is a lot of history in the Megaphone series between Michigan State and Notre Dame. That includes 75 all-time meetings, the so-called Game of the Century in 1966 and, more recently, the Little Giants miracle of 2010. Only four years since 1949 have the two schools not played during the fall. It's a great series and one that should be kept if possible. Now here comes the but ...

... But the two schools are already scheduled to take two-year breaks after every four games between now and 2032, with the first two-year hiatus starting next season. So playing Notre Dame every single year is already a moot point. With the coming nine-game Big Ten conference schedule and the Spartans' agreements to play high-profile nonconference opponents like Oregon (2014 and '15) and Alabama (2016 and 2017), athletic director Mark Hollis has some tough decisions to make. Michigan State will face a very difficult road in the stacked East Division during Big Ten play as it stands. Does it make sense to play the Irish along with another strong program in the nonconference schedule? No, probably not.

The Spartans should try to work things out to where they can play Notre Dame in years when they don't have other marquee nonconference opponents while taking on those other high-profile teams during breaks with the Irish. Michigan State fans wouldn't really miss the Golden Domers that much when they're playing a team like Oregon or Alabama instead. The Spartans should strive to keep Notre Dame on the schedule frequently, but not so much that they handicap their own seasons in the process.

Matt Fortuna on Notre Dame

Much like a team in a conference, Notre Dame has eight annual games from 2014 on that will be set for the foreseeable future: USC, Stanford, Navy and five against ACC opponents. The Irish have already canceled their series with Michigan from 2015 on, leaving the status of the Michigan State and Purdue series up in the air.

Both of you make fair points: The Boilermakers, frankly, need Notre Dame more than Notre Dame needs them, and the Spartans already have quite the nonconference slate on-deck in the coming years.

Where does this leave the Irish?

Some will argue that the program gets whatever it wants, whenever it wants and, like Adam alluded to, should be left alone. But there is no denying that this program moves the needle, especially when playing Big Ten teams.

Every Notre Dame game at a Big Ten stadium since its Sept. 20, 2008, tilt at MSU has been in prime time, save for a 2009 game at Michigan ... which just began playing home night games in 2011, the only two of which were scheduled against Notre Dame.

But there is history to be saved in these series, and efforts from all sides should be made to keep these two, along with the Michigan one, going on a rotating basis. Notre Dame has played Purdue 84 times, which is the same number of times it has played rival USC (which it is keeping on the schedule for West Coast exposure) and only two fewer times than it has played Navy (which it is keeping for history).

Notre Dame's cancellation of its series with the Wolverines was a matter of necessity for the Irish, who needed to create as much scheduling flexibility as possible. The program's series with MSU already has scheduled two-year breaks for 2014-15, 2020-21 and 2026-27. And if the Purdue series does not match up with when the Boilers will play five Big Ten home games and five Big Ten road games, I'm sure smart men like Burke and Jack Swarbrick can get creative, though the onus should fall primarily on Burke.

The irony should not be lost: In keeping with a true national schedule and bringing its brand to different parts of the country, Notre Dame cannot abandon its Midwestern home.

 
Michigan State's most important game comes against in-state rival Michigan on Nov. 2 at Spartan Stadium.

You learned earlier this week that Big Ten programs continue to rake in record television revenues from the league. Not surprisingly, several Big Ten programs are among the nation's leaders in overall athletic revenue from 2012, according to USA Today's annual database.

As the excellent database shows, Big Ten programs make more and also spend more than most in the NCAA.

Ohio State and Michigan rank No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, in both revenue and expenses, trailing national leader Texas. Penn State (No. 8), Wisconsin (No. 11), Iowa (No. 15) and Michigan State (No. 17) also rank in the top 20 nationally in revenue. The 11 Big Ten schools that reported figures -- Northwestern doesn't have to as a private institution -- all rank in the top 35 nationally.

Of the 13 athletic departments that generated more than $100 million in revenue last year, four are in the Big Ten (Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State and Wisconsin).

