Writing Illini
Fansided

Predicting how Big Ten football could look with the expansion to 20 teams

By Rees Woodcock

The logo of the Big Ten Conference is seen on a yard marker during Iowa Hawkeyes football Kids Day at Kinnick open practice, Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021, at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa.210814 Ia Fb Kids Day 109 Jpg
The logo of the Big Ten Conference is seen on a yard marker during Iowa Hawkeyes football Kids Day at Kinnick open practice, Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021, at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa.210814 Ia Fb Kids Day 109 Jpg /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 5
Next
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney during preseason practice in Jervey Meadows in Clemson, S.C. Thursday, August 10, 2023.
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney during preseason practice in Jervey Meadows in Clemson, S.C. Thursday, August 10, 2023. /

Big Ten South (B1G South)

  • Clemson Tigers

One of the two hypothetical additions to the Big Ten would be the Clemson Tigers. Clemson would be a part of the B1G South.

The games the Tigers would be guaranteed to play would be against Florida State, Indiana, Purdue, and Illinois. The Seminoles would be Clemson’s biggest rivalry, so that game is already built into the schedule. The Tigers could use one of the three non-conference games to keep the South Carolina rivalry alive.

  • Florida State Seminoles

The Florida State Seminoles are the next hypothetical addition to the Big Ten. Florida State and Clemson are two obvious B1G South teams because they are the programs that are the furthest south in the conference.

Florida State’s locked-in divisional games would be against Clemson, Indiana, Purdue, and Illinois. The biggest rivalry for the Seminoles would be the Tigers, so that game is already on the schedule. I would imagine Florida State uses a non-conference game to play either Florida or Miami (FL) to preserve those rivalries.

  • Indiana Hoosiers

The Big Ten is going to get kind of goofy here in the coming years. I have the Indiana Hoosiers in the B1G South, even though Bloomington isn’t very far south on the map.

The Hoosiers would have a divisional schedule of Florida State, Clemson, Purdue (Old Oaken Bucket), and Illinois. Indiana’s biggest rival, Purdue, is already on the schedule. Illinois is another big rivalry. If there is a game in the four random conference games that would be protected, it might be against Michigan State. The two teams play for the Old Brass Spittoon.

  • Purdue Boilermakers

Purdue might have an up-and-coming program, but they would be slotted in a tough B1G South. Keeping them in a division with Indiana seems like a logical move.

The Boilermakers would have divisional games of Clemson, Florida State, Indiana (Old Oaken Bucket), and Illinois (Purdue Cannon). The two biggest rivals for Purdue, Indiana and Illinois, are both in the division. There is no need for a protected opponent.

  • Illinois Fighting Illini

The final team in the B1G South would be Illinois. Technically, there is another team or two more south than the Illini, but this seemed like a good conference move.

Illinois would be guaranteed Florida State, Clemson, Indiana, and Purdue (Purdue Cannon) in the conference. I would imagine the Illini would use one of the four random conference games to protect the Northwestern rivalry, as the two teams play for the Land of Lincoln Trophy.

Home/Illinois Football