Around the Big Ten

[lineygoblue]

I still say that the B1G and Pac 12 are deliberately giving themselves an "out" if they don't like the next version of the BCS.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Agreed ...... I'd call the threat of such action leverage.

I have no idea what it is that Delaney wants the post season to look like but the Rose Bowl will be a major player, the SEC will be brought to toe and I have a feeling that he'd like to see a good portion of the lesser members of the current 120 CFB teams be sent in another direction with respect to the post season.

[hack]

No surprise, the Two conferences are only taking themselves further out of the national championship picture with this arrangement...there is a reason M plays a non-con road game (other than the one 5 miles from the state line) once a decade.

I don't see that those ``closest'' to it do differently, but for SEC fans it surely is alarming. They do need the rest of the country's teams and conferences to maintain the appearance of a fair system.

[Hannibal]

No surprise, the Two conferences are only taking themselves further out of the national championship picture with this arrangement...there is a reason M plays a non-con road game (other than the one 5 miles from the state line) once a decade.

I think that won't be as much of a consideration if there are four teams instead of two (which is what we have now).

And I'll bet my life savings that if they start with four, it will be sixteen in a decade or so.

[entropy]

The Big Ten has released its complete prime-time schedule for the 2012 season, with 14 total games under the lights this fall. That includes six games on the ABC/ESPN family of networks and eight on the Big Ten Network.

Here you go, night owls (all kickoffs listed in ET):

Aug. 31

Boise State at Michigan State, 8 p.m., ESPN

Sept. 1

Indiana State at Indiana, 8 p.m., Big Ten Network

Sept. 8

Vanderbilt at Northwestern, 8 p.m., BTN

Sept. 15

Notre Dame at Michigan State, 8 p.m., ABC
Utah State at Wisconsin, 8 p.m., BTN
Ball State at Indiana, 8 p.m., BTN

Sept. 22

Syracuse at Minnesota, 8 p.m., BTN
Louisiana Tech at Illinois, 8 p.m., BTN

Sept. 29

Wisconsin at Nebraska, 8 p.m., ABC, ESPN, or ESPN2

Oct. 6

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

Oct. 13


Ohio State at Indiana, 8 p.m., BTN

Oct. 20
Penn State at Iowa, 8 p.m., BTN

Oct. 27

Ohio State at Penn State, 6 p.m., ESPN or ESPN2
Michigan at Nebraska, 8 p.m., ABC, ESPN, or ESPN2

Thoughts:

Every Big Ten team except Purdue will have at least one night game this season. The Boilermakers have to be a little disappointed after getting to a bowl game last year and bringing back a talented roster. Nebraska and Ohio State will each play three league games under the lights.

If you were planning on going to a Halloween party on Oct. 27, better make sure you have access to a TV -- or TVs. Not only will the Ohio State-Penn State and Michigan-Nebraska games be on in prime time, that's also the same day Wisconsin and Michigan State meet up at Camp Randall Stadium. It's a little hard to believe that game, which is a rematch of two epic duels from last season, won't be in prime time. But the two chosen for night slots are also big and feature four enormous fan bases. Wisconsin-Michigan State likely will get the 3:30 p.m. ET time slot in what is shaping up to be the biggest day of the season in the Big Ten.

Ohio State will play three of its four October games at night, including Nebraska's visit to the Horseshoe. It's no surprise, given the Buckeyes' following and the presence of Urban Meyer. Even without the ability to play in the postseason, the Buckeyes figure to be an attractive team for TV ratings purposes this year. The atmosphere in Columbus when Big Red comes to town should be absolutely electric.

Speaking of Nebraska, three of the Huskers' biggest games of the season will all be in prime time. Bo Pelini's team will get a chance to atone for blowout losses to Wisconsin and Michigan under the lights at Memorial Stadium. That place got crazy for last year's huge comeback win against Ohio State at night and should be similarly fired up for the Badgers and Wolverines.

