B1G Crossover Matchups

A couple days ago I posted a composite 1-130 of all CFB teams based on the preseason expectations of multiple national media/evaluation outfits. (Click here to view.) My dear friend, The Deer Hunter, pointed out that I did not address cross-division matchups. So I will now.

The ranking listed for each team is the composite ranking from 1 to 130, as displayed in the link above. Let’s examine the crossover matchups:

MICHIGAN – 27

• @ Wisconsin – 12
• @ Nebraska – 55
• Northwestern – 32

OHIO ST – 3

• @ Minnesota – 38
• @ Nebraska – 55
• Purdue – 65

PENN ST – 18

• @ Wisconsin – 12
• @ Iowa – 15
• Illinois – 82

INDIANA – 24

• @ Iowa – 15
• Minnesota – 38
• @ Purdue – 65

Among the expected contenders in the East Division, Penn State plays both top contenders in the West, and both of those matchups are on the road.

Only Ohio State plays neither Wisconsin nor Iowa. (Yea, I hear the criticism of OSU’s crossover games. Keep in mind that it was less than a decade ago when Michigan had a 5-year hiatus from playing Wisconsin [2011-2015]. Scheduling is cyclical.)

Also interesting is that all four instances of an expected East contender playing @ Wisconsin or Iowa take place early on in conference play: Indiana’s 1st conference game, Michigan’s 2nd, and Penn State’s 1st & 3rd.

The rest of the East:

MICHIGAN ST – 66

• @ Northwestern – 32
• Nebraska – 55
• @ Purdue – 65

MARYLAND – 69

• @ Illinois – 82
• Iowa – 15
• @ Minnesota – 38

RUTGERS – 84

• @ Northwestern – 32
• @ Illinois – 82
• Wisconsin – 12

MSU’s crossover games profile very similarly to OSU’s. (There, now you can complain that the B1G has it in for Michigan because your rivals have what appears to be the easiest crossover games among the teams in the East. Trust me, the B1G would like nothing more but to have Michigan be a consistent top 10 program.)

Let’s check out the top West Division contenders:

WISCONSIN – 12

• Penn State – 18
• Michigan – 27
• @ Rutgers – 84

IOWA – 15

• Indiana – 24
• @ Maryland – 69
• Penn State – 18

They both play Penn State. And, according to these composite rankings, the difference between playing Michigan and Indiana is basically a wash.*

Wisconsin’s two primary crossover matchups are also their first two conference games of the season, and Iowa plays all three of their crossovers before playing a single West division foe.

The rest:

NORTHWESTERN – 32

• Michigan State – 66
• Rutgers – 84
• @ Michigan – 27

MINNESOTA – 38

• Ohio State – 3
• Maryland – 69
• @ Indiana – 24

NEBRASKA – 55

• @ Michigan State – 66
• Michigan – 27
• Ohio State – 3

PURDUE – 65

• Michigan State – 66
• @ Ohio State – 3
• Indiana – 24

Three of these four teams (all but Northwestern) are very similar: they play (1) OSU, (2) either Indiana or Michigan (a wash), and then (3) a bottom tier team. Northwestern plays a second bottom tier team instead of OSU.

ILLINOIS – 82

• Maryland – 69
• @ Penn State – 18
• Rutgers – 84

Profiles similarly to Northwestern’s crossover games. Good for Big Bert.

 

LET’S GET STARTED!!!  (Nebraska & Illinois play 2 weeks from today!)

 

(* - did you ever think there would be a day when Michigan would be considered a near equivalent to Indiana, and that it would serve as a compliment?)