Big Ten football teams in 2026 are not playing as predicted.

Penn State and Michigan are faltering and failing, while teams from the old Big Ten West Division: Iowa, Minnesota, Northwestern, Nebraska, and Wisconsin, are playing better than predicted.

It looks like FBS college football (CFB) is inexorably moving to a 24-team playoff.

With these thoughts in mind and pondering Grandpa Duck's ideas of the Big Ten returning to Divisions, and with the coast-to-coast travel burdens, would a return to East and West Divisions make sense?

With a 24-team playoff neutering the power of the Playoff Committee, do 10 conference games make sense?

Open with a G6 opponent at home, then an out-of-conference game against an SEC opponent in an annual B1G versus SEC annual challenge. Games against the SEC would likely be staged over the first four games.

Two East vs. West crossover games would be played before starting eight-game Division play. Eastern time zone to Western time zone games would be played before the weather worsens in the Midwest and the East.

The B1G Pacific time zone members would meet every season, with the games back-loaded to the end of the season.

The West Division would be the Pacific and Central time zones team, with Northwestern in the West and Illinois in the East. The Wildcats vs. the Illini would be a protected cross-conference game played the last week of the season.

Oregon's schedule might look like this: Opening four games - San Jose State, at Florida (followed the next season with a game against Florida in Autzen), cross-Division games against Rutgers, and at Michigan.

Four Division games in Autzen, four Division games on the road. Four at home with the final three opponents: UCLA, USC, and the final regular-season game against Washington.

Men's and Women's basketball would play each Division member home and away, and trips to the Eastern time zone would be limited. This would be the format for all non-revenue sports.

WEST: Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Oregon, UCLA, USC, Washington, Wisconsin.

EAST: Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers.

CBS Sports post-Week 5 B1G rankings note the improvement of the former Western Division teams.

https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/big-ten-power-rankings-week-6-old-west-nebraska-northwestern-wisconsin-minnesota/

Of course, what I or anyone else thinks of this idea is meaningless unless media partners agree on the return to Divisions.

However, Forum Friends, what do you think?

I think that the powers that be of the OLD B1G would jump at it... mostly to avoid the west coast powers. Ohio State and Michigan would almost never have to return to Autzen. (¿once every 8-10 years?)

All 4 of the old PAC12 teams either can or will be able to beat anyone in the B1G, depending on coaches, etc. (Who invited the Ducks anyway? ...and how did they get so physical??)

It would also be easier on the west coast teams, travel wise... and also not having to play the east b1g boys all that often.

I was disappointed that we don't play the LA schools every year.

for the proposed West and East - not sure there would be anything comparable to Purdue, Rutgers and Maryland (East) as 3 annual in-division games in the West

Most have 2 protected games though don't remember all the alignment details. Iowa has 3 but all 3 would be in the same West division. I believe Illinois vs Northwestern is a protected rivalry. That may be the only one which would cross divisions for a scheduling issue.

If the Big Championship game continues, and it continues fixed in Indianapolis, that seems it would benefit the East division.

My preference is to add two teams to the conference, play the other nine in your division and three non-conference games. I am not so sure of trusting the Big-10 Conference office to "balance it out" for the west coast teams, especially Oregon, with your proposed two out-of-division Big-10 games.

No SEC teams on our schedule unless CFB goes to a 24 team Playoff...if we do--epic games!

We may disagree, but a great topic.

Oregon vs. UCLA in the past...