Here's the breakdown of where Big Ten programs rank in both revenue and expenses:

Ohio State

Total revenue: $142,043,057 (No. 2)
Total expenses: $124,419,412 (No. 2)

Michigan

Total revenue: $140,131,187 (No. 3)
Total expenses: $115,200,187 (No. 3)

Penn State

Total revenue: $108,252,281 (No. 8)
Total expenses: $107,389,258 (No. 5)

Wisconsin

Total revenue: $103,803,040 (No. 11)
Total expenses: $102,275,206 (No. 8)

Iowa

Total revenue: $97,902,974 (No. 15)
Total expenses: $104,658,746 (No. 7)

Michigan State

Total revenue: $93,946,707 (No. 17)
Total expenses: $88,100,432 (No. 18)

Minnesota

Total revenue: $83,619,526 (No. 23)
Total expenses: $83,619,526 (No. 22)

Nebraska

Total revenue: $81,631,252 (No. 26)
Total expenses: $77,037,282 (No. 27)

Illinois

Total revenue: $78,708,250 (No. 29)
Total expenses: $76,740,736 (No. 29)

Indiana

Total revenue: $72,973,954 (No. 31)
Total expenses: $69,915,060 (No. 33)

Purdue

Total revenue: $70,624,394 (No. 35)
Total expenses: $68,056,269 (No. 36)

Seven Big Ten programs reported subsidies -- Wisconsin ($7,127,453) and Minnesota ($6,961,066) were the highest. Future Big Ten member Rutgers had the second highest subsidy ($27,996,056) behind UNLV.

Of the seven programs that reported no subsidies, four of them -- Nebraska, Ohio State, Penn State and Purdue -- are in the Big Ten. Michigan also reported a relatively small subsidy.

Speaking of Rutgers and Maryland, Rutgers ranks 41st in revenue ($64,038,720) and 42nd in expenses ($64,038,720), while Maryland ranks 39th in revenue ($68,142,660) and 35th in expenses ($68,109,639). Both programs have endured recent financial woes.

From the USA Today story:

Rutgers, for instance, spent $28 million more than it generated -- a deficit it covered with about $18.5 million from the school and $9.5 million in student fees. This constituted a slight improvement over 2011, when Rutgers spent $28.5 million more than it generated.

A few more notes on Big Ten revenues and expenses:

• Iowa obviously spent more than it made last year, but there's a good explanation as the school is making long overdue upgrades to its football facilities. Iowa spent $33,354,212 on facilities in 2012, a significant increase from $21,863,477 in 2011.
• Wisconsin also saw an increase in facilities spending to $21,291,110, up from $18,428,436 in 2011. That number will go up in 2013 as Wisconsin completes its renovations for the student-athlete performance center.
• Penn State's overall athletic donations fell from $34,286,648 in 2011 to $25,504,557 in 2012, but football-specific donations soared last year. Penn State also had a fairly big increase in coaches' salaries from $25,641,656 in 2011 to $31,505,317 in 2012.
• While most Big Ten programs remained fairly steady in coaches' salaries, Minnesota had a sizable drop from $27,349,587 in 2011 to $20,284,450 in 2012.
• Michigan had the biggest increase among Big Ten schools in revenue from ticket sales, going from $41,668,589 in 2011 to $52,369,702 in 2012. Most Big Ten programs remained fairly steady in ticket sales, although Illinois, despite its plummeting football attendance, went from $16,533,261 in 2011 to $20,456,244 in 2012.

The Big Ten made news a little more than a week ago by announcing its new division alignment for the 2014 season, as well as a move to nine conference games beginning in 2016. We covered all the news here and here and here, but several components of the moves merit further analysis.

We're breaking down the divisions and the new conference schedule model, their impact now and in the future, as the College Football Playoff is just a year away. These aren't exactly Take Twos, but they're similar, as we'll both be sharing our thoughts on these big-ticket items.

Today's topic is: How likely are these divisions to stand the test of time?

Brian Bennett

The Big Ten sometimes gets criticized for being too stodgy and stubborn, but the fact is the league is undergoing a serious football makeover for the second time since 2010. Yes, expansion played a major role in Legends and Leaders getting (thankfully) cast overboard, but the league didn't have to remake the divisions so drastically just to add Maryland and Rutgers. So no one ought to think that the new East and West formats will last forever, or even a mighty long time.

Yet the conference isn't going to make any quick knee-jerk reactions here, either. You can't properly judge competitive balance on just a few seasons, so I have little doubt that the Big Ten aims to let this play out over a number of years to see how it's working. If you're like me and you think the East has too much power, well, you'll have to wait and find out if that's actually true. A big key to all of this, I believe, is Penn State. As long as the Nittany Lions are on probation and dealing with sanctions, they are somewhat sidelined in the whole balance-of-power argument, even though they are eligible to win a division title. The scholarship reductions could have a major impact on the program beyond 2017. But if Penn State can regain its headliner status quickly, then the Big Ten may well have to re-examine whether it's right to have Michigan, Ohio State and the Nittany Lions all duking it out in the same division.

