it doesn't have to be like that. you can put michigan and ohio st, illinois and northwestern, etc in different divisions and then make those guaranteed games against the other side. like michigan would play their divisional rivals every year (say, PSU, MSU, wisconsin, minnesota and northwestern) every year, then play ohio st on the other side every year, then rotate two of the other five (indiana, purdue, illinois, nebraska, iowa) on the schedule each year. lest anyone say this is unfair, purdue's "locked" games right now are indiana and northwestern, while ohio st has to play michigan and penn st every year. Exactly my point. They already guarantee a game being played without playing everybody else, so I don't see the big deal.