Big Ten Splits Up Michigan And Ohio State
September 2, 2010 |08:49 | College | Gossips By : Team X
Big Ten Splits Up Michigan And Ohio State: Any Michigan man will tell you, there is nothing quite like beating Ohio State. Every Buckeye agrees, a win over that team from up North is priority No. 1. Well, now Michigan and Ohio State could get two chances in a season to beat their fiercest rival. What would Woody and Bo have thought of that? A rematch!
The Big Ten announced its divisional breakdown for football Wednesday night, and Ohio State and Michigan will be in different six-team divisions when the league expands to 12 members in 2011.
Neither division has been named, but they break down like this: Michigan, Nebraska, Iowa, Michigan State, Minnesota and Northwestern in one; Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Illinois, Purdue and Indiana in the other.
Commissioner Jim Delany said creating football divisions with competitive balance was the top priority and No. 2 was maintaining a cross-division rivalry game for each team. "We felt like we could do equal competition and tradition with this move," Delany said.
In its new role as a warmup to the Super Bowl, the Pro Bowl became a series of wind sprints. Long gains were the rule and hard hitting was the exception as the AFC beat the NFC 41-34 on Sunday night. Light showers fell for much of the game, stirring memories of a rainy Super Bowl in Miami three years ago. But uniforms remained mostly spotless, with more pushing and shoving than tackling.
Kerry Rhodes might have played his last game with the New York Jets. The veteran safety, who was demoted earlier this season, had a solid postseason but declined to say Monday whether he'll be back with the team next season. Coach Rex Ryan said he and Rhodes have had private conversations, but declined to go into detail about what was discussed. "I'm just going to keep it between us," Ryan said. "I'd rather not make a comment on it" Rhodes, once considered one of the cornerstones of the franchise, is due a $2 million roster bonus in March. The Jets could decide not to pay Rhodes, who had issues with Ryan and defensive coordinator Mike Pettine. Ryan, who said he spoke to Rhodes on Monday and "eight weeks ago," wouldn't clarify things when told his comments sounded ominous.
Pete Carroll loves challenges and the NFL game. The Seattle Seahawks offered both, and not even Southern California could compete. Carroll ended his nine-year tenure with the Trojans on Monday, leaving behind a program facing multiple woes for a lucrative deal to coach the Seahawks.
Old master Kurt Warner and playoff newcomer Aaron Rodgers staged a passing duel to rival any the NFL has seen. And when the highest-scoring postseason game in league history ended abruptly in overtime, Rodgers flung his helmet to the sideline in disgust. He can blame the Arizona defense for his misery.
All that Miami speed was no match for the big, bad Badgers. John Clay had 121 yards rushing and two touchdowns, powering No. 24 Wisconsin past 14th-ranked Miami 20-14 in the Champs Sports Bowl on Tuesday night. Clay ran through, over and around the Hurricanes to help the Badgers (10-3) earn their first victory over a ranked opponent this season and claim a big win for the Big Ten.
The San Diego Chargers have their first-round bye, and Philip Rivers is still perfect in December. Tennessee's bid for NFL history? The Titans lost that right along with their postseason dream, looking like a throwback to the team that started the season 0-6.