Penn State will have back-to-back prime-time games, and neither will be easy. The Nittany Lions must travel to Kinnick Stadium, which is usually a great atmosphere at night. It's the third time in four years those two teams have played at night. Penn State will also play the following week after dark versus Ohio State, which should provide an advantage for the Nittany Lions. There was no night game at Beaver Stadium last year, which didn't sit too well with the Penn State faithful. They've got a perfect white-out opportunity with Meyer and the Buckeyes coming to State College.

Adam and I had Michigan State No. 1 in our pre-spring power rankings and may very well keep the Spartans there through the summer. But Michigan State will not get any prime-time exposure during conference season. The night games against Boise State (on a Friday) and Notre Dame were no-brainers, and with both at home the Spartans will need good showings to impress the rest of the country.

Northwestern had three straight night games last season but gets only one all season this year, in the academic bowl against Vanderbilt.

Assuming both student bodies aren't studying, that could be a fun game.
Wisconsin won't get the benefit of playing at Camp Randall at night this year, except against Utah State. And the Badgers didn't figure to need much help in that game.

The night kickoff could also help Minnesota in an interesting nonconference game against Syracuse. The Gophers had only one night game a year ago and lost in embarrassing fashion to North Dakota State.
Indiana gets three prime-time exposure opportunities, all of them at home. Perhaps that can improve the game-day environment in Bloomington, though Ohio State often has almost as many fans as the Hoosiers when it comes to Memorial Stadium.

Michigan's first-ever night game last season against Notre Dame was a smashing success, but the Wolverines will not go under the lights again this year in the Big House, as had been reported.

But they will get their share of high-profile prime-time matchups, having to play Notre Dame and Nebraska on the road at night. The opener against Alabama in Arlington, Texas, will be a night kickoff too. The schedule offers few breaks for Brady Hoke's team in 2012.

Overall, I think it's a very strong prime-time schedule. I count five weeks with at least one really appetizing matchup, with the potential for much more. I'm already planning on not sleeping the night of Oct. 27.

[WM Wolverine]

Night games are 'prime time' now? I guess you get all the coverage to yourself without much competition but the ABC 3:30 slot is preferable.

[*JD*]

Iowa's planning to wear throwbacks for their first home game against Iowa State. They supposedly resemble the uniforms of about 1922

Is that what the Steelers wore in '22?

[Paul L]

Close; here's a pic of their jerseys from '33, their first year.

[Rob F]

what is that figure on the front of the Steeler's '34 jersey? At first glance it looks like a non-pink version of "Frankenberry"!

And that '34 jersey? Were members of the team on some kind of work-release program from the State Pen?

[Hannibal]

Night games are 'prime time' now? I guess you get all the coverage to yourself without much competition but the ABC 3:30 slot is preferable.

There's a ton of competition now at both the 3:30 and the 7-8 time frames. 12:00 is when there is absolutely zero competition nowadays. I wish that the Big Ten would get back to scheduling at least one good game for that slot. Every conference has moved away from it and is instead squeezing every good game into slots where nobody could possibly watch them all.

[iam416]

I agree, Hanni. Used to be that the Noon game on ABC, if they even had one, was the big one. I remember FSU-Miami was always a Noon game and then the regional broadcast. More recently, the RRS was often a Nooner. In November, when the B10 bans night games, they ought to target Noon as the "primetime" slot.

[WM Wolverine]

3:30 is ABC's 'national' game for the B10.

[Hannibal]

The 12:00 time slot has gotten so bad that I actually don't mind my wife scheduling family stuff before 3:30 nowadays. When I first met her, everything after 11:59 AM was off limits.

[iam416]

You're willing to miss Minnesota-Purdue, Vandy-Georgia or Iowa State-Kansas?????? GTFO!

[Tom W]

Noon is okay, but I still wish they would go back to 1:00 kickoffs- that extra hour on a Saturday morning is gravy time- whether you spend it sleeping in or drinking beer. Beer just seems to taste better after 11:00 am.