Next year, everything changes. College football begins the era of a 12-team playoff and 16-team megaconferences. The Big Ten will be responsible for the most jarring of all changes, the additions of USC and UCLA. Soon we will live in a universe in which UCLA and Rutgers are conference mates. It's going to take a while for that universe to feel like home.
It's almost comforting, then, to take some time to say hello to an old, reliable (and soon outdated) friend: the Big Ten West.
I've been as loud as anyone in advocating for the ditching of divisions in favor of a scheduling structure with permanent rivals and rotated opponents.