Of course, whether Michigan State can remain strong is also an issue, as is whether other West teams can consistently challenge Nebraska and Wisconsin for superiority. Again, this is something we're only going to learn over a long period of time, probably a decade or more.

But as we've seen, things can change rapidly. Who's to say there won't be further expansion that causes another reshuffling? Perhaps Michigan or Ohio State will get tired of finishing in the Top 10 nationally but only No. 2 in its own division. Maybe teams in the West will demand more exposure and recruiting opportunities in the East. The future, to quote Don Draper, is something you haven't even thought of yet. At least we know the Big Ten is adaptable.

"We're not foolish enough to think what we did today is what the Big Ten will look like for the next 100 years," Northwestern athletic director Jim Phillips said the day of the division announcement. "We've had a lot of change in the last 24 months. We've proven under commissioner Jim Delany's leadership that we'll adjust and make changes."

In other words, if you don't like the current alignment, just stick around a while.

Adam Rittenberg

The Big Ten can't be shuffling the divisions every 2-3 years, unless there's more expansion. But the league also can't bury its head in the sand and let a Big 12 North/South situation take place. The potential for that to happen exists with so much firepower in the East, but I also think the league will let things play out for a while before entertaining serious talk of another shuffle. Keep in mind that the Big Ten's recent expansion and, to a certain extent, its division realignment is about building the brand in a new region. So if there's more attention on the East than the West, at least initially, the league office can live with that.

You bring up some great points about Penn State, and it will be important for Bill O'Brien's team to prevent Ohio State and Michigan from separating themselves in the East (and in the entire league). But I think the key to staying power isn't necessarily the "No. 1 seeds," as league commissioner Jim Delany calls Michigan, Ohio State, Nebraska and Penn State. And while Wisconsin can't match those four programs for historic excellence, the Badgers have been just as good or a little bit better than Penn State since the Lions joined the Big Ten. They've also been a better program than Nebraska in recent seasons. Wisconsin will boost the West division.

The teams to watch here are Northwestern, Iowa and Michigan State. The West might not match the East in terms of strength at the very top, but it can match up with overall depth if Northwestern continues on its upward trajectory and Iowa gets back to the success it had in 2009. Northwestern has tremendous momentum right now with improved recruiting and a new facility coming soon. Iowa has shown the ability to rise up repeatedly under Kirk Ferentz. If both of those programs are winning eight, nine or 10 games in many seasons, the West should be fine even if Ohio State and Michigan create a bit of separation. Michigan State's role is to challenge the three traditional powers in the East and create at least some parity in the division. As I wrote last week, Michigan State has a great opportunity in the East division and shouldn't shy away from it. We're going to learn exactly who these Spartans are in the coming seasons.

As you mention, BB, there are a lot of unknowns out there. Ohio State and Michigan appear poised to separate themselves because of their recruiting efforts. But that might not be the case. Ultimately, it's up to teams like Northwestern, Iowa and Michigan State -- as well as Purdue, Minnesota, Indiana, Illinois, Rutgers and Maryland -- to create enough depth/parity in both divisions. Otherwise, we'll eventually see another change.

More B1G Debate

• Division balance
• Playoff ramifications

The Big Ten's prime-time schedule for 2013 is now complete as the Big Ten Network on Monday announced it will broadcast 12 games under the lights this coming season.

Here's the full prime-time slate from BTN:

Aug. 29


UNLV at Minnesota, 7 p.m. ET
Indiana State at Indiana, 7 p.m. ET

Aug. 30

Western Michigan at Michigan State, 8 p.m. ET

Aug. 31

Wyoming at Nebraska, 8 p.m. ET

Sept. 7

Syracuse at Northwestern, 6 p.m. ET
Southern Miss at Nebraska, 6 p.m. ET
Navy at Indiana, 6 p.m. ET

Sept. 14

UCF at Penn State, 6 p.m. ET
Washington vs. Illinois (at Soldier Field, Chicago), 6 p.m. ET
Western Michigan at Northwestern, 9 p.m. ET

Sept. 21

Missouri at Indiana, 8 p.m. ET

Oct. 19

Wisconsin at Illinois, 8 p.m. ET

Last week, ESPN/ABC announced its six picks for prime-time games featuring Big Ten teams. In case you missed 'em, here they are ...

