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Not sure if this is true but coupled with the news last week that the Big Ten is backing off its requirement to schedule at least  1 OOC P5 school every year has got me speculating.

1)  this could be a sign that the Big Ten is gearing up to eventually expand to 18 teams by adding Washington and Oregon.  This might happen in 2024 or maybe a couple years later.

2)  or it may be a sign that the Big Ten is gearing up to change from 9 conference games to 10 conference games.  With 16 teams you could have a 5+5/5 schedule model.  5 permanent rivals + 10 teams you play 50% of the time.

3)  or the Big Ten is going to both eventually.  Add Wash and Ore to go 18 teams total AND go to 10 conference games.  With 18 teams you could to a 3+7/7 schedule model.  3 permanent rivals and play the other 14 teams 50% of the time.  This means every non-west coast team would have to make only 1 trip to the west coast each year.

Since it has been rumored that Ohio State and Iowa are opposed to expansion,  I can see why Iowa would be opposed to any option with 10 conference games.  Iowa would like to keep its annual home and home series with Iowa State, but also wants to keep 7 home games a year.  If the Big Ten goes to 10 conference games,  something would have to give on Iowa's schedule.

Do Iowa fans feel a necessity to play ISU every year?

From the outside, it seems like a lose-lose for Iowa. 

Win? Yeah, you're supposed to win. Lose? Geez, Iowa sucks.

It may get worse too, because the XII is not going to be what it was.

I think that's another reason the Big Ten is backing off the 1 OOC P5 every year requirement.  The definition of the P5 is getting blurred ever since Tex, OK, USC, UCLA  announced they are moving conferences.  The new thinking is that the FBS is now split into 3 parts.

P2 - Power 2,  SEC,  Big Ten,  Maybe Notre Dame

M3 - Middle 3,  ACC, PAC, Big 12

G5 - Group of 5,  Everybody else in FBS

And thats with no more movement.  Now if Wash and Ore join the Big Ten,  that probably means the PAC falls apart and Col, Ariz, Ariz St join the Big 12.  Maybe Utah, Cal, Stanford too.  At that point whatever is left of the PAC won't even be considered a middle conference.  The M3 becomes the M2.  The old P5 label officially becomes meaningless if it wasn't already.  Also the old Rose Bowl agreement becomes meaningless.

So yeah, after all that, the P5 scheduling requirement becomes pretty much meaningless.

yup

it's good for both programs and the state

I hope the annual rivalry game remains for my lifetime and beyond

I dimly recall a game I think it was Cal-Rutgers at 9 AM recently, Cal lost.

Cal ain't USC.

Oregon is 105 in the infamous USNWR rankings, which I'd call ... OK.  They've had better football success over the past 20 years than most B1G teams, and they have $$$$.

Washington is 55 which I'd call "respectable".  Nebraska is 151, which is lower than I would have guessed (and I don't credit these rankings with all that much).

Maryland is 55, I guess a tie.  Iowa is 83.

I think the $$$ trumps anything else.  And of course this would set up a four team "pod" thingee.

research $$$ comes from the conference to the school mostly

Nebraska is leaps and bounds better than they were a few years ago