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

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Dec 29, 2017; Arlington, TX, USA; General overall view of the 2017 Cotton Bowl logo on the back of the helmet of Southern California Trojans long snapper Jake Olson at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

Big Ten West (B1G West)

USC Trojans

The final Big Ten division is the B1G West. USC is a part of this division, and with the way they are recruiting, they should be the top dog.

USC’s divisional opponents would be UCLA, Oregon, Washington, and Nebraska. The rivalry against UCLA, Oregon, and Washington, all of whom are in the top eight in all-time games played against USC, would be played every season. I would imagine USC uses one of the three non-conference games to play Notre Dame and keep that rivalry alive.

UCLA Bruins

UCLA is coming over from the PAC-12. They bring a fun style of offense under Chip Kelly, and I am curious how the traditional Big Ten teams will react to this offense.

The Bruins would play USC, Oregon, Washington, and Nebraska every season. The rivalry against USC, Oregon, and Washington will remain intact. It wouldn’t shock me to see UCLA use a non-conference game to schedule either California or Stanford and keep that rivalry alive.

Oregon Ducks

More excitement is coming to the Big Ten. I have the Oregon Ducks being a part of the B1G West. This will enable them to play closer to home, and the cost of travel would be less.

The Ducks would be guaranteed to play USC, UCLA, Washington, and Nebraska every season. This keeps some of their biggest rivalries alive. I also think Oregon would use a non-conference game and schedule Oregon State as well.

Washington Huskies

The Big Ten is going to touch every corner of the map with the addition of Washington. The Huskies have had their ups and downs in the PAC-12, but a fresh start in the Big Ten is maybe what they need.

Washington would play USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Nebraska every season. Those are some big rivalries that will remain in play. The Huskies would also likely use a non-conference game on the rivalry between them and Washington State. They play for the Apple Cup.

Nebraska Cornhuskers

Nebraska is the last team in the B1G West. They are in the middle of the country, so it isn’t a far journey for the Cornhuskers to get to the west coast.

Each season, Nebraska would take on USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington in the division. They don’t have a ton of Big Ten rivalries, but I could see the Cornhuskers using one of the four random conference games to continue the Minnesota rivalry. They play for the $5 Bits of Broken Chair Trophy.

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