Stretching from New Jersey to the California coast to as far north as Washington in the Pacific Northwest, the Big Ten is literally a coast-to-coast conference.

Just look at the Big Ten map commercial . REQUIRED READING: Indiana, Alabama among biggest college football surprises in first half of season

While that may feel wrong to college football fans who grew up when the sports was still reasonably divided into distinct regions, it is nonetheless true in the modern era of the sport, with the Big Ten now holding an 18-program membership from realignment.

It's also a narrative that will once again be on full display in Week 8 of the college football season, as No. 9 Oregon looks to bounce back from a home loss to No. 3 Indiana with a road trip to Rutgers . Elsewhere, Maryla

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