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I like the creativity but not a fan of any plan that has us play anyone less than we already are.  I hate the "parity based scheduling" already that has us playing Nebraska 6 years in a row, but leaves us only playing everyone else in the other division 2 out of 6 years.  Would much rather dump that and go to a straight rotation even if it leaves schedules uneven some years (which they'll find a way to be anyway) outside of locking Purdue-Indiana.

Going back to 11 ain't happening.
Going back to 10 ain't happening.

Mismatching good vs good and bad vs bad ain't happening.

The only acceptable idea going forward is the 16-team conference, 4 pods of 4 scheme.  That way, you play everyone else in the conference either
a - at least every other year, or
b - home-and-home every 4 years

This whole thing isn't going backwards, as much as we'd love it to.  But the pod system actually works - playing the 3 in your pod every year, then 2 from each of the others every other or every 4 years (depending if it's important you play home and away in consecutive years or not).  Either way, each 4-year class of players will get to play everyone else in the big, bloated conference.

Isn't that what matters?

Going back to 11 ain't happening.
Going back to 10 ain't happening.

Mismatching good vs good and bad vs bad ain't happening.

The only acceptable idea going forward is the 16-team conference, 4 pods of 4 scheme.  That way, you play everyone else in the conference either
a - at least every other year, or
b - home-and-home every 4 years

This whole thing isn't going backwards, as much as we'd love it to.  But the pod system actually works - playing the 3 in your pod every year, then 2 from each of the others every other or every 4 years (depending if it's important you play home and away in consecutive years or not).  Either way, each 4-year class of players will get to play everyone else in the big, bloated conference.

Isn't that what matters?

Let's see what happens in 2025, when TV's no longer matter.

Example, for clarity (this assumes the B10 adds Missouri and Kansas):

UMD
RUT
PSU
OSU

UM
MSU
IU
PU

MIN
WIS
NW
ILL

IOWA
UNL
KU
MIZ

So say I'm Ohio State....my 9 conference games per year are:
2018
Maryland, @Rutgers, Penn St, @Michigan, Indiana, @Minnesota, Northwestern, @Iowa, Kansas
2019
@Maryland, Rutgers, @Penn St, MSU, @Purdue, Wisconsin,@ Illinois, Nebraska, @Missouri
2020
Maryland, @Rutgers, Penn St, Michigan, @Indiana, Minnesota, @Northwestern, Iowa, @Kansas
2021
@Maryland, Rutgers, @Penn St, @MSU, Purdue, @Wisconsin, Illinois, @Nebraska, Missouri

I chose my preferred method, of not having the home-and-homes on consecutive years.  This way, each recruiting class gets to play everyone else every 2 years, and will play everyone home and away in their 4 years.

I dont like 16 even with pods. Like the fact you remove a few locked games, but conferences already too big and disjointed.

I dont like 16 even with pods. Like the fact you remove a few locked games, but conferences already too big and disjointed.

Right, well.....it isn't going to shrink.  At least with the pods, you play everyone every other year.  Better than how it is now, actually.

10 conference games would solve a lot of problems too.

I'd rather see (almost) any B1G team come into Madison over Florida Atlantic or something.