In light of the shocking but hey-maybe-it's-not-such-a-bad-idea news that new Illinois AD Josh Whitman fired just-had-the-interim-tag-removed head coach Bill Cubit in favor of former Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Lovie Smith, a reckoning seems due in the Big Ten West.
The power balance in the Big Ten has leaned heavily toward the East Division in the first two years of its existence. Money has flowed toward coaching, with stalwart Mark Dantonio joined by high-priced mercenaries such as Urban Meyer and Jim Harbaugh. Meanwhile, the West's hiring criteria have trended toward the "you're not afraid of Barry Alvarez" or "people don't think you're as much of an asshole as the last guy" or "well, you already work here".