Sept. 7

Notre Dame at Michigan, 8 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN or ESPN2

Sept. 14

Notre Dame at Purdue, 8 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN or ESPN2

Sept. 28

Wisconsin at Ohio State, 8 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN or ESPN2

Oct. 5

Ohio State at Northwestern, 8 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN or ESPN2

Oct. 12

Michigan at Penn State, 5 p.m. ET, ESPN or ESPN2

Oct. 26

Penn State at Ohio State, 8 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN or ESPN2

The complete schedule features a record 18 Big Ten games in prime time, three more than the league's previous high set in 2011. The slate features 13 non-conference games and five league contests. You'll notice immediately that there are once again no November night games, even though the Big Ten is now open to them. Check the blog at 3:30 p.m. ET for more on this, but the extra week in the 2013 schedule was a major factor in the Big Ten's television partners selecting prime-time games only in August, September and October. The two biggest Saturdays for night games are Sept. 7 (four games) and Sept. 14 (four games).

Remember that there could be additional prime-time games for Big Ten teams in road venues, as the other leagues and their television partners control kickoff times.

Eleven of the 12 teams made the Big Ten's prime-time schedule, as Iowa is the lone squad absent from the rundown. Here's the breakdown of prime-time games:

Illinois: 2 (one home, one neutral)
Indiana: 3 (all home)
Iowa: 0
Michigan: 2 (one home, one road)
Michigan State: 1 (home)
Minnesota: 1 (home)
Nebraska: 2 (both home)
Northwestern: 3 (all home)
Ohio State: 3 (two home, one road)
Penn State: 3 (two home, one road)
Purdue: 1 (home)
Wisconsin: 2 (both road)

Some thoughts on the Big Ten's prime-time schedule:

• Northwestern and Ohio State look like the big winners here. The Wildcats-Buckeyes game on Oct. 5 will be one of Northwestern's most anticipated home games in years. Plus, Northwestern gets its first two home contests at night, which should boost attendance at a time where school isn’t in session and when the weather is still typically very nice. Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith got his wish of two home night games and only one on the road after having the reverse (two road, one home) a lot in recent years. Penn State fans also have to be happy with two home night games, and while the 5 p.m. kickoff time might not be as appealing as 8 p.m., Nittany Nation still will have plenty of time to, well, prepare.
• Indiana's openness to night football continues to pay off with BTN games. Although the matchups aren't always appealing (i.e. Indiana State), Indiana has made night games a much bigger part of its fans' experience in recent seasons, which has helped attendance. The Missouri game at night makes a lot of sense as Indiana takes on a Big 12 foe in a window with no other Big Ten games (to this point, at least).
• Purdue's rival Indiana gets a night game against Notre Dame, but the Boilers haven't been as aggressive about night football, which irks a portion of their fans.
• It would be nice to see more conference games at night, as the prime-time schedule is incredibly front-loaded this season. But as I'll explain more in the no-November-night-games post, the 14-week schedule with two open weeks per team really thins out the conference slate in some weeks. ABC/ESPN and BTN both need games to fill the mid-afternoon window (3:30 p.m. ET), which the Big Ten continues to value as much or more than other leagues.
• Nebraska fans were bummed out not to see their Huskers on the ABC/ESPN prime-time schedule, but at least they get two home games under the lights on BTN. The Huskers' schedule before November simply isn't very appealing, and while Nebraska had some good November prime-time game possibilities, it just didn't work out this year. The Week 3 game against UCLA almost certainly will go into the 3:30 window.
• It's always a bummer to have no prime-time games at Camp Randall Stadium, one of the nation's best settings for night football. But Wisconsin's home schedule, especially before mid November, isn't overly appealing. The Badgers are the only team playing two road night games in Big Ten play (Ohio State, Illinois).
• Michigan State opens with a Friday night home game for the third consecutive season (Youngstown State in 2011, Boise State in 2012). But the Spartans once again aren't on the prime-time slate during Big Ten play.
• There's no hard cap on the number of night games Big Ten teams can play in a season, but three seems to be the acknowledged maximum. I've been told teams don't want to play more than one-quarter of their games in prime time, which translates to three contests.

Even before the Big Ten announced its new East-West division alignment, the complaints were rolling in from Sparta (read: East Lansing, Mich.). The angst only increased when the divisions became official.

