The 2021 college football season will mark the ten-year anniversary of the Big Ten conference splitting into two different divisions. For the first 3 years of the split (2011-13), divisions were dubbed the “Legends” (IA, MI, MIST, MN, NEB, NW) and “Leaders” (OHST, WI, IL, IN, PUR, PST).

Then before the 2014 season, after Maryland and Rutgers were bought into the conference, the powers that be decided a more traditional “West” and “East” setup was the better route moving forward. Seven seasons later, that remains how the Big Ten football conference is aligned.

East vs West

In the Big Ten East, you have current/former Big Ten power houses like Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State. The division is completed with Indiana, Michigan State, Maryland and Rutgers.

The West division has been dominated by Wisconsin since its inception. They hold four of the seven division titles. Northwestern is the defending West champ, however, just one season removed from winning in 2018. Iowa has the other divisional banner (2015). Minnesota, Purdue, Illinois and Nebraska bring up the rear.

How much better has the East been, since the conference split by geography in 2014? Well, the Big Ten West is yet to win a Big Ten Championship game. That’s right, all seven have gone in favor of the East.

The West division is 0-7 in Big Ten Championship bouts. If the CFP expands to 12 teams, losing that game won't (necessarily) kill a team's chances. pic.twitter.com/2QsisHMeUz

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) June 10, 2021

College Football Playoff Expansion

Today, it’s being reported that the College Football Playoff is on the brink of expansion. Currently a 4-team tournament, a committee off in some secret NCAA headquarters, is set to vote on an expansion to a 12-team format on June 17-18. If that secret committee decides to move the plan forward, they’ll present it to presidents and chancellors on June 22. All of this is via Heather Dinich (ESPN). This is a big deal. Here are some more details directly from her story.

The proposal calls for the bracket to include the six highest-ranked conference champions and the six remaining highest-ranked teams as determined by the CFP selection committee.

Under the proposal for a 12-team format, the four highest-ranked conference champions would be seeded 1-4 and receive a first-round bye. Teams 5-12 would play each other in the first round on the home field of the higher-ranked team. The quarterfinals and semifinals would be played in bowl games, and the national championship game would remain at a neutral site.

Heather Dinich (ESPN)

Things we don't know: If everyone will agree on it next week; if presidents and chancellors will approve it June 22; how bowls will factor in; when it will actually be implemented.

— Heather Dinich (@CFBHeather) June 10, 2021

Minnesota to the CFP?

To get an automatic bid, the Gophers would still have to break the West’s losing streak in B1G Championship games. But under this newly proposed format, the best power-five conferences are expected to receive a total of two or three invites per season.

That makes competing for a College Football National Championship at the end of a Minnesota Gophers season feels much more doable. Every year, the CFP committee will have to give a serious look at the Big Ten West champions, whether they beat the East champ that season or not.

No longer do the Gophers need to dethrone Ohio State for a spot in the CFP. If this twelve-team format were to be adopted, climbing to the top of the West would make anything is possible.

When would this take place?

The tournament’s expansion could be set in stone by September but wouldn’t be implemented for the 2021 postseason or 2022. The next two College Football Playoffs will continue with the four-team format.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Here's a full look at the November 2️⃣6️⃣ #CFBPlayoff Selection Committee Rankings.

Is your team in this week?

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— College Football Playoff (@CFBPlayoff) November 27, 2019

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The College Football Playoff Rankings just dropped and they get more and more interesting (and important) as the weeks tick by. This week, Minnesota landed at #8, coming in as the 2nd-lowest of all 1-loss teams, who still have a chance to make the playoff (MN | #8, Utah | #6, Alabama | #5, Georgia | #4, Oklahoma | #7, Baylor | #9).

Yeah, the Gophers are probably getting screwed again but, I’ve been on this soap box for weeks now, winning will cure all of that. Obviously, as long as we beat Wisconsin on Saturday, we’re Rose Bowl bound, at the least. Now, if you beat Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship on December 7, then everything gets REAL interesting. IF we win out, beating both Wisconsin and Ohio State over the next two weekends, here’s how the Gophers get into the CFP:

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Recapping Northwestern and previewing GameDay/Wisconsin with Ryan Burns (GopherIllustrated.com)

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Utah still has to play Oregon in the PAC-12 Championship but even if they win, they won’t have 2 straight wins over top-15th teams like the Gophers would, should they win out (Wisconsin, Ohio State). If Utah beats Oregon in the PAC-12 Championship, the committee would have quite the decision on their hands.

Oklahoma plays @ Oklahoma State this weekend, who is ranked in the Top-25. The Big-12 doesn’t have a Conference Championship Game though, so win or lose, I don’t know how they would keep them ahead of the Gophers, after the two big victories they would need to be in this situation.

Georgia and LSU will play each other in the SEC Championship next weekend. As long as LSU wins, Georgia will be out of the conversation. If Georgia wins… well blow up everything.

Alabama will probably be the team that any of these other one-loss schools will be dealing with. They are sitting in the 5-spot right now and, unless another team finds a way to jump them before, they will be the natural team to slide in if Georgia exits.

The College Football Playoff is still very much alive for the Gophers but first, you need to beat Wisconsin on Saturday. As long as you do that and clinch a Rose Bowl birth, everything else is just a bonus.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

PSA: The Gophers also moved up earlier this week in both the AP Poll and Coaches Poll, to #9.

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— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) November 13, 2019

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The Minnesota Gophers are starting to feel that respect we’ve all been looking for… except for Joey Galloway, who helps host the ESPN CFB Playoff Rankings release party every Tuesday, and believes the Gophers are UNDERRATED at their new #8 position in the College Football Playoff Rankings that were just released for this week, about 10 minutes ago.

This is another awesome moment for the Minnesota Gophers. It is crazy to think that one more victory could legitimately have us knocking on the door of the top-4… Even I am starting to be surprised at where this team is. And I’ve been leading the Fleck Rowers since the beginning. But, that’s where we are. And, who are we to doubt PJ Fleck, at this point? We haven’t won in Iowa for 20 years and that’s the exact type of negative statistic the Gopher Football team has been getting off of our back all year long.

As I’ve written and said many times over the last month, these rankings and polls will take care of themselves as long as we keep winning. It sure is getting fun to wait for their release though, isn’t it…

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

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