PARK RIDGE, Ill. -- Ohio State fans worried about a tradition-busting change to the OSU-Michigan game can rest easy... for the time being.
Wednesday night, Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany announced the alignment for the new 12-team Big Ten in 2011 and said Ohio State will play Michigan each season, and next season they will play in the season finale. The schools are placed in different divisions of the new look league, meaning they could potentially play twice in the same season. Both schools would need to win their division of the Big Ten to advance to the Conference Title Game, which starts next year in Indianapolis.
"We have listed to the feedback from our institutions, alumni and fans, and while we understand that no final alignments could possibly satisfy all of our consitituents, we believe that we have achieved a very exciting result." Delany said Wednesday.
The league now consists of two, yet-to-be named divisions. They are:
Division 1
Ohio State
Penn State
Indiana
Purdue
Wisconsin
Illinois
Division 2
Michigan
Nebraska
Iowa
Northwestern
Minnesota
Michigan State
Each school will play the other 5 schools in its division each season and will also face 3 teams from the other division, including one cross-division matchup guaranteed on an annual basis. The OSU-Michigan game is among those guaranteed matchups.
"I think it's a great opportunity for both programs to win a division championship..." OSU Athletic Director Gene Smith said. "We were really fortunate to get good feedback (from fans) which confirmed what we already knew... And thankfully the conference put that game at the end of the season."
Ohio State will face Nebraska for the first time in nearly 5 decades October 8, 2011 in Lincoln, NE. It will be first trip ever for the Buckeyes to Nebraska. The following year the Huskers return the trip to Columbus.
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