No Big Ten fan base has more outrage about the new divisions than Michigan State's. Spartans supporters wanted to be in the West, away from the Michigan-Ohio State-Penn State triumvirate. They wanted to be in Chicago as much as possible, an area athletic director Mark Hollis has talked about often as a major concentration for MSU fans and alums.

Put us in the West, they said, keep the annual crossover with Michigan and achieve competitive balance. It's so simple!

But the Big Ten brass thought otherwise, assigning divisions based primarily on geography. Michigan State, located in the Eastern portion of the league, joined the three traditional powers -- along with Indiana, Rutgers and Maryland -- in the East division.

To some Spartans fans, the division assignment is the Big Ten's latest dig at their program. Who can forget the great BCS screw job of 2010, where Ohio State, a team we learned later had knowingly violated NCAA rules, went to the Sugar Bowl ahead of a Michigan State squad that had beaten Rose Bowl participant Wisconsin. The following year, a Spartans team that came yards away from a Big Ten championship once again missed a BCS bowl, while its top rival Michigan -- a team Michigan State had defeated earlier that season -- went to the Sugar Bowl.

There's also the general feeling among a portion of MSU fans that the Big Ten always favors Michigan and Ohio State in key decisions.

From my inbox:

Max from Grosse Point, Mich: I just finished reading your interview with Jim Delany and couldn't believe it. His bias for the "protected" schools is clearly evident and disgusting. Do you think it is time for the other schools to band together and remove him?From a MSU fans seat it is obvious that there is not a level playing field in the Big Ten. Waiting until after the Bowl season to force osu to forfeit cost us a Rose Bowl trip. Phantom whistles again vs osu cost us a touchdown and the game last year. Blocking too "hard" vs Nebraska cost us another touchdown and game. It goes on and on.Is there any hope?

David from Henderson, Nev.: I was 26 years old when I made my first (and only) trip to the Rose Bowl to watch the Spartans play. If someone had told me then that MSU wouldn't be back to play in Pasadeener (as JoePa pronounced it) in the next 25 years I would have thought they were crazy. Now after seeing the official realignment, it certainly appears that a return trip will be even more difficult than ever. What are the odds that I will be able to watch MSU play in the Rose Bowl sometime in the NEXT 25 years?

I understand Max's and David's frustration. And there are others who feel similarly. Tuesday afternoon, I caught the end of "The Drive with Jack Ebling," a popular radio show in Lansing, Mich. The word "panic" was used quite a few times to describe the current state of Spartan Nation.

Panic if you'd like, Spartan fans. Complain about the Big Ten's bias against your school. Shout to the heavens about all the perks Ohio State and Michigan seem to get. It's your right to do so.

Or you can embrace the challenge of the East division. Because there's no better platform for Michigan State to find out exactly where its program stands right now.

Michigan State is enjoying its most successful stretch in years under coach Mark Dantonio. The Spartans have a team-record six consecutive bowl appearances under Dantonio. They recorded back-to-back 11-win seasons for the first time in team history in 2010 and 2011, claimed a share of the Big Ten title for the first time in 20 years in 2010, and won the inaugural Legends Division championship the following year.

Many non-MSU fans irked by the potential imbalance of the divisions mention "four power programs" in the East, including Michigan State alongside Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State. Whether that's true or not is up for debate -- some argue Michigan State is a superior program to Wisconsin, which is simply false -- but no one would be making that case five years ago. It's a testament to Dantonio and what he has done in East Lansing.

So embrace the difficulty of the East. Don't run away from the tougher road to Indianapolis.

"You have to take risk in order to have great opportunities," Hollis told Ebling's show on WVFN radio Tuesday. "There's a couple ways you look at things, half-full or half empty. I applaud fans' persepctive and I'm glad many of them express how they feel. At the same time, I always say you are who you walk with. You are who you play against.

"I very much want to be in a conglomerate of the best of the best."

Hollis has the right approach. Whether or not he pushed to get Michigan State in the West Division -- and I'm told he did -- he recognizes what having success in the East can do for a program still fighting for national respect in some circles.

Despite Michigan State's recent run of consistency, some can't get past the fact it began as Michigan sunk to historic lows under Rich Rodriguez. There's a belief that as Brady Hoke makes Michigan into Michigan again -- through recruiting and on-field performance -- Michigan State's program will backslide.

