Why the Big Ten Can't Have a Conference Championship Game

How big of an advantage is it to finish your season later rather than earlier? Jim Delaney and the rest of the Big Ten asked this question this past offseason and decided it would be to their advantage to extend their regular season by one week, adding a "bye week" to each team's schedule. In years past, most Big Ten teams would play a 12-game schedule that ended by the third weekend in November.  This year, however, Big Ten teams look to finish their regular season a week later, in compliance with the standards the rest of the BCS Conferences have set. The last two years have seen Ohio State waiting 50-plus days between the Michigan game and the BCS Title game.  Regardless who you are, being expected to play the best game of your life after not playing a game in over 50 days is not an easy task—and it has showed. Ohio State's underachieving was not the main reason for the Big Ten's decision, but it was the most publicized side effect of the Big Ten's schedule. While ... (link)