It took almost three years for the Big Ten to come to its senses, but the nation’s oldest conference finally renamed and re-aligned its football divisions.

            After two seasons of the silly monikers “Leaders” and “Legends,” the conference has settled on “East” and “West.”

Generic as it is, it is at least accurate.

More importantly, the Big Ten has placed its two tradition-rich power programs, Ohio State and Michigan, into the same division, thus eliminating any chance the two would meet in the season-ending rivalry and then again a week later in the Big Ten title game.

The East will consist of Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, Rutgers, Maryland, Indiana and Michigan State; the West of Iowa, Purdue, Illinois, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Northwestern and Minnesota.

On its surface, the East would appear deeper and stronger as far as programs go, but in any given season, the West could be stronger on the field.

Nevertheless, the change is much welcome. You just have to wonder why Commissioner Jim Delany and the Big Ten’s brain trust had it all wrong for the past two seasons in the first place.

Here’s what I wrote on December 14, 2010 when the original divisions were announced:

            I sometimes wonder if the powers-that-be that run the Big Ten Conference just search for ways to attract public scrutiny.

            First, the conference splits Ohio State and Michigan into separate divisions, thus making it possible that the two longtime rivals could play back-to-back games to end the regular season. When it happens, the conference will realize what a disaster they have on their hands.

            Now, the conference has named its two divisions “leaders” and “legends.”

            If I were grading these names, I would mark a big fat ‘F’ over this decision.

            What, was ‘A’ and ‘B’ taken? Or how about “Red” or “Blue?”

            Seriously, “leaders” and “legends?” It has all the formality of two little league divisions. What could be more bland and non-descript? The national media will have a field day with this one, using it to poke more fun at the stogy old Big Ten, whose name has been a misnomer for 17 years.

            The Big Ten needed to come up with something either unique to its region – such as “Great Lakes” and “Heartland” -- or honor the actual legends who made the conference what it is. How about legendary names such as “Hayes,” “Schembechler,” “Daugherty” or “Kinnick” or even past commissioners who left a lasting legacy such as “Duke” and “Wilson?”

            Commissioner Jim Delany actually said thatthe conference couldn't decide on proper names because there were too many tochoose from.

            He also said the conference was afraid that using names from certain schools’ history would show partiality. Those excuses are as flimsy as Michigan's defense.

            If that was the case, we wouldn’t have proper names for any awards – Heisman, Outland, Thorpe, etc. If that was the case, the NFL wouldn’t award the Super Bowl-winning team the Lombardi Award, fearful it would show partiality to the Packers.

            Nope, the Big Ten blew it again. The nation’s oldest conference hit a home run snagging Nebraska away from the Big 12. Since, it has gone 0 for 2 in the major decisions resulting from the expansion. The first was dumb, the second was even dumber.

            What’s next? Will it name its championship game the “Leaders-Legends Annual Season-ending Gridiron Contest?”

               So chalk this one up to: “PR blunder fixed, albeit two and a half years later.”

               Ohio State will win more Big Ten championships in the future, maybe even next season if all five starters return. The Buckeyes will continue to sign great high school players, exceed 25 or even 30 wins per season in the best of times.

               But mark my words: They will never win an NCAA championship under Thad Matta.

               His shortcomings on the bench as a pure tactician during the NCAA tournament, when a team must win six consecutive games over three weekends, are exposed each and every March.

               Again, thus was the case Saturday in Los Angeles during a 70-66 loss to Wichita State.

               For whatever reason, as his team plodded through a miserable first half, shooting 6-of-26 from the field, LaQuinton Ross sat next to him on the bench for 17 of those ugly 20 minutes. The Buckeyes moped to the locker room staring at a 35-22 deficit, which proved too big a hole to dig out of.

               Matta did come to his senses, or at least an assistant coach talked him into playing Ross in the second half. Naturally, Ross led the Buckeyes with 15 of his 19 points in the half as they outscored the Shockers 44-35.

It was too little, too late.

Ross, who should have been given more playing time this season at the expense of Lenzelle Smith Jr., was the one who sparked Ohio State during the 11-game winning streak. He was the star of the three-point win over Arizona two days earlier. And for some reason, as the Buckeyes flailed about in the first half Saturday, he languished on the bench.

For the record, Smith scored five points before fouling out, in 23 minutes – one more than Ross played during the game.

This really is an old story under Matta, as far as NCAA failures go.

Remember Georgetown in 2005, Siena in 2009, Tennessee in 2010 and Kentucky just two seasons ago? Ohio State entered each game with a higher seed and as a clear favorite to advance, only to be upset and thrown from the NCAA tournament. Add Wichita State, a No. 9 seed, to the growing list.

A year ago, Kansas’ Bill Self did a number on Matta in the second half as the Jayhawks rallied from a 12-point deficit to beat Ohio State in an NCAA semifinal.