Michigan State can beat Michigan every year in the East. It can also take on Ohio State and Penn State every year. Time to panic? No. Time to perform? Absolutely.

"Michigan and Ohio State have historically been great foes against Michigan State," Hollis told the radio show. "They will continue to be. Those are the ballgames you want to see take place in Spartan Stadium. I'm ready to face it head-on."

Asked about the concern of some Spartans fans, Hollis said, "I understand how some could come to that conclusion, but I think as you walk through it and as you look at the opportunities Michigan State's going to have, you get pretty darn excited about what our future is going to look like."

He's excited. Michigan State fans should be, too.

The Big Ten made big news Sunday by announcing its new division alignment for the 2014 season, as well as a move to nine conference games beginning in 2016. We covered all the news here and here and here, but several components of the moves merit further analysis.

During the next few days we'll be breaking down the divisions and the new conference schedule model, their impact now and in the future, as the College Football Playoff is just a year away. These aren't exactly Take Twos, but they're similar, as we'll both be sharing our thoughts on these big-ticket items.

Today's topic is: How will the nine-game conference schedule affect the Big Ten's chances of getting into the College Football Playoff?

Brian Bennett

First and foremost, the Big Ten needs to play better. Period. The league likely would not have put a team into the four-team playoff in any of the past five seasons had the system been in place (though Ohio State would have made it last year if not for probation).

Yet a nine-game conference schedule, along with the Big Ten's commitment to not play FCS teams and add at least one respectable BCS opponent in the nonconference slate, will make the prospects of reaching the final four more difficult. Any Big Ten champion will likely have to go 13-0 or 12-1 to gain any realistic consideration, and that will mean navigating a challenging course of nine league games plus the conference championship game, not to mention any tough out-of-league contests.

There's a reason the SEC and ACC are sticking to only eight conference games, and the Pac-12 is mulling a scale back from nine to eight. It's a lot easier to buy yourself a guaranteed win than risk playing a conference opponent that knows you inside and out. Still, I applaud the Big Ten for raising the bar. The conference really needs to prove itself in key interleague play more than anything, whether that's games such as Michigan State playing Oregon, Wisconsin facing Alabama, Ohio State taking on Texas or Nebraska going up against Oklahoma. Win those, and a conference loss won't sign the death warrant on playoff hopes.

Running the table with a nine-game schedule is not impossible. Oregon did it in Pac-12 in 2010 on its way to the BCS title game. Would Ohio State have lost if it played another Big Ten game last year? Doubtful, since the Buckeyes had already beaten Nebraska, Wisconsin, Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State. A nine-game schedule rewards greatness, and a Big Ten team that goes undefeated in the league would have a great shot at the playoff even with a nonconference setback.

The nine-game schedule absolutely adds to the degree of difficulty for the Big Ten when it comes to the playoff. But the league hasn't exactly been racking up national championships over the past few decades, anyway. This is still the right move for a variety of reasons, and the best teams will show themselves to be deserving.

Adam Rittenberg

Although I love disagreeing with Mr. Bennett, he's spot on with his analysis here. The Big Ten's push for the College Football Playoff still has more to do with building enough depth at the top than how many league games it plays. As I've written for years, the Big Ten simply doesn't have enough programs that are equipped to compete for national titles year in and year out. Pinning your hopes on Ohio State to skate through a favorable schedule in a weak league every year isn't a sustainable formula for improving the conference.

Ultimately, the Big Ten wants to reach a point where a team doesn't have to run the table to make the playoff. The league should strive to create a reputation in which a one-loss Big Ten team that played a competitive nonconference schedule deserves consideration for the playoff. That's why I like the league-wide initiative to beef up the pre-conference slate. We're already seeing results from programs such as Wisconsin, which used to be averse to anything resembling a challenge in early September, as well as Ohio State and Michigan State. As Bennett points out, the Big Ten needs to start winning more of the major non-league tests.

So yes, a nine-game schedule creates a tougher path to the playoff, particularly for the teams in the loaded East Division. I liked the Big Ten's plan to keep an eight-game league schedule and add the Pac-12 partnership, but when that went kaput, a move to nine games seemed inevitable. There are too many good reasons to play each other more often -- TV, fan-friendly games, rivalries -- in an expanded conference.

