2011 recap: Big Ten

9 days until kickoff....

...and we're looking at the conference that hasn't been able to count since 1993!

In 1993, Penn State joined the Big Ten, causing confusion in the college ranks because it was the conference's 11th team.  In 2011, the conference alignments of higher education institutions became even more convoluted as the Big Ten (now also referred to as B1G) expanded to 12 teams, while the Big 12 shrank to 10.

To add to the irony and confusion, the change in numbers was largely due to Nebraska moving from the now 10-member Big 12 to the now 12-member Big Ten.

With the expansion, we saw the first Big Ten Championship Game played in December 2011.  To come up with teams to play in the game, the Big Ten created two division:  Legends and Leaders.  Those division names are not without controversy, though.  After all, can you really call a team a "leader" if they're sitting at the bottom of the conference?

Like the ACC, the Big Ten opted to not divide the schools by geography.  Instead, they matched the schools up based on other factors like program strength and tradition, and rivalries.

The Legends division includes Minnesota, Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern, Iowa, and new member Nebraska.  The Leaders are Ohio State, Penn State, Illinois, Purdue, Indiana, and Wisconsin.

Probably the most entertaining game of the season was the primetime matchup between Wisconsin and Michigan State.  After a 14-0 start by Wisconsin, the momentum shifted in the second quarter when the Badgers committed a safety, giving Michigan State their first 2 points of the game.  The Spartans came back during the second quarter to take the lead at halftime 23-14.  The score was tied in the final minutes at 31.  Michigan State seemed content to force the game into overtime, but Wisconsin kept calling timeouts, which led Michigan State to start driving again.  With fourth down and only 4 seconds left to go, Michigan State called a Hail Mary towards the end zone. 

Words alone do not do justice to this spectacular ending, so I direct you to YouTube.

The two teams met again in the Big Ten Championship Game, but with a reversed result, sending Wisconsin to the Rose Bowl, who lost to Pac-12 Champ Oregon.

Michigan also was chosen by the BCS as an at-large team, ultimately winning a very close Sugar Bowl against Virginia Tech.

The Big Ten sent 10 teams to bowls, but only won 4.  The other three teams winning the bowls were Purdue, Illinois, and Michigan State.  Indiana and Minnesota did not qualify for bowls.

Scandals rocked the Big Ten all throughout 2011, costing two coaches their jobs.  First, Ohio State violated NCAA sanctions and lost its coach during the 2011 offseason.  Then came the news of the child abuse/sex scandal at Penn State.  Joe Paterno was fired in November, and died in January.
New coachs in the Big Ten for 2012 include Tim Beckman at Illinois, Urban Meyer at Ohio State, and Bill O'Brien at Penn State.  Ohio State and Penn State are inelligible for any postseason play, including the Big Ten Championship.