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The Big Ten this week embarks on its first nine-game conference schedule, rekindling the debate whether all Power Five conferences should play the same number of league games in the era of the College Football Playoff.The Atlantic Coast Conference and Southeastern Conference have eight-game conference schedules. The Big 12 and Pac-12, and now the Big Ten, play nine league games.Those leagues tout their nine conference games as a way of boosting schedule strength and, hopefully, increase their members chances of being selected for the playoff. But there is another component. Conference games tend to be more attractive inventory for league television networks and partners, and they also help keep stadiums full, compared with matchups against lower-tier competition.Nebraska coach Mike Riley argued consistency in number of conference games across the Power Five is a matter of fairness.I think that probably with the playoffs at stake, he said, that should be equitable that way.Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said he hadnt thought about conferences playing the same number of league games but added, Coach Riley has a good point there.The College Football Playoff selection committee evaluates each teams body of work, with strength of schedule part of the criteria, with no regard to how that schedule in composed. It also does not take a position on how conferences determine their champions.I really believe the data points that are going to be evaluated to decide who is going to be a national championship-caliber team should be decided the same way, Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald said. If that means we all play nine, we all play eight, we all play 10 in the Power Five, I dont really care what we do and how many we play. We should just be playing the same if were going to be evaluated the same way.The SEC decided in 2014 to continue with its eight-game conference schedule with a requirement that each team play at least one nonconference game against a Power Five opponent. Tennessee athletic director Dave Hart said last month that the SEC has not had any discussions about reconsidering conference scheduling.ACC athletic directors are scheduled to meet next month and could discuss future football scheduling. The ACC is mulling whether to continue with eight conference games but require each team to play two nonconference games against Power Five opponents, or whether to go to nine conference games and require one non-conference game against a Power Five team.Were the only sport in America that doesnt have the same set of rules for everyone that plays, Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher said. Ive never figured that out. Everyone goes to their own neighborhood and makes their own rules. Im for uniform for everything across the board in everything we do. Why cant we play the same number of games, same conference championship?Even if all Power Five conferences played the same number of league games, it wouldnt necessarily create the same criteria for the playoff selection committee to consider. For example, a team playing eight conference games along with two nonconference games against high-caliber opponents could be held in higher regard than a team with a nine-game conference schedule that, depending on the year, could include crossover games against bottom feeders and weak non-conference opponents.Also at issue: keeping alive nonconference geographical rivalry games, many of them between SEC and ACC teams, and maintain the flexibility in nonconference scheduling that allows schools to generate the significant revenue that comes with playing seven home games.In the Big Ten, the nine-game conference schedule is not embraced by everybody. East Division teams will have five conference games at home and four away in even-numbered years, with West Division teams following that schedule in odd-numbered years.Minnesotas Tracy Claeys and Northwesterns Fitzgerald would prefer 10 conference games so each team would get five at home and five on the road.There is a huge advantage to playing home football games, especially in some of these cathedrals of college football we have in Big Ten play, Fitzgerald said. The traditional powers of our conference, it might not impact them that much. But the programs like ours, that are trying to build from historically being in the bottom of the conference to building to the middle of the conference and fighting and scratching and clawing to get to the top... having four home games and the other side has five makes it really challenging.---AP Sports Writers Joe Reedy in Tallahassee, Florida, Dave Campbell in Minneapolis and Steve Megargee in Knoxville, Tennessee, contributed.---Online:AP college football website: http://collegefootball.ap.org Cheap Authentic Lions Jerseys . JOHNS, N. Authentic Kerryon Johnson Jersey .J. Jefferson has been charged with assaulting his girlfriend. http://www.cheapdetroitlionsjerseysauthentic.com/?tag=authentic-dashawn-hand-jersey . They hope to persuade the other team owners and commissioner Roger Goodell to put pressure on Redskins owner Daniel Snyder to drop the nickname they find offensive. "Given the way the meeting transpired," Ray Halbritter, an Oneida representative and leader of the "Change the Mascot Campaign," said Wednesday, "it became somewhat evident they were defending the continued use of the name. Authentic Frank Ragnow Jersey . -- Matt Kuchar and Harris English ran away with the Franklin Templeton Shootout, shooting a 14-under 58 on Sunday in the final-round scramble to break the tournament course record. Wholesale Lions Jerseys .Y. -- Syracuse has turned up the defence at the right time all season, and when High Point threatened to pull off a monumental upset the second-ranked Orange did what they do best with their quick hands and savvy play. So much for any Game No. 162 chaos in baseball: The San Francisco Giants, Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles grabbed the last three playoff spots Sunday, and the October matchups are set.Neat and clean, no need for all sorts of tiebreakers. Too bad -- that kind of final-day scramble mightve been fun for fans.Instead, they could sit back, savor Vin Scullys farewell call and prepare for the postseason. It opens Tuesday night when the Orioles visit Toronto in the AL wild-card game.All we asked for is an opportunity, and right now, we have an opportunity, Baltimore center fielder Adam Jones said after a 5-2 win over the New York Yankees. So, lets celebrate and enjoy this and get back to work.No official word yet on the starting pitchers at Rogers Centre. Figures to be Chris Tillman for the Os against Marcus Stroman.On Wednesday night, aces duel as Madison Bumgarner starts for the Giants vs. Noah Syndergaard and the New York Mets at Citi Field in the NL wild-card game.We found a way to get back to where we need to be, Bumgarner said after his teams 7-1 win finished off a sweep of the Dodgers. If we play like we have been the last three days, well be tough to beat.On Thursday, the best-of-five AL Division Series begins: David Ortiz and Boston at Cleveland, and the wild-card winner at Texas.I guess I wish Ortiz would consider retiring early, said Indians manager Terry Francona, who previously guided Big Papi with the Red Sox, but I dont see that happening.On Friday night, Clayton Kershaw starts Game 1 for the Los Angeles Dodgers at Washington, and the NL wild-card winner plays the best-in-the-majors Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.Going into Game 162, Detroit and St. Louis also had a chance to reach the postseason. That raised thhe possibility of multi-team, multi-city tiebreakers going into early next week.ddddddddddddThe Tigers were in the middle of that mix. They hoped to win at Atlanta and have either the Orioles or Blue Jays lose -- then, they wouldve needed to win a makeup game at home Monday against Detroit to force a tiebreaker for an AL wild-card spot.I would not have enjoyed the travel, Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said, but I would have relished traveling.That kind of drama never developed as the teams holding leads took care of business.Manager Buck Showalter and Baltimore sealed their spot, winning at Yankee Stadium. When the Tigers later lost 1-0 at Atlanta in the last game at Turner Field, they were out and Toronto was back in for the second straight year.Later, the Blue Jays 2-1 victory at Fenway Park meant they would host Baltimore.With All-Star catcher Buster Posey getting three hits and driving in three runs, San Francisco beat the Dodgers and eliminated the Cardinals.The Giants have enjoyed a recent run of even-year success, winning the World Series in 2010, 2012 and 2014.The last time they reached the postseason, Bumgarner pitched a shutout at Pittsburgh in the wild-card game and went on to become the World Series MVP. So another cross-country flight to begin the playoffs was fine by them.I dont think it bothers anybody that we go on the road to win these games. Its actually a lot of fun, first baseman Brandon Belt said. With Bumgarner on the mound, were going to have a good shot.---This story has been corrected to delete a reference to the Giants playing at Dodger Stadium; the game was in San Francisco China Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys China China NFL Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Online Cheap NFL Jerseys Camo Jerseys From China ' ' '