First things first, I really like the Big Ten adding USC and UCLA. They've created a true coast-to-coast conference. Yes, it was a bit reactionary in response to the SEC adding Oklahoma and Texas, but I think it's the better business move. Yes, OU+UT are the better teams, but the SEC already recruits Texas (and Oklahoma) heavily. Even before A&M joined, it's not like Texans or Oklahomans couldn't drive a hundred miles to watch their kid play at LSU or Arkansas.
The West Coast expansion of the Big Ten also served to hem in the SEC. Simply put, there just aren't that many great teams left outside of the existing SEC footprint. Sure, Notre Dame, Oregon, or Stanford could be good pickups, but it just doesn't really fit. If we're talking established, blue blood type programs, the three obvious targets are Miami, FSU, and Clemson.
So if I'm the Big Ten, I'd move hard on Miami, and either FSU or Clemson, whichever seems more willing to budge. First, it drops an anchor into the heart of Florida (and the south) for recruiting. Teams like Nebraska (and OSU, Michigan, etc) have always recruited nationally, but having conference exposure down south is good for the rest of the conference. Right now, the Top 100 blue chip kids all wind up on the rosters of Ohio State, Alabama, Notre Dame, and so forth, but we all know the deep south is much deeper than that. There are still a plethora of kids who aren't that elite top crust, but are still very respectable 4 star athletes. And it seems like they wind up playing for Kentucky, South Carolina, Georgia Tech, and so forth. Regional schools that are decent - but not elite. Why couldn't those same kids play for Iowa, Indiana, or Purdue? Having more exposure would help the entire conference.
Miami also has built-in rivalries with Nebraska and Penn State, plus established history with other B1G teams. They've played the Nittany Lions 13 times, the Huskers 12 times, and even Rutgers 11 times. Miami has only played Wake Forest 9 times.
I'll probably get grilled for saying this, but pound-for-pound I think Nebraska-Miami might be our best rivalry. Even over Oklahoma. Please note - emphasis on the "per capita" part of that equation. We've played Oklahoma a heck of a lot more, but I can't think of a college football rivalry that's been played just 12 times and has produced four national champions. Nearly every time the Cornhuskers and Hurricanes have taken the field, it's had massive, national implications, affecting the entire season. It's never a low-stakes game.
If the B1G expands further, I hope they consider The Sunshine State. And I'd love to get a regular Miami game on the schedule.
Some quick facts:
The West Coast expansion of the Big Ten also served to hem in the SEC. Simply put, there just aren't that many great teams left outside of the existing SEC footprint. Sure, Notre Dame, Oregon, or Stanford could be good pickups, but it just doesn't really fit. If we're talking established, blue blood type programs, the three obvious targets are Miami, FSU, and Clemson.
So if I'm the Big Ten, I'd move hard on Miami, and either FSU or Clemson, whichever seems more willing to budge. First, it drops an anchor into the heart of Florida (and the south) for recruiting. Teams like Nebraska (and OSU, Michigan, etc) have always recruited nationally, but having conference exposure down south is good for the rest of the conference. Right now, the Top 100 blue chip kids all wind up on the rosters of Ohio State, Alabama, Notre Dame, and so forth, but we all know the deep south is much deeper than that. There are still a plethora of kids who aren't that elite top crust, but are still very respectable 4 star athletes. And it seems like they wind up playing for Kentucky, South Carolina, Georgia Tech, and so forth. Regional schools that are decent - but not elite. Why couldn't those same kids play for Iowa, Indiana, or Purdue? Having more exposure would help the entire conference.
Miami also has built-in rivalries with Nebraska and Penn State, plus established history with other B1G teams. They've played the Nittany Lions 13 times, the Huskers 12 times, and even Rutgers 11 times. Miami has only played Wake Forest 9 times.
I'll probably get grilled for saying this, but pound-for-pound I think Nebraska-Miami might be our best rivalry. Even over Oklahoma. Please note - emphasis on the "per capita" part of that equation. We've played Oklahoma a heck of a lot more, but I can't think of a college football rivalry that's been played just 12 times and has produced four national champions. Nearly every time the Cornhuskers and Hurricanes have taken the field, it's had massive, national implications, affecting the entire season. It's never a low-stakes game.
If the B1G expands further, I hope they consider The Sunshine State. And I'd love to get a regular Miami game on the schedule.
Some quick facts:
- Nebraska's first bowl win was over Miami (1962)
- 1983 Orange Bowl - Miami over Nebraska for a consensus National Title
- 1991 Orange Bowl - Miami over Nebraska, Hurricanes clinch AP National Title
- 1994 Orange Bowl - Nebraska over Miami for a consensus National Title
- 2001 Rose Bowl - Miami over Nebraska for a BCS National Title
- One of the teams has been the #1 ranked team in the nation four times.
- Seven games have featured a Top Ten team
- Both teams have been ranked five times.