It would be a major surprise if a Big Ten team that went 13-0 -- including 10 league wins -- is left out of the playoff. Running the table certainly becomes tougher, but the league's macro goal remains the same: to build greater depth at the top and create a reputation more like the SEC's, in which you don't need to be perfect to be one of the nation's top four teams. Remember, league champions should in some cases have priority in terms of playoff access. The Big Ten champion gains greater credibility, even with one loss, if it gets through a nine-game conference schedule rather than an eight-gamer.

More B1G Debate

• Division balance

The Big Ten made big news Sunday by announcing its new division alignment for the 2014 season, as well as a move to nine league games beginning in 2016. We covered all the news here and here and here, but several components of the moves merit further analysis.

During the next few days we'll be breaking down the divisions and the new conference schedule model, their impact now and in the future, as the College Football Playoff is just a year away. These aren't exactly Take Twos, but they're similar, as we'll both be sharing our thoughts on these big-ticket items.

Today's topic is: Balance in the new divisions (or lack thereof)

Adam Rittenberg

I get the complaints, I really do. At first glance, the divisions look lopsided with Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State and Michigan State on one side. Perhaps the East will dominate the Big Ten for years, relegating the West to Big 12 North type status. I understand the argument for moving Michigan State to the West, which may or may not have created more competitive balance, admittedly a lower priority for the Big Ten in the latest alignment. But I keep thinking how the divisions discussion would be different in 2010, or 2004, or 1998. In 2010, Iowa was coming off of an Orange Bowl championship, its second BCS bowl appearance in eight years. A division featuring Iowa, Nebraska and Wisconsin, plus a Northwestern program on the rise, would be perceived differently than the one the Big Ten revealed Sunday. In 2004, Purdue was pegged to win the Big Ten by many and had enjoyed a run of quality bowl games under Joe Tiller. Iowa also was surging back then, while Michigan State and Penn State were struggling.

My point is the landscape changes and most teams go through ups and downs. The Big Ten has had tremendous parity: nine different champions since 2000, seven different Rose Bowl participants since 1995. Wisconsin doesn't get enough credit in the discussion for being one of the nation's most consistently good (and sometimes great) programs for the past 20 years. Next to Ohio State, Wisconsin has been the Big Ten's most consistent winner in the past two decades.

I'd put Ohio State, Michigan, Nebraska, Penn State and Wisconsin in one group. After that, things get a bit murky. How much do you buy into Northwestern, which has transformed from perennial loser to consistent bowl game participant since the 1995 season? People view Michigan State differently now than they would have five years ago. That's a credit to Mark Dantonio, his assistants and his players, but will the MSU program continue its upward climb? It remains to be seen. Being the East division provides the true litmus test for the Spartans program.

Much of this comes down to if Ohio State and Michigan create significant separation from the rest of the league. If Penn State gets through the sanctions and joins the Buckeyes and Wolverines in most years, the Big Ten East could turn into the Big 12 South based on the attention/exposure it will generate. That's a problem, and the Big Ten then might have to reassess division alignment. The league needs Northwestern to keep winning, and both Iowa and Purdue to regain their old form, to create some balance from the West. So yes, the divisions appear unbalanced, but recent Big Ten history shows that things often don't turn out the way they first appear.

Brian Bennett

Of course the divisions are unbalanced. The Big Ten basically admitted this when Jim Delany said competitive balance was No. 3 on the list of priorities during the realignment. Geography and protecting rivalries were deemed most important, and on those two fronts, the league hit a grand slam.

But anytime you put Michigan and Ohio State -- the conference's two most dominant programs historically, and the two that really look poised to take off in the near future -- in one division, the scales of power are inevitably going to tip in favor of that division. Then you add in Penn State, another powerhouse with a 100,000-seat stadium, and the scale starts to really lean in one direction. Putting Michigan State with those three all but makes the scale tip over. The East really is, as Indiana athletic director Fred Glass called it, the "Big Boy Division" right now (has anybody called Frisch's about a possible sponsorship?)

Let's give the teams in the West some credit. Nebraska is on the same level with Ohio State and Michigan historically, if not necessarily in the past decade or so. And as Adam mentioned, Wisconsin has earned the right to be included in the list of Big Ten heavyweights. If you look at it in terms of BCS bowl appearances -- not the best measurement, but a decent indication of recent strength -- then the West has 12 compared to 17 for the East. Take away the top two in each division -- Michigan and Ohio State in the East, Nebraska and Wisconsin in the West -- and each side has three all-time BCS appearances.

