NCAA Odds: Big Ten Splits up Ohio State and Michigan

The Big Ten dropped a bomb of college football fans by splitting up Ohio State and Michigan. (AP Images)

Just days before the 2010 college football season kicks the Big Ten dropped a bomb on fans of Ohio State and Michigan by revealing that the two teams will be split in separate divisions.

But relax NCAA fans, the two squads will have crossover games every season. Therefore if the two squads make it to the divisional championship there will be not one but two Ohio State/Michigan matchups every season.

The new division will take place in the 2011 season when the Big Ten expands to 12 teams. Neither division has been named but they break down like this: Michigan, Nebraska, Iowa, Michigan State, Minnesota and Northwestern in one. Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Illinois, Purdue and Indiana in the other.

Now for the important part, how will this affect bettors next year? This year the Big Ten team with the most wins overall wins the Big Ten Conference -- NCAA Odds have Ohio State as a 4/9 favorite to win. However, next year's divisional system will take the best teams from each side and put them in one game for the conference championship, leaving an opportunity for an underdog from one division to pull off the upset. If the Buckeyes were under the divisional system this year, it's likely their odds would be a little worse than 4/9.

Currently, the team with the best odds to win the conference in 2010 besides the Buckeyes is the Iowa Hawkeyes at 4/1 odds.

Show the SEC how the Big Ten rolls. Root for your squad by taking their NCAA Football Odds in the Bodog Sportsbook.