I’ve always said the chief reason Matta’s teams will fail in March is that he never fully develops his bench during the season. His rotations are too limited. Then when the NCAA tournament rolls around, the Buckeyes are not deep enough or balanced enough scoring-wise to make a deep enough run to win it all.

At some point, he will face an opposing coach, who although may not have the overall talent of Ohio State, but who will out-maneuver him enough to make up the difference.

It happened again Saturday.

Of course, the 2006 season was the exception. The Mike Conley and Greg Oden-led Buckeyes marched to the NCAA final, only to get pummeled by a deeper and more talented Florida team. If you remember, protégé Sean Miller of Xavier out-coached Matta badly in the second round, but the Muskateers blew a nine-point lead with less than three minutes remaining, thanks to a missed free throw with nine seconds remaining that would have clinched the win.

Don’t expect things to change.

The Buckeyes should be a clear Big Ten favorite again next season, especially if Deshaun Thomas returns. They may even make another run to the Final Four.

But an NCAA title?

Matta’s team won’t be capturing one.

And the wait since 1960 will continue.

               I just wanted to take a moment to announce my latest book – a collaboration with Virginia Tech Coach Frank Beamer for his autobiography – will be released this August.

               Let Me Be Frank: My Life at Virginia Tech will be published by Triumph Books (Chicago) and retail for $24.95.

               Beamer is now the winningest and longest-tenured head coach in major college football with a record of 258-127-4. He has coached the Hokies to 20 consecutive bowls and was named the 1999 Bear Bryant Coach of the Year and the 2010 Joseph V. Paterno Coach of the Year.

               The hard-cover book will reveal Beamer’s life and career, including details of a fire which almost killed him at the age of seven as well as the days and months following the April 16, 2007 mass shooting on campus that killed 32 students and professors – the worst massacre in U.S. history. The book also includes details of how Michael Vick’s tenure with the Hokies changed the culture of the program and his subsequent role in a dog-fighting ring, as well as the period following the 2000 season in which Beamer almost left Virginia Tech to take the North Carolina head coaching job.

               Bob Knight, who won three NCAA basketball titles while coaching at Indiana and now works as an ESPN analyst, has written the foreword for the book.

               "I wouldn't do this for just anybody," he told me, "but that shows you how much I think of Frank Beamer."

               Virginia Tech opens its 2013 season against defending national champion Alabama on Aug. 31 in Atlanta.

               Pre-orders can be taken by emailing This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

               In the heydays of Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler, the Big Ten earned the moniker “The Big Two and Little Eight.”

               With good reason, because from 1968-81, either the Buckeyes or Wolverines appeared in the Rose Bowl every season.

               It is true that Wisconsin has appeared in three consecutive Rose Bowls, but judging from Wednesday’s national letter of intent signing day results, the future of the Big Ten may be labeled “The Big Two and Little 12.”

               While the Buckeyes and Wolverines signed top-five classes, raking in more than 50 of the nation’s top recruits, the conference’s other teams weren’t even in the same vicinity in terms of quality.

         Just consider that Ohio State snagged 17 while Michigan got 16 of the ESPN’s top 300 players, Penn State was next in the Big Ten with three.

               With Urban Meyer and Brady Hoke entrenched in recruiting circles and operating with all the tools necessary to be successful, expect a further drop-off for other conference contenders such as Wisconsin, Michigan State, Penn State and Iowa. The Badgers underwent a coaching transition. The Nittany Lions are in the midst of a four-year probationary period. Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz is on a hot seat to rebound from a losing record.

               Which is another reason it is very important for the Big Ten brain-trust to come to its senses and re-align the divisions so that the Buckeyes and Wolverines share the same division. Nobody with a reasonable mind wants to see them play twice in seven days -- should they each win their divisions then meet in the annual season-ending showdown and then have to face each other again in the Big Ten title game the following week.

               As far as the 2013 recruiting rankings, as of 12:30 p.m., Scout.com has Ohio State No. 1 and Michigan No. 2 and the next Big Ten team is Nebraska at 11, then Wisconsin at 30, Illinois at 38, Michigan State at 39 and Penn State at 40. The rest of the conference fills in from 40 to Minnesota’s 80^th-ranked class.

               Rivals.com has Ohio State No. 2, behind Alabama while Michigan is No. 6. ESPN also has ranked the Buckeyes' class No. 2 and Michigan No. 5.

               You get the picture. The top recruits are headed to Columbus and Ann Arbor, while the rest of the Big Ten is scrambling to grab whatever three-star players they can get. And with the two best coaching staffs, facilities, fan bases and traditions as well, it appears the Buckeyes and Wolverines are just beginning another long run of dominating the nation’s oldest conference.