Or how about Rose Bowl appearances since 1990? Again, it's not a perfect comparison, since the Rose Bowl hasn't always featured the Big Ten champ during the BCS era and Nebraska wasn't a part of the league until two years ago. Still, by that measure, the West has 10 Rose Bowl berths to 11 for the East. And that's not including the Huskers at all (though Ohio State's presence in other BCS bowls during that time skews things quite a bit).

So this could all work out, especially if Iowa and Purdue rebound, Minnesota continues to climb, Northwestern's 10-win season last year was an indication of things to come and Illinois ever turns potential into consistent results. Indiana, Rutgers and Maryland aren't exactly world-beaters, and Penn State will likely decline during the sanctions era. It's instructive to remember that when the SEC first went to division play in the early 1990s, the East was seen as the much stronger division with Florida, Georgia and Tennessee. That has now flip-flopped, with Alabama, LSU, Auburn and now Texas A&M making the SEC West that league's seat of power. These things are often cyclical.

But I also wonder if teams in the East who get more regular exposure in the new recruiting hotbeds along the Eastern seaboard -- not to mention Ohio -- will start to pull away some from those in the West. That's a concern, as is what will happen when and if Penn State truly returns to national power status. That would give the East three "brand-name" schools, along with a program in Michigan State that I don't think is going away anytime soon.

The West has a lot of work to do to make sure these divisions aren't as lopsided as they appear on paper. But, hey, at least it would make for a good underdog story in the Big Ten championship game.

You've waited for it, and the Big Ten prime-time schedule for the 2013 season is finally here. Well, at least the first part of it.

ESPN/ABC has made its six prime-time picks for the upcoming season. One game already had been announced: Notre Dame at Michigan on Sept. 7.

Here's the full Big Ten prime-time schedule on ESPN/ABC:

Sept. 7: Notre Dame at Michigan, 8 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN or ESPN2

Sept. 14: Notre Dame at Purdue, 8 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN or ESPN2

Sept. 28: Wisconsin at Ohio State, 8 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN or ESPN2

Oct. 5: Ohio State at Northwestern, 8 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN or ESPN2

Oct. 12: Michigan at Penn State, 5 p.m. ET, ESPN or ESPN2

Oct. 26: Penn State at Ohio State, 8 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN or ESPN2

Final TV designations will be made in the fall.

The Big Ten Network soon will announce its prime-time schedule for the fall, most likely next Monday. The Big Ten had 14 prime-time games last season, and you can expect about the same total this year.

Some thoughts on the list:

• Although the Big Ten is now open to night games in November, none appear on this list. ESPN/ABC was able to fill its six-game allotment before the end of October, featuring two games involving Notre Dame and four Big Ten matchups. An ESPN platform will televise a Big Ten matchup in prime time five of six straight Saturdays from Sept. 7 to Oct. 12. There are certainly some appealing games in November that could be played at night, but the networks chose to pass this time around. So if you're upset, blame TV.
• Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith has been vocal about the fact the Buckeyes typically play two road games at night and just one at home. Smith wants more night games at The Shoe -- so does coach Urban Meyer -- and he gets his wish as Leaders Division foes Wisconsin and Penn State both visit Ohio Stadium at night. Not surprisingly, the Buckeyes make more ABC/ESPN prime-time appearances (3) than any other Big Ten team, as they also visit Northwestern.
• Speaking of Northwestern, the Wildcats have to be thrilled with an ABC/ESPN prime-time game at Ryan Field. Pat Fitzgerald's crew could/should be 4-0 and coming off of a open week when Ohio State comes to town for Northwestern's Big Ten opener. It will be the most anticipated Northwestern home game in recent memory.
• I really liked the late-afternoon/early evening kickoff for Ohio State-Penn State last year at Beaver Stadium. Penn State gets another of these as Michigan comes to town on Oct. 12. Could a whiteout be on tap? Let's hope so.
• The ABC/ESPN prime-time slate features most of the Big Ten teams projected to contend for a championship -- except one. Nebraska has to be a little disappointed to be left out, although the Huskers' schedule in September and October -- when Big Ten prime-time games are typically played -- is very dull. A Week 3 matchup against UCLA likely will be a late-afternoon kickoff.
• Love 'em or hate 'em, Notre Dame remains a major national TV draw. The Irish will play a night game at a Big Ten stadium for the fifth consecutive season and two road night games against the Big Ten for the second time in three years.

What do you think of the ABC/ESPN prime-time schedule?