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Indiana Football: How would radical realignment idea affect the Hoosiers

By Adam Childs

BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA - SEPTEMBER 21: Nick Westbrook #15 of the Indiana Hoosiers runs in for a touchdown in the game against the Connecticut Huskies at Memorial Stadium on September 21, 2019 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA - SEPTEMBER 21: Nick Westbrook #15 of the Indiana Hoosiers runs in for a touchdown in the game against the Connecticut Huskies at Memorial Stadium on September 21, 2019 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) /
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JACKSONVILLE, FL – JANUARY 02: Reakwon Jones #7 of the Indiana Hoosiers looks on during the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl against the Tennessee Volunteers at TIAA Bank Field on January 2, 2020 in Jacksonville, Florida. Tennessee defeated Indiana 23-22. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

Indiana Football: How radical idea would affect the Hoosiers

Realistically there would be only two ways they would split up the divisions. One would be by geography and the other by competitive balance.

If they went by geography lets go by East and West.

West

Michigan
Michigan State
Purdue
Indiana
Miami (OH)
Ball State

East

Ohio State
Ohio
Cincinnati
Kent State
Toledo
Akron

This setup would basically be the Indiana/Michigan schools in one division with the Ohio schools in the other. Miami (OH) would be the only Ohio school in the West.

As a whole, this would not be a great split of the schools. The only school that would be completely happy with this would be Ohio State. They would only have current mid-major programs in their division. Cincinnati is getting better, but the Buckeyes beat them last year 42-0 in a year where the Bearcats were supposed to be competitive.

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The West, while easier than the current Big Ten East would still be easily the tougher of the two divisions. It would include four current Big Ten schools along with Ball State and Miami (OH).

Ask any Hoosier fan and they would absolutely take this division over what they are currently in, but would still look at the overall conference and think they got screwed again. When the current Big Ten divisions were assigned it came down to Purdue and Indiana going into the East and the Hoosiers were the unlucky winners of that situation.

Purdue would be in the same boat with them this year, but again the Hoosiers would have to think who did they make mad to be in this division.

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